Rotating black hole

A rotating black hole (Kerr black hole or Kerr-Newman black hole) is a black hole that possesses angular momentum. It is one of three possible types of black holes that could exist in the theory of gravitation called General Relativity. Black holes can be characterized by three (and only three) quantities M, J and Q, namely:

Related Topics:
Black hole - Angular momentum - General Relativity

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• mass M, (Schwarzschild black hole if J=0 and Q=0)
• angular momentum J (Kerr black hole if J not zero and Q=0)
• electric charge Q (charged black hole or Reissner-Nordstrøm black hole if Q not zero and J=0; or a Kerr-Newman black hole if both J and Q not zero).

Rotating black holes are thought to be formed in the gravitational collapse of a massive rotating star or from the collapse of a collection of stars with an average non-zero angular momentum. Most stars rotate and therefore it is expected that most black holes in nature are rotating black holes. Rotating black holes can produce large amounts of energy at the expense of its rotational energy. In that case a rotating black hole gradually reduces to a Schwarzschild black hole, the minimum configuration from which no further energy can be extracted. The formation of a rotating black hole is thought to be observed as the emission of

Related Topics:
Gravitational collapse - Star

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gamma ray bursts.

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Rotating black hole: Ergosphere and the Penrose process ►