Articles tagged with Black Holes
Astronomers have detected the closest ever binary supermassive black hole system in galaxy NGC 7674, featuring two massive black holes with a combined mass of 40 million solar masses. The discovery is significant as it confirms theoretical predictions and provides insight into gravitational wave sources.
A study published in 'Nature Astronomy' confirms that supermassive black holes can form gravitationally bound pairs when galaxies merge. The binary system has a mass of approximately 40 million times the Sun's, and its orbital period is about 100,000 years.
Researchers have gained a better understanding of the structure of hot jets and accretion disks surrounding black holes at the center of galaxies. They compared data from radio interferometry and Gaia space observatory, discovering discrepancies in object positions that revealed bright jets emitting visible light in many quasars.
Researchers suggest primordial black holes formed shortly after the Big Bang might explain the origin of heavy elements like gold, platinum and uranium. They propose a theory where these black holes collide with neutron stars to produce heavier elements.
A team of researchers at the University of Iowa suggests that black holes played a crucial role in making the universe visible. By ejecting matter violently, black holes may have pierced cloudy surroundings, enabling light from stars to escape. This theory is supported by observations of a nearby galaxy emitting ultraviolet light.
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have challenged long-standing theories on black holes using hands-on experiments at the Z machine. The study found that certain ionization stages of iron are not present in a black hole's accretion disk, contradicting previous assumptions.
Researchers suggest black holes seen via gravitational waves spin slowly or rapidly, with tumbling behavior in dense environments; these findings provide new target for understanding black hole formation.
A team of astronomers used the MUSE instrument on the VLT to study how gas can be stripped from galaxies, focusing on extreme jellyfish galaxies. Six out of seven jellyfish galaxies were found to host a supermassive black hole feeding on surrounding gas.
Astronomers have discovered a unique lensing system that provides the best view yet of blobs of hot gas streaming from supermassive black holes. The discovery allows scientists to see these clumps closer to the central engine of the black hole and in greater detail than before.
Researchers developed theories supported by 3D simulations to explain the formation and dissipation of galaxy jets. The simulations show that instabilities in space jets are triggered by the interaction with surrounding matter, known as the ambient medium.
Researchers from University of California, Irvine estimate tens of millions of stellar-remnant black holes exist in the Milky Way galaxy. The number of black holes is expected to depend on the size of the galaxy.
Tiny primordial black holes could have destroyed neutron stars from the inside out, leading to the ejection of dense neutron-rich material that formed heavy elements like gold and uranium. This process would also explain several long-standing mysteries in the universe, including Fast Radio Bursts and positron emissions.
Scientists develop detailed models to explore black hole-neutron star collisions, helping detectors identify gravitational-wave signals and telescopes search for gamma-ray bursts. These simulations shed light on the aftermath of catastrophic events in space.
Researchers have discovered a way to estimate black hole masses by looking at spiral galaxy arms. The study found that galaxies with tightly wound spiral arms tend to have more massive black holes.
Astronomers observe how massive forces create shock waves in interstellar medium, leading to X-ray and radio emissions. The study provides insight into galactic proportions, allowing researchers to see event across electromagnetic spectrum.
Researchers have detected orbital motion in a pair of supermassive black holes, marking the first-ever 'visual binary' of such systems. The two black holes are estimated to complete an orbit every 30,000 years and may merge millions of years later.
A team of scientists has detected the smallest ever recorded movement of an object across the sky, known as angular motion, in a giant galaxy with two supermassive black holes at its center. The movement is thought to be the result of one black hole orbiting around the other over a period of 30,000 years.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have successfully simulated black hole conditions using a specially designed water bath, demonstrating the phenomenon of superradiance. This achievement provides new insights into the physics of black holes and has implications for further research on astrophysical observations.
Researchers suggest that massive star explosions can expel newborn black holes with strong natal kicks, affecting their spin and alignment. This phenomenon could help explain years of tentative evidence suggesting black holes receive such kicks.
Researchers suggest dense star clusters as source of gravitational waves, with black holes colliding to produce these waves. Computer simulations and observations point to globular clusters as ideal environments for black hole collisions.
