The Gravitomagnetic Field and Penrose Processes

Abstract

Results from general relativistic theoretical Monte Carlo computer simulations of Compton scattering and e-e+ pair production processes in the ergosphere of a supermassive (10^8 solar mass) rotating black hole are presented. Particles from an accretion disk fall into the ergosphere and scatter off particles that are in bound equatorially and nonequatorially confined orbits. The Penrose mechanism, in general, allows rotational energy of a Kerr black hole to be extracted by scattered particles escaping from the ergosphere to infinity (i.e., large distances from the black hole). The results of these model calculations show that a form of the Penrose mechanism is capable of producing the observed high energy particles (up to of order GeV) emitted by quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGNs), without the necessity of the external electromagnetic field of the accretion disk. Importantly, these model calculations show that the Lense-Thirring effect, i.e., the dragging of inertial frames into rotation, caused by the angular momentum of the rotating black hole, results in a gravitomagnetic (GM) force being exerted on the scattered escaping particles. Inside the ergosphere, where this dragging is severe, in appears that the GM vector field lines are frame dragged into the positive azimuthal direction, i.e., the direction of rotation of the black hole. The resulting GM force acting on the Penrose scattered particles produces symmetrical and asymmetrical (or one-sided) particle emissions in the polar direction, consistent with the astrophysical jets observed in radio strong AGNs. Note, these Penrose processes can apply to any size rotating black hole.