Black Holes Not As Powerful As Imagined

[Judi Lynn]

9 December 2017, 9:50 am EST By Samriddhi Dastidar Tech Times

Black holes are known to gobble up stars voraciously, due to their intense gravitational pull, and emit streams of matter at nearly the speed of light. A new study has, however, dispelled this long-believed notion.

A team of astronomers from the University of Florida has published a paper, in the journal Science, which indicates the magnetic fields of black holes are not that powerful.

Black Hole V404 Cygni
The scientists conducted the study after getting a rare opportunity to measure the magnetic field of a black hole referred to as V404 Cygni. It is located 8,000 light years away from Earth and has a width of 40 miles.

The measurements were developed from data collected in 2015 when V404 Cygni’s had a rare outburst of jets. The lens mirror of the 34-foot Gran Telescopio Canarias in Canary Islands, Spain was used to observe the event.

More:
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/216844/20171209/black-holes-not-as-powerful-as-imagined.htm

[Sneederbunk]

1. Still would not want to meet one in an alley.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. It would, of course, be a dark alley.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Huh ?? Known ... notion ? It's only the *magnetic* field that's not as powerful as thought ?

Better check the original paper -- this journo has chopped it into word salad. "Lens mirror" ?? etc., etc.

[JayhawkSD]

3. Perhaps my impression is mistaken.

But it appears that the writers of the paper measured one black hole and from those measurements jumped to a lot of conclusions about black holes in general. If so, that strikes me a very sloppy science.

[Midnight Writer]

4. So are we talking the magnetic field or the gravitational field?

[Fullduplexxx]

5. The black hole of cygnus x-1

In the constellation of Cygnus
There lurks a mysterious, invisible force
The Black Hole of Cygnus X-1

Six stars of the northern cross
In mourning for their sister's loss
In a final flash of glory
Nevermore to grace the night

Invisible
To telescopic eye
Infinity
The star that would not die

All who dare
To cross her course
Are swallowed by
A fearsome force

Through the void
To be destroyed
Or is there something more?
Atomized, at the core
Or through the astral door
To soar

I set a course just east of Lyra
And northwest of Pegasus
Flew into the light of Deneb
Sailed across the Milky Way

On my ship, the 'Rocinante'
Wheeling through the galaxies,
Headed for the heart of Cygnus
Headlong into mystery

The x-ray is her siren song
My ship cannot resist her long
Nearer to my deadly goal
Until the black hole
Gains control

Spinning, whirling
Still descending
Like a spiral sea
Unending

Sound and fury
Drowns my heart
Every nerve
Is torn apart

Songwriters: Neil Elwood Peart / Gary Lee Weinrib / Alex Zivojinovich