Abstract:  The 'bright arc of ferociously hot gas extending 
more than two million light years' detected by the Chandra 
X-Ray Observatory may be caused by a binary black hole 
system behind galaxy 3C438.
   
Source:  
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/30may_upheaval.htm
?list59012  Or just go to the Chandra X-Ray Observatory web 
site at chandra.com  and snoop around the the 5-30-2007 
report.

GottaKnow:
An ordinary star field containing a galaxy called 3C438 in 
optical light displays a massive energetic event when viewed 
from Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

(refer to link above for a an outline of the event)

Joseph_Sixpack's hypothesis:
In any binary system composed of near equal black holes 
Joe's theory goes that there would exist a zero gravity port 
out of which would stream the hot plasma of the black holes 
locked in mutual, and possibly closing orbit.

The high temperature of any radiation or particle ejecta (if 
any) would reflect, and is of course, dependent upon, the 
internal heat of the binary objects, which would depend upon 
the solar mass size of the binary black holes.

Joe thinks temperature may vary very considerably depending 
upon the number of contained solar masses within each black 
hole system, which affect pressure, which affects 
temperature.

Black Holes can get to be very, very, very big, much bigger 
than anyone currently is ready to admit.  The size of the 
black hole behind the Norma Cluster (the black hole is 
currently not admitted to yet) is estimated to be, by some 
astronomers, as large as 5 x 1016th solar masses.

And according to Joe's Universe+ hypothesis the Norma black 
hole is just a typical 'little guy' black hole.  But At 
least Norma's phantom of its opera doesn't seem to be a 
binary (i hope) because there haven't been any reports of a 
massive pouring out of gamma, x-ray or lower energy 
radiation from it as far i know.  My erstwhile opinion 
however, may be subject in instantaneous change, upon any 
differing reports from Chandra however.

The radio map of 3C438 has an interesting property of 
balling up at the ends of the expulsions.  What causes that?  
hmmmm... hardly the ways radio waves would operate unless a 
powerful retention mechanism was in effect. (warped 
spacetime)  But... what does a joe know...

The whole operation is reported to have something in the 
area of 3 x 1010th solar masses, but it is 
unclear from the article whether this is the amount of 
expelled energy after accretion, or whether it is the solar 
mass value of the existing black hole object, or in joe's 
opinion, binary black hole object.

One of the interesting events is that if the 30 billion 
solar masses is the amount of expelled plasma, that could 
mean that the expulsion amounts exceed the accretion amounts 
and the mass of the binary is rapidly decreasing.  When the 
combined solar masses finally get down to beneath the escape 
velocity range of c, the whole thing will disperse instantly 
in what is known as a nova, or even perhaps a super nova.  
Crab Nebula type stuff.

In fact, given the distances, the event may have already 
occured, but the light show events are just putt-putting to 
us from afar at the pokey speed of light.  On the other 
hand, we have five fingers and a thumb.

If 3C438 is a binary squirting out at both ends, the other 
end may be pointed away from us and so any of its 
detectability would be hidden within the amount that was 
coming our way.

The orbit periods of such a system may be very short indeed, 
especially if it is losing mass at a very rapid rate any 
pulsar type activity may be in the fraction of a second 
range, especially, if it is due to go nova soon as the 
masses then are very small and close and the conservation of 
angular momentum would dictate (i think) that a very, very 
fast orbit period would be in order.

The problem is any incoming accreted mass may permanently 
offset any return to under c escape velocity by continuing 
to maintain above c escape velocity mass. 

One of the questions that joe has been pondering is whether 
various frequencies of radiation would be among the spectra 
of energies coming out of the zero gravity port.  At first 
you would think so, but... after a while... you start to 
wonder if the super-hot plasma would up everybodys energy 
level, and wipe out anything but the plasma temperatured 
controlled stuff.  don't know...

It would appear that 3C438 man behind the curtain's mass is 
insuffient for a galactic solar distribution.  If galaxies 
are created due to supermassive black holes infalling into one 
another it seems, from the available galaxies out there, a 
nice value of solar mass for galactic distributions would 
have to be in the 1011 or higher range.  plus or 
minus a few...

The man behind 3C438's curtain may have an event horizon 
that far exceeds the binaries hard shell orbit diameter.
It can't be seen.  Only the plasma ejecta (radiation) can be 
detected, and that, perhaps only, long after it is out of 
the zero gravity ports.

 Anyhow, this is Joseph_Sixpack's opinion about what 3C438 
is all about.  But more later maybe...