: : : : This sounds bogus. Do you have the article in question? I would be interested in seeing it myself.

: : : : My elementary students wondered about some new findings posted by : : : : Reuters where ultra hot gas was escaping from a black hole : : : : at around twice the speed of light. They wondered: : : : : 1. How ANYTHING can escape from a black hole : : : : 2. How AnYTHING can go above the speed of light. : : : : Any answers would be appreciated to explain these : : : : phenomenon. : : : Sorry to add that we don't have a good browser, : : : so please reply via e-mail. Thanks!

: : It is not bogus. The article says, relative speed of : two streams is close to that of twice speed of light. : Each stream is travelling with velocity of light in : opposite direction.

Ok. The gas that is being shot out is coming from the matter that is falling in. As matter spirals towards the black hole it is heated and ionized. This creates a super magnetic field and some of the matter can be shot out the poles. Not matter that crosses the event horizon mind you. Just matter that came very close to being sucked in.

As for the twice the speed of light comment. The author makes the mistake that if two objects are travelling near the the speed of light and are travelling in opposite directions, then they are separating at twice the speed of light from each other. While this is true at low velocities, this is not the case when you approach the speed of light. The apparent separtion velocity of the two jets at opposites sides of the black hole is still constrained by the speed of light.

• Re: streams of hot gas twice the speed of light - Marlock/">Marlock - December 13, 1997 - 21:08 UTC
  • Re: streams of hot gas twice the speed of light - Dave/">Dave - December 26, 1997 - 21:40 UTC
    • Re: streams of hot gas twice the speed of light - robert_barbrow/">robert barbrow - August 9, 1998 - 23:49 UTC