How Magnetic Fields Shape Black Holes (Gallery)

Black Hole Power Jet

Visualizations by Ralf Kaeler (KIPAC) and Jonathan McKinney (UMD)

In this still from a magneto-spin effect simulation of black holes, a spinning black hole produces a power jet (white-blue) along its spin axis. Near the center, the jet direction and rotational axis align with the spin axis, farther away the jet deviates to point along the rotational axis.

Black Hole Power Jet #2

Visualizations by Ralf Kaeler (KIPAC) and Jonathan McKinney (UMD)

In this still from a magneto-spin effect simulation of black holes, a spinning black hole produces a power jet (white-blue) along its spin axis. Near the center, the jet direction and rotational axis align with the spin axis, farther away the jet deviates to point along the rotational axis.

Black Hole Spin Tilted 90 Degrees

Visualizations by Ralf Kaeler (KIPAC) and Jonathan McKinney (UMD)

In this still from a magneto-spin effect simulation of black holes, scientists instantly tilt the black hole spin by 90 degrees in the middle of the simulation, and the spinning black hole reforms the powerful jet (white-blue) along the tilted black hole spin axis. The jet rams into the surrounding accretion disk (infalling hot plasma as white-red near the hole) and causes the disk to align with the black hole spin axis near the black hole.

Black Hole Spin Tilted 90 Degrees #2

Visualizations by Ralf Kaeler (KIPAC) and Jonathan McKinney (UMD)

In this still from a magneto-spin effect simulation of black holes, scientists instantly tilt the black hole spin by 90 degrees in the middle of the simulation, and the spinning black hole reforms the powerful jet (white-blue) along the tilted black hole spin axis. The jet rams into the surrounding accretion disk (infalling hot plasma as white-red near the hole) and causes the disk to align with the black hole spin axis near the black hole.

Spinning Black Hole Produces a Powerful Jet

Visualizations by Ralf Kaeler (KIPAC) and Jonathan McKinney (UMD)

In this still from a magneto-spin effect simulation of black holes, a spinning black hole (at center) produces a powerful jet (white smoke) along its spin axis. The jet affects the orientation of the surrounding accretion disk (infalling hot plasma as purple far from the hole and yellow near the hole) causing the disk to align with the spin axis near the hole, but at larger distances the disk dominates the jet and the jet re-aligns with the outer disk.

Spinning Black Hole Produces a Powerful Jet #2

Visualizations by Ralf Kaeler (KIPAC) and Jonathan McKinney (UMD)

In this still from a magneto-spin effect simulation of black holes, a spinning black hole (at center) produces a powerful jet (whiteblue) along its spin axis. The jet affects the orientation of the surrounding accretion disk (infalling hot plasma as white-red near the hole) causing the disk to align with the spin axis near the hole, but at larger distances the disk dominates the jet and the jet re-aligns with the outer disk.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.