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Magnetic Funnel Around a Supermassive Black Hole

Magnetic Funnel Around a Supermassive Black Hole
The accretion disk of hot plasma swirling around a supermassive black hole generates powerful magnetic fields. The disk's rotation twists the field into a funnel shape. These field lines constrict and direct the outflow of high-speed plasma from the black hole's vicinity. The result is a narrow, tapered, extragalactic jet.

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Last Updated
Aug 17, 2025
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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