Penrose process for energy extraction
E77121
The Penrose process for energy extraction is a theoretical mechanism in general relativity by which rotational energy can be extracted from a spinning black hole via particle interactions in its ergosphere.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
general relativity concept
ⓘ
physical process ⓘ theoretical mechanism ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
Kerr metric
ⓘ
surface form:
Kerr black hole
rotating black hole ⓘ |
| basedOn | general relativity ⓘ |
| category |
black hole energy extraction mechanism
ⓘ
relativistic astrophysics process ⓘ |
| conserves |
total angular momentum
ⓘ
total energy ⓘ |
| contrastWith |
Hawking radiation
ⓘ
accretion-powered energy extraction ⓘ |
| describedIn | Kerr metric ⓘ |
| effect |
extraction of energy to infinity
ⓘ
reduction of black hole angular momentum ⓘ |
| field |
astrophysics
ⓘ
black hole physics ⓘ general relativity ⓘ |
| goal |
energy extraction
ⓘ
extraction of rotational energy ⓘ |
| hasConsequence | spin-down of rotating black hole ⓘ |
| hasInterpretation | conversion of black hole rotational energy into particle kinetic energy ⓘ |
| hasLimitation |
low efficiency for single-particle events
ⓘ
requires precise particle trajectories ⓘ |
| hasRegionProperty | ergosphere allows negative energy states relative to infinity ⓘ |
| inspired | Blandford–Znajek process ⓘ |
| involves |
frame dragging
ⓘ
negative energy orbits ⓘ particle decay ⓘ particle interactions ⓘ |
| isSubconceptOf | energy extraction from black holes ⓘ |
| mathematicalFramework |
Kerr metric
ⓘ
surface form:
Kerr spacetime
|
| maximumEfficiency | about 20 percent for idealized single-particle process ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Roger Penrose ⓘ |
| occursInRegion |
inside ergosphere
ⓘ
outside event horizon ⓘ |
| proposedBy | Roger Penrose ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
“The four laws of black hole mechanics”
ⓘ
surface form:
black hole thermodynamics
energy conditions in general relativity ⓘ superradiance ⓘ |
| requires |
black hole rotation
ⓘ
existence of ergosphere ⓘ timelike geodesics with negative energy at infinity ⓘ |
| theoreticalStatus |
idealized process
ⓘ
thought experiment ⓘ |
| uses | ergosphere ⓘ |
| yearProposed | 1969 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.