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• Escape velocity
• Event horizon
• Black hole parameters
• Falling into a black hole
Massive bodies and escape speed
Gravity bends the path of light
A nonrotating black hole has only a
“center” and a “surface”
• The black hole is surrounded
by an event horizon which is
the sphere from which light
cannot escape
• The distance between the
black hole and its event
horizon is the Schwarzschild
radius (RSch= 2GM/c2)
• The center of the black hole
is a point of infinite density
and zero volume, called a
singularity
Event horizon
Gravitational Redshift
For photons emitted at event horizon, gravitational redshift is
infinite. The observed frequency is zero, i.e. the photons are
never observed.
2GM RS
1 2
1
Rc R
Event Horizon
• RS = 2GM/c2 = 2.95 km
• Mass
– As measured by the
black hole’s effect on
orbiting bodies, such as Most properties of matter
another star vanish when matter enters
a black hole, such as
• Total electric charge chemical composition,
– As measured by the texture, color, shape, size,
strength of the electric distinctions between
force protons and electrons, etc
• Spin = angular momentum
– How fast the black hole
is spinning
Rotating black holes
• A rotating black hole
(one with angular
momentum) has an
ergosphere around the
outside of the event
horizon
• In the ergosphere, space
and time themselves are
dragged along with the
rotation of the black
hole
As you fall into to a black hole, you shine a
blue flashlight at a friend exterior to the
hole, she sees
1. blue light
2. blue light at first, then turning red
3. blue light, then red, then nothing
4. nothing
Black holes evaporate
Seeing Black Holes
• Observed properties of black holes
• Gravitational energy
• Rotating black holes
• Eddington luminosity
• Accretion disks
• Jets
Accretion disk
Accretion disks
• Disks form because infalling matter has
angular momentum.
• Accretion leads to release of gravitational
energy.
• Inner regions of disks rotate very rapidly –
near the speed of light.
• The luminosity of a black hole is limited by its
mass.
Seeing black holes
Observed properties of black holes
Luminosity
Orientation
Jets
Gravitational energy
Black holes
generate
energy from
matter falling
into them.
Rotating black holes
For non-rotating black holes:
- event horizon is at the Schwarzschild radius
- inner edge of the disk is at 3 Schwarzschild radii
Limit on the
brightness of a
black hole
Eddington
Luminosity
M
LEdd 30,000L
M
Black holes shine brightest in X-rays
Why?
Luminosity of a ‘Black Body’ Radiator