Extracting X-rays, Gamma-Rays, and Electron-Positron (e-e+) Pairs from the Ergosphere of Rotating Black Holes Using Penrose Scattering Processes

Theoretical fully relativistic 4D model calculations involving Monte Carlo computer simulations of Compton scattering and e-e+ pair production processes, in the ergosphere of supermassive or stellar size rotating black holes, are presented. Particles from an accretion disk surrounding the black hole fall into the ergosphere and scatter off particles that are in bound equatorial and nonequatorial confined orbits. The Penrose mechanism, in general, allows rotational energy of a Kerr (rotating) black hole to be extracted by scattered particles escaping from the ergosphere to large distances. The energy-momentum four vectors are calculated for the scattered escaping particles. Particles escape in the form of bi-polar jets with energies as high as 54 GeV. These calculations show that the Lense-Thirring effect, i.e., the dragging of inertial frames into rotation, caused by the angular momentum of the black hole, results in a “gravitomagnetic” Coriolis-like force being exerted on the scattered particles. The effect of this force on the escaping particles is discussed as well as the luminosities and energy-momenta attained. Such escaping particles are observed in objects we believed to be powered by black holes: center of galaxies, quasars, microquasars, and gamma-ray bursts.