On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:41 AM, Tim <xxxxxx@little-possums.net> wrote:

>> The creation of a black hole is, I presume, an explosive process.
>
> In many cases *very* explosive: a Type II supernova.  These usually
> result in a substantial loss of mass as well as extremely intense
> radiation, so any surviving planets probably escape the weaker gravity
> of the black hole (compared with the original star).  Some of the
> matter from the explosion may condense into planets.  Most will be
> ejected from the system at very high speed, but a small fraction won't
> *quite* have enough energy to escape.  Although it won't have much
> angular momentum, there are processes by which stable (though usually
> highly elliptical) orbits can result.  So such a supernova remnant can
> have planets.  Even old planets, if it exploded long ago.
>
>

I've got this mental image, wondered if you could comment on the 'realism' --

Imagine  a black hole with a "hot" disk, and a planet with no-rotation
(tidal lock, like the moon) in a very, very, very, very long ecliptic
orbit, on the order of 250 years or so.
The "sun-side" of the planet takes a continued splatter of X-rays,
which hit sundry elements inside the core and heat it, which then
cause hot springs on the other side of the planet. Also, portions of
the atmo fluoresce under the beating, providing pseudo-sunlight, even
though you're on the dark side.

The planet was the home of a TL6 race at one point, which realized
what was about to happen, and created deep, deep shelters since they
had no space flight capability. This did them no real good, but it did
allow a lot of bacteria, spores, fungus, and some insects to survive.

These critters now populate the hot springs areas. The 'termite'-ish
bugs burrow deep at the apogee and perigee of the orbit to survive,
and some of those deep burrows are close enough to the spring that
water seeps through, keeping lichen and such alive to feed the
termites.