Astronomy & Space Science · AST-436
Accretion Disks & Relativistic Jets: Foundations
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Overview
Core model: Accretion Disks & Relativistic Jets
Gas approaching a compact object usually carries angular momentum, so it cannot fall straight inward. Instead it forms an accretion disk where orbital energy is converted into heat and radiation, sometimes powering luminosities far greater than those of ordinary stars. Some accreting black holes and neutron stars also launch narrow relativistic jets.
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Source library for this chapter
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- 01Black Holes and Curved Spacetime — SummaryOpen source ↗
OpenStax Astronomy 2e
View claim-by-claim traceability3 verified claims
Viscous and magnetic stresses transport angular momentum outward, allowing matter to spiral inward and release gravitational binding energy.
supported · checked Sep 22, 2026Gas approaching a compact object usually carries angular momentum, so it cannot fall straight inward.
supported · checked Sep 22, 2026X-ray binaries show hot inner disks and rapid variability, active galactic nuclei display bright multiwavelength continua and radio jets, and very-long-baseline interferometry resolves relativistic jet motion and structures near supermassive black holes.
supported · checked Sep 22, 2026