- Open Access
Rarity of rocket-driven Penrose extraction in Kerr spacetime
Phys. Rev. D 113, 124036 – Published 11 June, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/f3jn-7wcp
Abstract
We study rocket-driven Penrose extraction in the test-particle limit on a fixed Kerr background for equatorial prograde flybys under explicit steering prescriptions. A spacecraft ejects exhaust inside the ergosphere; when the exhaust attains negative Killing energy, the remaining spacecraft gains energy by 4-momentum conservation. Across 320,000 simulated trajectories spanning black hole spin, exhaust velocity, and orbital parameters, extraction with escape is rare in broad parameter scans (at most ) and requires high spin (), highly relativistic exhaust (), and finely tuned initial conditions. Under optimal tuning the success rate reaches at . For representative escape trajectories, a single periapsis impulse is more propellant-efficient than the continuous-thrust controllers studied here. All quoted thresholds are empirical and specific to the orbit family, prior, and steering protocol studied.
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