Black Hole Spin
Black Hole Spin
This chapter examines the spin of a black hole. The spin is usually described as a nondimensional parameter, which can range from zero (a nonspinning black hole) to one (a situation described as “maximally spinning”). The differences in space-time between a nonspinning Schwarzschild black hole and a Kerr black hole of the same mass have potentially observable effects. The most obvious of these differences is the position of the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO), which has a significant effect on the inner edge of an accretion disk. It is through determination of the physical size of the ISCO that the spins of black holes are determined.
Keywords: black holes, nonspinning black hole, spinning black hole, Schwarzschild black hole, Kerr black hole, innermost stable circular orbit, accretion disk
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