Life on Miller's Planet: The Habitable Zone Around Supermassive Black Holes

TL;DR

This paper explores the astrophysical factors affecting the habitability of planets orbiting supermassive black holes, emphasizing relativistic effects like blueshift and radiation beaming that influence environmental conditions.

Contribution

It introduces additional astrophysical considerations, such as radiation blueshift and beaming, that impact the potential habitability of planets near supermassive black holes.

Findings

High-energy flux due to blueshift affects habitability

Relativistic effects significantly alter radiation environment

Implications for life-supporting conditions near black holes

Abstract

In the science fiction film $Interstellar$, a band of intrepid astronauts sets out to explore a system of planets orbiting a supermassive black hole, searching for a world that may be conducive to hosting human life. While the film legitimately boasts a relatively high level of scientific accuracy, it is still restricted by Hollywood sensitivities and limitations. In this paper, we discuss a number of additional astrophysical effects that may be important in determining the (un)inhabitable environment of a planet orbiting close to a giant, accreting black hole. Foremost among these effects is the blueshift and beaming of incident radiation on the planet, due to the time dilation of an observer orbiting very close to the black hole. This results in high-energy flux incoming from surrounding stars and background radiation, with significant implications for habitability.