Inertial Current Generators of Poynting Flux in MHD Simulations of Black Hole Ergospheres

Abstract

This Letter investigates the physics that is responsible for creating the current system that supports the outgoing Poynting flux emanating from the ergosphere of a rotating black hole in the limit that the magnetic energy density greatly exceeds the plasma rest mass density (magnetically dominated limit). The underlying physics is derived from published three-dimensional simulations that obey the general relativistic equations of perfect magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). It is found that the majority of the Poynting flux emitted from the magnetically dominated regions of the ergosphere has a source associated with inertial effects outside of the event horizon.