A process by which the rotational energy of a rotating black hole can be extracted. An object close to the event horizon may split into two particles. One, with negative energy, falls into the black hole, causing the rotation rate to decrease. The other, with positive rotation, moves away. The result is that energy is extracted at the expense of rotational energy of the black hole. This process was suggested by Roger Penrose in 1969. See also Blandford–Znajek process.