Consider Again the Civilization Described in the Previous Question

question 89

Multiple Choice

Consider again the civilization described in the previous question. (They live on a planet orbiting 10 AU from a close binary star system that consists of a 15 MSᵤn red giant star and a 10 MSᵤn black hole surrounded by an accretion disk.) One foolhardy day, a daring individual in their space force (let's call him Major Tom) decides to become the first of his species to cross the event horizon of the black hole. To add to the drama, he decides to go in wearing only a thin space suit, which offers no shielding against radiation, no cushioning against any forces, and so on. Which of the following is most likely to kill him first (or at least to start the process of killing him first) ?

• A) X-rays from the accretion disk
• B) Tidal forces due to the black hole
• C) The crush of gravity at the singularity embedded within the black hole
• D) The sucking force from the black hole, which will cause his head to explode

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