Astronomers have discovered a star behaving strangely, orbiting an invisible black hole with four times the mass of the Sun. The finding reveals a dense nucleus within globular clusters, challenging previous theories on stellar-mass black holes.
SourceESO·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJan 17, 2018
Astrophysicists have determined that the maximum mass of neutron stars cannot exceed 2.16 solar masses through a combination of theoretical and observational research. The result was achieved by applying universal relations to data on gravitational-wave signals and electromagnetic radiation from merging neutron star events.
Statistical analysis suggests that supermassive black hole spin plays a role in generating high-speed jets and powerful radio waves. Nearly 8000 quasars were analyzed, with O III oxygen emissions found to be stronger in radio loud quasars, implying spin's importance.
Researchers gained new understanding of relativistic jets' behavior through advanced supercomputer simulations, revealing how space-time is dragged into the rotation of rotating black holes. The study confirms that tilted disks lead to precessing jets that periodically change their direction in the sky.
Astrophysicists have discovered that the only known repeating fast radio burst (FRB) source is in an extreme environment, with measurements suggesting it may be caused by a black hole or other extreme astrophysical circumstances. The new findings raise questions about whether FRBs are a product of their environment.
Recent observations of FRB 121102 provide new data about the source of fast radio bursts, which are nearly 100 percent linearly polarized and suggest a source embedded in strong magnetic fields. The team plans to observe at higher frequencies to narrow the range of possible sources.
Researchers found supermassive black holes prevent star formation in smaller galaxies by driving powerful winds that heat gas, quenching the process. This discovery sheds light on how dwarf galaxies, composed of up to 100 million stars, evolve and affects our understanding of galaxy evolution.
An international team has discovered an 'astonishing' overabundance of massive stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy. The study used detailed analyses of nearly 1,000 massive stars to determine their distribution, revealing that massive stars are much more abundant than previously thought.
A new study published in Nature shows that the mass of a galaxy's central black hole determines when its star formation history stops. The study found a continuous interplay between black hole activity and star formation throughout a galaxy's life, with bigger black holes quenching star formation faster.
Researchers at Kyoto University have proposed a new theory on the formation of binary black holes within collapsing stars. Their study suggests that these black holes could form through dynamical fragmentation of the star's inner core, leading to two fragments becoming black holes and orbiting each other.
A team of researchers has discovered a Z-shaped structure in a microquasar, which challenges current theories on gravitational wave emission from distant radio galaxies. The study suggests that these structures may form through hydrodynamic interactions rather than black hole fusion.
Researchers at Kazan Federal University studied blazar CTA 102 and found a twisted inhomogeneous jet changing its orientation and rotation. This discovery helps explain long-term trends in spectral variability and brightness.
Extragalactic jets from supermassive black holes can disintegrate due to a previously unknown centrifugal instability. This study reveals that an instability similar to water flowing in curved pipes creates a weak point in the jet's flow.
Scientists have discovered black holes have significantly weaker magnetic fields than previously thought, with measurements about 400 times lower than estimated. This finding deepens our knowledge of how matter behaves under extreme conditions and could impact nuclear fusion power and GPS systems.
Astronomers measured the magnetic field of a black hole in a binary system using data from a sudden flare. The field was found to be substantially weaker than expected, providing new insights into how black holes consume material.
A team of astronomers discovered the most-distant supermassive black hole ever observed, located in a luminous quasar and emitting light from 5% of its current age. The black hole has a mass 800 million times that of our Sun, posing a challenge to theories of supermassive black hole growth.
A team of astronomers has detected the most distant supermassive black hole ever observed, measuring around 800 million times the mass of our sun. The black hole's extreme size is puzzling, as the universe was not old enough to create such a massive object just 690 million years after the Big Bang.
Astronomers have discovered a quasar harboring an 800 million solar mass black hole, located in a primarily neutral Universe at a redshift of 7.54. The finding challenges our understanding of the early growth of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.
