Scientists have figured out that what they thought was a radio galaxy was actually an active supermassive black hole that launched a jet of plasma toward Earth.
A group of astronomers has uncovered a new study in which they argue that a known object thought to be a radio galaxy is actually an active supermassive black hole. According to Live Science, this black hole is releasing a large stream of plasma, known as a relativistic jet, towards Earth due to a change in the trajectory of this jet.
in 24News Breaker. Technology emerged telegraph channel. Subscribe so you don’t miss the latest and exciting news from the world of science!
At the centers of some galaxies there are active nuclei represented by very active supermassive black holes. These black holes absorb matter at a tremendous speed, and some of it flies out of the disk surrounding the black hole at close to the speed of light in the form of relativistic jets, or streams of plasma. The same jets can also broadcast radio galaxies.
A new study shows that a large galaxy 4 million light-years away named PBC J2333.9-2343 is actually a blazar. So, there is an active core with a huge black hole that releases streams of plasma into space.
If this object were a radio galaxy, huge jets of plasma emanating from its core would be directed perpendicular to our line of sight. But a new study shows that the jet from the black hole is now pointing directly at Earth. This means that the jet shifts its angle by 90 degrees, a very sharp turn that baffled scientists.
According to the study’s authors, they observed the galaxy PBC J2333.9-2343 across nearly the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays. And their observations showed that this galaxy has features unique to blazars. It got brighter and darker and had the same relativistic jets that blazars emitted. So the scientists concluded that this object is most likely a blazar, not a radio galaxy.
Blazars are a subset of quasars and are inextricably linked with highly active black holes at the centers of galaxies. They are also some of the brightest objects in space, emitting large jets of plasma and radiation. So actually the black hole itself creates a very bright object around it that could outshine all the stars in the galaxy. This glow appears due to the radiation emitted by the heated matter from the disk orbiting the black hole and is absorbed by it.
The scientists observed the gas surrounding the galaxy to see what traces the relativistic jet and its active core leave here. This observation made it possible to see the jets changing direction near the active core.
So far, scientists have not been able to determine exactly what causes such a change in the plasma flow’s flight path, and they suggest a collision with another, larger galaxy may be behind it.
As already written Focus, there are objects in space that are difficult to classify. And one of these objects is a galaxy located 390 million light-years from us. It looks like an ordinary galaxy, but actually has the properties of three objects at once.
Moreover Focus He wrote that scientists were able to confirm their theory by observing an ancient galaxy cluster 10.8 billion light-years away from us. Scientists were able to detect a large accumulation of hot gas in the intergalactic medium, although no one had seen it before.
Focus He has already written that astronomers have studied a supermassive black hole, one of the brightest objects in space, and found why it is emitting high-energy jets.
We remind you that astronomers managed to detect a huge black hole, which is 30 billion times more massive than the Sun. Such black holes are very difficult to detect because they do not show their activity and do not interact with the surrounding space.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.