Spinning Black Holes and MCG 6 30 15
Explanation:
What makes the core of galaxy MCG-6-30-15 so bright?
Some
astronomers believe the answer is a massive
spinning black hole.
If so, this would be the first
observational indication that it is possible to make a
black hole act like a
battery -- and tap into its rotational energy.
MCG-6-30-15 is a distant
galaxy that has
recently been observed with the orbiting
XMM-Newton satellite in
X-ray light.
These observations show the
galaxy's nucleus not only to be
very bright but also to show evidence that
much of the light is climbing out of a deep
gravitational well.
A spinning black hole could explain both effects.
A strong
magnetic field could be the
mediator transferring rotational energy from the
black hole to the surrounding gas.
Pictured above is an artist's illustration of a
black hole surrounded by an
accretion disk.
For clarity, the illustration does not include
distorting gravitational lens effects.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
