408-Black-Hole-Disk [408] Black Hole Disk — This illustration provides a high-detail perspective of a stellar-mass black hole system. A companion star is shown undergoing significant Roche lobe overflow, with a distinct stream of stellar plasma being pulled into a massive, multi-layered accretion disk. The disk transitions from vibrant orange and red outer regions to a luminous, white-hot interior. A powerful relativistic jet of purple ionized matter is shown being ejected perpendicular to the disk from the vicinity of the event horizon, a hallmark of active high-mass X-ray binaries.. Digital, for Scientific American © 2005 by Don Dixon.
[408] Black Hole Disk — This illustration provides a high-detail perspective of a stellar-mass black hole system. A companion star is shown undergoing significant Roche lobe overflow, with a distinct stream of stellar plasma being pulled into a massive, multi-layered accretion disk. The disk transitions from vibrant orange and red outer regions to a luminous, white-hot interior. A powerful relativistic jet of purple ionized matter is shown being ejected perpendicular to the disk from the vicinity of the event horizon, a hallmark of active high-mass X-ray binaries.. Digital, for Scientific American © 2005 by Don Dixon.
Click to open this image within the album!