Actually, Martin, is this related to, or exactly the same as, the very well known phenomenon where the collapsing disk of gas around a black hole produces super energetic jets of energy? The jets that are the cause of what we used to call quasars? It seems to be the source of the "volcano" they mention. In other black holes with such jets--or in the aftermath of supernovas for that matter--there is evidence of the violent outward push of the jets or solar winds forcing local gas and dust away from the source. The difference here seems to be this new factoid about gas cooling and "falling" toward the center of the galaxy to form stars, but being thwarted by the jets. On the flipside, though, I thought that what often happens to gas that's pushed away from such a source, is that the shockwaves actually help start star formation as they force compression and aggregation of gas particles along the path of the outward force.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Baxter" <[email protected]> To: "SciFiNoir2" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 7:21:51 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Galactic Supervolcano Erupts From Black Hole As a physicist, this is news to me... http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/08/galactic-volcano -- "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik
