J 2017

Life under a black sun

OPATRNÝ, Tomáš; Lukáš RICHTEREK and Pavel BAKALA

Basic information

Original name

Life under a black sun

Authors

OPATRNÝ, Tomáš (203 Czech Republic); Lukáš RICHTEREK (203 Czech Republic) and Pavel BAKALA (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

American Journal of Physics, 2017, 0002-9505

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Article in a journal

Field of Study

10308 Astronomy

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

is not subject to a state or trade secret

RIV identification code

RIV/47813059:19240/17:A0000060

Organization

Filozoficko-přírodovědecká fakulta – Slezská univerzita v Opavě – Repository

UT WoS

000391941800004

EID Scopus

2-s2.0-85006757728

Keywords in English

life; Dyson sphere; Interstellar; energy

Tags

Tags

International impact, Reviewed
Changed: 5/4/2018 15:54, Jan Hladík

Abstract

V originále

Life is dependent on the income of energy with low entropy and the disposal of energy with high entropy. On Earth, the low-entropy energy is provided by solar radiation and the high-entropy energy is disposed of as infrared radiation emitted into cold space. Here, we turn the situation around and imagine the cosmic background radiation as the low-entropy source of energy for a planet orbiting a black hole into which the high-entropy energy is expelled. We estimate the power that can be produced by thermodynamic processes on such a planet, with a particular interest in planets orbiting a fast rotating Kerr black hole as in the science fiction movie Interstellar. We also briefly discuss a reverse Dyson sphere absorbing cosmic background radiation from the outside and dumping waste energy to a black hole inside.