Physicists at the University of Maryland contribute to the detection of a third gravitational wave event, GW170104, using data from Advanced LIGO detectors. The merger occurred approximately 3 billion years ago and produced a single, more massive black hole.
An international team of researchers detected gravitational waves from a binary black hole system, providing evidence that black holes in binary systems may not be aligned. The discovery highlights the need for further improvements in detector sensitivity to explore the universe.
Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology contributed to the measurement of a newly discovered black hole's tilt and spin, which can reveal clues about how massive stars die. The findings support Einstein's general theory of relativity and rule out extreme predictions for black hole spins.
LIGO has made its third detection of gravitational waves, revealing a new population of black holes with masses up to 49 times that of the sun. The detected black holes were formed by merging pairs and provide clues about their spin directions, which may be non-aligned compared to their orbital motion.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) has confirmed the third detection of gravitational waves, revealing a population of black holes that were previously unknown. The detected black holes have masses ranging from 21 to 49 times that of the sun, shedding light on the existence of heavy black hole pairs.
Researchers at Kansas State University used ultra-intense X-rays to break up molecules, creating a molecular 'black hole' that pulls electrons away. This discovery may help scientists understand the damage caused by X-ray radiation in biological systems.
Researchers use ultra-bright X-ray light to ionize a molecule, creating a 'molecular black hole' that explodes within a trillionth of a second. The study provides crucial information for analyzing complex molecules with X-ray lasers.
Scientists used the world's most powerful X-ray laser to create a 'molecular black hole' that pulled in surrounding electrons, stripping away more than 50 electrons from a single atom. The results provide fundamental insights into how to better plan and interpret experiments using intense X-rays.
Researchers used Pan-STARRS telescope data to search for stars crashing into hard surfaces around supermassive black holes. No such transients were detected, supporting the existence of event horizons. The team plans to improve the test with a larger telescope.
Researchers found a dying star that fizzled out and left behind a black hole, shedding light on why massive stars rarely explode as supernovae. The discovery could help explain the origins of supermassive black holes.
Astronomers discovered a massive star that collapsed into a black hole without exploding as a supernova, challenging the typical view of star formation. The study suggests that up to 30% of massive stars may quietly collapse into black holes without producing a supernova.
Astronomers using the VLA discovered a bright new object near Cygnus A's core, suggesting it could be either a rare supernova explosion or an outburst from a second supermassive black hole. The object's characteristics indicate it may have formed when the galaxy merged with another.
Ben Tippett's research uses Einstein's theory of general relativity to propose a method for time travel. By curving space-time into a circle, he suggests that time can be bent and travelers can move backward in time. However, the use of exotic matter is still needed to make this concept a reality.
A team of scientists has found a way to distinguish a naked singularity from a black hole using the precession frequency of a gyroscope orbiting around it. The frequency increases as matter approaches a rotating black hole, but decreases or becomes zero for a naked singularity.
Astrophysicists at the University of Birmingham made progress in understanding how two black holes can merge, using Advanced LIGO data. The team found that all three observed events can be formed via isolated binary evolution via a common-envelope phase.
Researchers are creating the first images of a supermassive black hole's event horizon using an Earth-sized telescope. The project aims to test predictions from Einstein's general relativity theory by studying the shadow, mass, and spin of the black hole.
Researchers have observed and interpreted a cosmic phenomenon resulting from the acceleration of gas clouds by black holes and reacceleration by shock waves. The study reveals the connection between double acceleration and radio emission in galaxy clusters.
Astronomers discover enigmatic flash of X-rays from galaxy 10.7 billion light years away, exhibiting properties unlike known gamma-ray bursts or stellar destruction; scientists struggle to understand its origin and potential implications for compact star mergers.
Astronomers have observed stars forming within powerful outflows of material blasted out from supermassive black holes. The discovery provides new insights into galaxy properties and evolution, shedding light on how galaxies obtain their shapes and become enriched with heavy elements.
Astronomers discovered a supermassive black hole weighing over 1 billion suns that was propelled out of the center of a distant galaxy due to gravitational wave energy. The estimated equivalent energy is 100 million supernovas, and the black hole travels at speeds of up to 4.7 million miles per hour.
