Relativistic magnetohydrodynamical effects of plasma accreting into a black hole

Abstract

By an explicit analytic solution it is shown how, in the accretion of a poloidally magnetized plasma into a Kerr black hole, a torque is exerted on the infalling gas, implying the extraction of rotational energy from the black hole. The torque arises from the twisting of magnetic field lines by the frame-dragging effect. It is also shown how, under suitable conditions, a sizable charge separation can be found in the magnetosphere of accreting black holes and hence an electric charge is expected to be induced on the black hole.