Is it possible that high speed (close to c) particles are flying around a neutron star/black hole?
That’s an interesting question. Matter accreting onto a black hole can reach relativistic speeds. I think the question you are asking is if the energy density in the accretion disk is high enough to cause significant light bending. The answer is no. The gravitational field of the black hole or neutron star dominates. If we are looking at the disk almost edge-on and the disk is flared (i.e. gets thicker towards its outside edge) it will obscure the central X-ray source. If the disk is warped or is precessing (wobbling) we may see a periodic modulation of the X-ray flux. Damian Audley For the Ask a High-Energy Astronomer Team QUESTION: I teach a 10th grade astronomy class and am unclear on how the strong rotating magnetic field of a black hole creates the jets of accelerated matter that is emitted from the polar regions. How is it that this matter/energy escapes the event horizon? Thank you for your time. ANSWER: This is a very good question, which the scientists are still trying to work