Astronomers have mapped the location of optical and ultraviolet light emitted by a star torn apart by a black hole. The team used Swift satellite observations to track the changes in brightness of various wavelengths, finding that they originated from elliptical streams of orbiting matter crashing into each other.
Astronomers have observed a star orbiting a black hole at a rate of nearly twice an hour, marking the tightest orbital dance between a black hole and a companion star ever seen. The discovery was made using the combined power of three advanced telescopes.
Researchers discovered a supermassive black hole 'choking' on stellar debris, producing small fluctuations in the energy emitted by the flare. The study provides insight into how black holes grow and evolve, offering a potential window into hidden black holes.
A new simulation model describes the formation of supermassive black holes in the early universe, proposing that massive gas clouds collapse directly to seed these behemoths. This alternative model, known as the Direct collapse black hole model, suggests that inefficient gas cooling is necessary for this process.
Researchers found that a nearby galaxy's radiation could trigger the collapse of a host galaxy, allowing a massive black hole to form and grow rapidly. The study provides new insights into the formation of supermassive black holes in the infant universe.
Astronomers have found evidence of a star that whips around a likely black hole twice an hour, marking the tightest orbital dance ever seen by a black hole and a companion star in our own Milky Way galaxy. The stellar couple is located in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, about 14,800 light years away from Earth.
Astronomers have found evidence for a star orbiting a black hole at an unprecedented distance, about twice an hour. The close-in binary system, located 14,800 light years from Earth, provides valuable insights into the behavior of black holes and their companion stars.
The discovery of over 60 extremely distant quasars nearly doubles the known number, offering a unique window into the early universe. Studying these 'lighthouses' of the cosmos will help understand how galaxies developed and interacted with supermassive black holes.
A new study found that gravitational waves detected by LIGO likely originated from black holes formed during star collapse, rather than primordial black holes. The research used computer simulations to rule out the existence of intermediate-mass primordial black holes.
Scientists have observed rapid temperature changes in ultra-fast black hole winds, which are responding to X-ray emissions from the accretion disk. This discovery provides clues for locating the origin of these outflows and their connection to galaxy formation.
Astronomers found that stars are ripped apart by supermassive black holes much more often than previously thought, with rates dramatically increasing during galaxy collisions. This new understanding could lead to locating and studying dim black holes in the Milky Way.
A team of scientists from Clemson University has discovered five ancient galaxies with extremely powerful supermassive black holes, emitting billions of times more energetic gamma rays than visible light. The oldest known gamma-ray blazars were previously thought to be over 2 billion years old.
Astronomers observe a dramatic change in the appearance of supermassive black hole in NGC 2617 galaxy, revealing previously hidden inner regions. Researchers believe rapid gas swallowing and intense radiation may be responsible for the transformation.
Scientists estimate that solitary supermassive black holes in galactic centers may be responsible for fewer observed stars being captured by black holes. The researchers found that gravitational effects from merging galaxies can explain the discrepancy, suggesting that tidal disruption events occur without our knowledge.
Astronomers have found strong evidence for an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) weighing 2,200 solar masses at the center of the globular star cluster 47 Tucanae. The IMBH is believed to be the missing link between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes, potentially providing insight into the formation of galaxies.
A giant black hole has been found to have fed off a nearby star for over 9 years, breaking the previous record for the longest tidal disruption event. The X-ray data suggests that the radiation from material surrounding this black hole consistently surpassed the Eddington limit.
Astronomers detected a compact molecular cloud with unusual motion near the supernova remnant W44, suggesting the presence of a hidden black hole. The black hole is estimated to be between 3.5 and 36 times more massive than the sun, sparking debate over its origin.
Astronomers discover five new gamma-ray blazars with massive black holes, challenging current ideas on their formation and growth. The discoveries suggest that these objects could have formed rapidly in the universe's early history.
The galaxy RX J1140.1+0307 has a supermassive black hole with one of the lowest known masses, yet its emission spectrum cannot be explained by current models. Scientists believe other mechanisms are at play in the interactions between the inner and outer parts of the accretion disk surrounding the black hole.
Astrophysicist Hai Fu aims to study the late stages of merging galaxies and observe supermassive black holes' accretion using a large chunk of the night sky. The research project will use radio-emission maps and optical observations to confirm findings.