Black holes are often seen as cosmic vacuum cleaners, but they are actually powerful energy engines that can redistribute vast amounts of power. Recent simulations have shown that up to 70% of the energy extracted from black holes can be redirected into space, influencing their brightness and galaxy dynamics.
To understand this phenomenon, researchers turned to advanced computer simulations. Led by JILA postdoctoral researcher Prasun Dhang, the team modeled black holes with thin, highly magnetized accretion disks to uncover the underlying physics governing these extreme systems. Their findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, provide key insights into black hole dynamics and could reshape our understanding of their influence on galaxy formation.
The simulations showed that depending on the black hole’s spin, between 10% and 70% of the energy extracted through a process called the Blandford-Znajek (BZ) effect was channeled into powerful jets. The team found that strong magnetic fields increased the disk’s radiative efficiency, making it brighter. This extra luminosity may explain why some black holes appear far more luminous than theoretical models predict.
While the simulations couldn’t determine where the excess energy went, Dhang plans to study this further to better understand how jets form and contribute to the formation of a corona around the black hole. The corona is crucial for shaping the light we observe from these systems, but its exact formation process remains unclear.
Overall, the research highlights the complex and mysterious nature of black holes, which continue to intrigue scientists with their secrets.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/the-secret-energy-inside-every-black-hole-is-more-powerful-than-we-thought