Jets, Disks and Winds from Spinning Black Holes: Nature or Nurture?

TL;DR

This paper proposes that black hole rotation primarily powers jets and winds in M87, with the observed emission arising from an ergomagnetosphere, emphasizing the importance of boundary conditions in jet collimation.

Contribution

It introduces an alternative interpretation where black hole spin drives jet formation via an ergomagnetosphere, contrasting with gravitational energy release models.

Findings

Black hole rotation can power observed jets and winds.

The ergomagnetosphere model explains millimetre emission in M87.

Boundary conditions influence jet collimation significantly.

Abstract

A brief summary is given of an alternative interpretation of the Event Horizon Telescope observations of the massive black hole in the nucleus of the nearby galaxy M87. It is proposed that the flow is primarily powered by the black hole rotation, not the release of gravitational energy by the infalling gas. Consequently, the observed millimetre emission is produced by an "ergomagnetosphere" that connects the black hole horizon to an "ejection disk" from which most of the gas supplied at a remote "magnetopause" is lost through a magnetocentrifugal wind. It is argued that the boundary conditions at high latitude on the magnetopause play a crucial role in the collimation of the relativistic jets. The application of these ideas to other types of source is briefly discussed.