astralavista

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have created a powerful computer program that simulates how matter falls into a black hole. They expected smooth and quiet demise of matter as it nears the hole's event horizon, the point of no return where Newtonian laws of gravity break down. Instead, the simulation, which the scientists posted on the internet, shows the falling matter flaring violently like a seething Mandelbrot set.
"Life in the vicinity of a black hole is anything but calm and quiet," the scientists said. "The relativistic effects that force matter to plunge inward ... create violent disturbances in density, velocity and magnetic field strength, driving waves of matter and magnetic field to and fro. While most of the matter moves inward toward the black hole, some is thrown away, spiraling outward at nearly the speed of light."