Work

Conversion of Protons to Positrons by a Black Hole

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The conversion of protons to positrons at the horizon of a black hole (BH) is considered. It is shown that the process may efficiently proceed for BHs with masses in the range $$ \sim {{10}^{{18}}}$$ – $${{10}^{{21}}}$$ g. It is argued that the electric charge of BH acquired by the proton accretion to BH could create electric field near BH horizon close to the critical Schwinger one. It leads to efficient electron-positron pair production, when electrons are back captured by the BH while positrons are emitted into outer space. Annihilation of these positrons with electrons in the interstellar medium may at least partially explain the origin of the observed 511 keV line.

Source: Physics of Particles and Nuclei Letters

DOI: 10.1134/s1547477124700821

Authors: A. D. Dolgov, A. S. Rudenko

Institutions: Novosibirsk State University, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics

Language: English

Topic: Black Holes and Theoretical Physics

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Russian Science Foundation

Award: G5806075864