Life supported by radiation from the accretion disk of a black hole

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the potential for life to exist on planets orbiting black holes, specifically through energy derived from the accretion disk. The author of the referenced paper posits that rogue planets, which do not orbit any star, could sustain life using heat from their active cores and energy from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The feasibility of life supported by radiation from a black hole's accretion disk is questioned, particularly regarding the hazardous radiation levels. The conversation highlights the theoretical nature of this concept, especially the challenges of locating an isolated black hole without an accretion disk.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of rogue planets and their characteristics
  • Knowledge of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation
  • Familiarity with black hole physics and accretion disks
  • Basic principles of astrobiology and energy sources for life
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the conditions necessary for life on rogue planets
  • Explore the implications of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation on planetary environments
  • Investigate the effects of radiation from black hole accretion disks on potential life forms
  • Study the methods for detecting isolated black holes in interstellar space
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and astrobiologists interested in the viability of life in extreme environments, particularly those involving black holes and rogue planets.

ShayanJ
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For a planet to be able to support life, it needs to have a source of energy. In our case this energy comes from the sun.
But in this paper, the author argues that a rogue planet (a planet that has been ejected from its stellar system and no longer orbits any star and is wandering in interstellar space) can support life using the heat coming from the active core of the planet.
And in this paper, the author argues that a planet orbiting a black hole could support life using the energy from the CMB and using the black hole as a way of disposing of the high entropy energy (which is the total opposite of our case).
But could the radiation from the accretion disk of a black hole provide enough energy for a planet to support life? Wouldn't there be a huge amount of hazardous radiation from the accretion disk?
Thanks
 
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I've only had the chance to skim the paper, but they seem to say that the sky is divided into two parts - the CMB and the black hole. That means, implicitly, that the black hole does not have an accretion disc - i.e. a more or less isolated black hole. That's certainly not problematic for a theoretical exercise, although finding and reaching an isolated black hole would present significant practical problems.

An accretion disc would yield a lot of hard radiation, yes.
 

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