Astronomers have detected an extremely distant supermassive black hole with a mass 800 million times that of our Sun, pushing the boundaries of understanding the early cosmos. The discovery, based on data from Gemini Observatory, reveals the universe was only 5% of its current age at this distance.
Recent observations of four colliding galaxies in the Abell 3827 cluster suggest that SIMPs, strongly interacting massive particles, may be a new candidate for the universe's elusive dark matter. SIMPs would interact strongly with themselves via gravity but weakly with normal matter, overcoming a major failing of WIMP theory.
Researchers propose using gravitational wave experiments to detect merger events at redshifts greater than 40, which could indicate the presence of primordial black holes or non-Gaussianity in the early universe. A detection would bolster theories about dark matter, while a non-detection would cast doubt.
Scientists measured a time delay of 100 milli-seconds between X-rays and optical flashes from the jet emitted by V404 Cygni's black hole. This delay indicates the inner acceleration zone in the jet is approximately 30,000 kilometers away from the event horizon.
Astronomers have discovered eleven low-mass protostars forming close to the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, defying predictions of hostile environment. These newly formed stars are about 6,000 years old and represent the earliest phase of star formation in this highly turbulent region.
Brazilian researcher Juliano Cesar Silva Neves challenges the standard cosmological model by proposing the elimination of the spacetime singularity and the possibility of a prior contraction phase. The current expansion may be preceded by contraction, with potential vestiges still present in the universe.
Astronomers predict that gravitational waves generated by the merger of two supermassive black holes will be detected within 10 years using pulsar timing array data. The study estimates a 100% chance of detecting something in 10 years, with bigger galaxies offering longer detection windows.
The Cosmos code, developed by the University of Texas at Austin, has been optimized for the Stampede2 supercomputer using XSEDE ECSS resources. This allows for accurate simulations of black hole jets and other astrophysical phenomena, providing new insights into the mysteries of space.
Researchers at RIT suggest that outer gas disks of big spiral galaxies are suitable for hosting orbiting black holes and merging massive black holes. This discovery could help explain how black-hole pairs form and provide a new way to study the universe using gravitational waves and traditional light measurements.
A team of scientists has captured the time delay between X-ray flares and optical light flashes in a stellar-mass black hole, resolving controversy over jet plasma activation. This study uses precise multi-wavelength observations to demonstrate that relativistic jets are formed by gravity and magnetic fields.
Researchers at Ural Federal University found that a popular theory of gravity is flawed when applied to real-world astrophysical conditions. They propose new Horndeski models to stabilize black holes, addressing modern physics prerequisites and inconsistencies. The study aims to develop a new theory of gravity meeting all requirements.
The LIGO detector has confirmed a 1989 prediction made by Prof. Tsvi Piran that neutron star mergers produce gamma-ray bursts and synthesize heavy elements like gold and uranium. This confirmation solves several puzzles in astronomy and opens new ways to understand the universe.
Scientists will use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to study the creation of the universe's first galaxies and stars. With its powerful spectrographic instruments, Webb will see much more detail than imaging alone can provide, allowing scientists to study how gases transformed into stars in the first galaxies.
Researchers used super-computer simulations to recreate the formation of a massive black hole from supersonic gas streams left over from the Big Bang. The study suggests these black holes could be the source of the largest and oldest super-massive black holes in the Universe, posing a challenge to existing theories.
The LIGO and Virgo Scientific Collaborations have detected a fourth gravitational wave signal, confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity. The detection was made using advanced optical interferometers and marks the first time three observatories have witnessed a merger at once.
RIT researchers, in collaboration with LIGO and Virgo, successfully triangulated the position of a 1.8 billion-year-old black hole merger. With three advanced detectors observing together, scientists can now pinpoint locations with higher precision, enabling more accurate electromagnetic counterparts searches.
Researchers found that Type I galaxies have more efficient supermassive black holes, emitting energy faster compared to Type II galaxies
Researchers studied nuclear obscuration in AGN using infrared and X-ray studies, revealing complex gas and dusty clouds orbiting the black hole. The material is connected to the galaxy via outflows and inflows of gas, regulating star formation.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.