The intense X-rays emitted by a suspected black hole are generated by what physical mechanism?
A) blueshifting of light emitted by hot gas into the X-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum by the extreme speed of the gas moving into the black hole
B) induced emission in atoms by the intense gravitational field as material moves toward the black hole
C) compressional heating as material moves into the black hole
D) deceleration of matter as it abruptly stops at the event horizon of the black hole

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intense X-rays emitted by a suspected black hole are primarily generated by the compressional heating of material as it moves into the black hole. This process occurs in the accretion disk surrounding the black hole, where matter falling towards the black hole gets heated to extremely high temperatures due to gravitational compression, emitting X-rays.

The Intense X-Rays Emitted by a Suspected Black Hole Are