Quasars & Fusion: Could They Generate Energy from Fusion?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores whether quasars could generate energy from fusion, particularly in the context of the material falling into them and the mechanisms involved in energy production in such extreme environments. The scope includes theoretical considerations and conceptual clarifications regarding the nature of quasars and black holes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that quasars might generate energy from fusion due to the large amounts of material falling into them.
  • Others argue that energy cannot be generated, only transformed, and that the density of the material is too low to produce significant fusion power, suggesting that the accretion disk releases much more energy than any fusion process could.
  • A participant notes that a black hole, which is presumably the "it" referred to, lacks a solid surface for fusion to occur, contrasting it with white dwarfs or neutron stars.
  • Another participant points out that the sun also lacks a solid surface and emphasizes that black holes have accretion disks, which are the source of radiation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the potential for fusion energy generation in quasars, with no consensus reached on the validity of the fusion hypothesis or the mechanisms of energy production.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations regarding the assumptions about energy generation processes in quasars and the nature of black holes and their accretion disks, which remain unresolved.

Miguel de Luis
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Could quasars be generating energy from fusion? I mean with all that material falling on it...
 
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Energy cannot be generated, only transformed. The density is too low to produce relevant fusion power - you always have a few atoms fusing, but that does not have any effect. The accretion disk releases much more energy than even a 100% fusion rate could do.
 
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Miguel de Luis said:
Could quasars be generating energy from fusion? I mean with all that material falling on it...

That "it" is presumably is black hole, which has no solid surface on which matter might fuse, unlike a white dwarf or neutron star
 
DrSteve said:
That "it" is presumably is black hole, which has no solid surface on which matter might fuse, unlike a white dwarf or neutron star
The sun doesn't have a solid surface either. Black holes have accretion disks (that's where the radiation comes from).
 

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