Detecting energy emissions from a rotating black hole

Maurice H.P.M. Van Putten*, Amir Levinson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The rotational energy of a black hole surrounded by a torus is released through several channels. We have determined that a minor fraction of the energy is released in baryon-poor outflows from a differentially rotating open magnetic flux tube, and a major fraction of about η/2 is released in gravitational radiation by the torus with angular velocity η ∼ 0.2 to 0.5 relative to that of the black hole. We associate the energy emitted in baryon-poor outflows with gammaray bursts. The remaining fraction is released in torus winds, thermal emissions, and (conceivably) megaelectron-volt neutrino emissions. The emitted gravitational radiation can be detected by gravitational wave experiments and provides a method for identifying Kerr black holes in the Universe.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1874-1877
Number of pages4
JournalScience
Volume295
Issue number5561
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Mar 2002
Externally publishedYes

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