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Space

Strange way black holes lose energy could help solve cosmic puzzle

The spin of black holes may be harnessed by their magnetic fields, which release hundreds of millions of times the energy of the sun and could power their enormous jets

By Leah Crane

24 November 2023

A polarised view of the black hole M87* with lines that mark the orientation of polarisation related to the magnetic fields

EHT Collaboration/ESO

Black holes across the universe are losing enormous amounts of energy, and it could be due to magnetic fields slowing their spin. Understanding this process could help solve the long-standing mystery of how black hole jets are powered.

A new study of the supermassive black hole M87* has shown that the energy near its edge is flowing outward, not falling in. Scientists have long theorised that the magnetic fields…

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