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If a black hole changes from having no rotation to rotating at its maximum speed, what happens to its ISCO?

a) It expands
b) It contracts
c) It remains the same
d) It disappears

User Hugoagogo
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Final answer:

The ISCO of a black hole contract as the black hole transitions from non-rotating to maximum rotation, due to frame-dragging effects which distort spacetime and allow a stable orbit closer to the black hole.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a black hole changes from having no rotation to rotating at its maximum speed, the Innermost Stable Circular Orbit (ISCO) contracts. This is because the rotation of a black hole affects the spacetime around it, causing the region where the stable orbit can exist to move closer to the black hole. In a non-rotating black hole, the ISCO is located at a larger radius than in a maximally rotating black hole. When the black hole begins to spin, it drags the spacetime around with it (an effect known as frame-dragging), which results in a smaller orbit for the ISCO. This is an example of the conservation of angular momentum, similar to a figure skater pulling their arms in to spin faster.

User Nunohpinheiro
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