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Imagine relativistic jets emitted from two sides of a black hole, one angled toward us and the other angled away. How would they appear different?

User Yeri
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Final answer:

Relativistic jets emitted from different angles of a black hole would appear different due to the effects of relativistic motion and Doppler shift. The jet angled toward us would appear brighter and more blue-shifted, while the jet angled away would appear fainter and more red-shifted.

Step-by-step explanation:

The appearance of relativistic jets emitted from two sides of a black hole would depend on the angle at which they are angled. If one jet is angled toward us and the other jet is angled away, they would appear different due to the effects of relativistic motion and Doppler shift. The jet angled toward us would appear brighter and more blue-shifted, while the jet angled away would appear fainter and more red-shifted.

This difference in appearance is caused by the relativistic motion of the particles within the jets. As particles in the jet angled toward us move closer to the speed of light, they experience time dilation and space contraction, which results in a higher frequency of light being emitted (blue-shift). On the other hand, particles in the jet angled away from us move away from us and experience a lower frequency of light being emitted (red-shift).

An example of this phenomenon can be seen in the M87 jet, where the jet appears blue due to the relativistic motion of electrons and other particles emitting synchrotron radiation along the jet's magnetic field lines.

User Eledgaar
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