Assume that when a supermassive black hole accretes gas, approximately 20 percent of the accreted mass is converted directly into energy, which is radiated away.If a quasar has a luminosity of 10¹³ L_SUN, then what must be its mass accretion rate? Note that the Sun has a luminosity of 4 x10²⁶ W, and a mass of 2 x10³⁰ kg. A) 1 M_SUN per year B) 3.5 M_SUN per year C) 1 M_SUN per century D) 3.5 M_SUN per century E) 1 M_SUN per million years

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The luminosity of the quasar is 10^13 times the Sun's luminosity, which is 4 x 10^26 W. Using the formula L = η * (dM/dt) * c^2, where η = 0.2, we can solve for the mass accretion rate (dM/dt). This results in approximately 3.5 M_SUN per year.

Assume That When a Supermassive Black Hole Accretes Gas, Approximately