Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T15:33:03.811Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The revived Penrose process can power the central engine in active galactic nuclei

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2016

Sanjay M. Wagh
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Poona, Pune - 411007, India
N. Dadhich
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, University of Poona, Pune - 411007, India

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Using the fact that the efficiency of the revived (Wagh et al 1985) Penrose process of energy extraction from black holes immersed in electromagnetic fields can be very high (Parthasarathy et al, 1986) we show that this process can comfortably power the ‘central engine’ in Active Galactic Nuclei. The microphysical Penrose process energized particles will be ultrarelativistic in the asymptotic frame. Hence the kinematical analysis of escaping photons by Piran and Shaham (1977) will be a good approximation to the kinematics of these particles. From this analysis one expects the energized particles to emerge within an angle∼ 40° above and below the equatorial plane. These energetic particles, which are collimated in the funnel of an accretion disk and further on by the magnetic field, then, form supersonic, relativistic, bilateral jets. The relativistic Y factor for such jets can be expected to be ∼ 2 since these ultrarelativistic particles will effectively mimick radiation in ‘dragging’ the matter already injected inside the funnel. Various implications of high energy extraction efficiency are illustrated.

Type
IV. Prime Movers, Models and Mechanisms
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1986 

References

Wagh, S.M., Dhurandhar, S.V., and Dadhich, N. 1985, Ap. J., 290, 12 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parthasarathy, S., Wagh, S.M., Dhurandhar, S.V., and Dadhich, N. 1986, Ap. J., in the press.Google Scholar
Dhurandhar, S.V., and Dadhich, N. 1984, Phys. Rev. D., 30, 1625.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blandford, R.D., and Znajek, S.L. 1977, MNRAS, 179, 433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piran, T., and Shaham, J. 1977, Phys. Rev. D, 16, 1615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frank, J. 1978, MNRAS, 184, 87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoyle, F., Burbidge, G.R., and Sargent, W.L.W. 1966, Nature, 209, 751.CrossRefGoogle Scholar