Articles tagged with Black Holes
New research reveals that the Milky Way's black hole can create hundreds of planet-mass objects, which are then flung throughout the galaxy. These objects, known as 'spitballs,' could be detected by future telescopes and may pose a challenge to distinguish from free-floating planets.
A team of astronomers led by Penn State's Niel Brandt has captured the deepest X-ray image ever obtained, revealing a treasure trove of supermassive black holes. The image, taken with Chandra observing time of about 11 weeks, shows that these massive objects grow in bursts rather than slowly accumulating matter.
Scientists develop rigorous new method for modeling the accretion disk that feeds the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This approach replaces traditional formulas with a kinetic method to trace collisionless particles, improving understanding of plasma behavior and radiative efficiency.
Astronomers discovered a rare event where a star was destroyed by a massive black hole's gravitational tides, producing an unusually bright flash of light. The event occurred in a distant 'red' galaxy with older stars, defying typical supernova models.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo developed a new detection method that will detect approximately 10 black holes per year, doubling the current number within two years. This method combines microlensing and radio wave interferometry to extract parameters such as mass, distance, and velocity from black hole events.
A team of astronomers discovered that a massive flare in a distant galaxy was actually a tidal disruption event caused by a rapidly spinning supermassive black hole. The finding marks the first time a TDE has been used to study black hole spin, providing new insights into stellar death.
A spinning supermassive black hole destroyed a Sun-like star, causing the most luminous supernova ever recorded. The observation is attributed to a tidal disruption event rather than an extraordinary bright supernova.
Astronomers have discovered a hyper-starburst galaxy that is forming stars at an incredible rate of 4,500 times the mass of the Sun every year. This galaxy, SPT 0346-52, is 12.7 billion light years from Earth and provides valuable insights into the evolution of galaxies and the formation of massive galaxies.
AUC Riverside-led team discovers unique population of extremely red quasars with high incidence of powerful quasar-driven outflows. These outflows may be involved in galaxy-wide blowouts of gas and dust, halting further growth in black holes and inhibiting star formation.
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) emit non-radio emission, challenging models and suggesting severe consequences for host galaxies. The discovery of FRB 131104's gamma-ray counterpart opens possibilities for detecting long-lived counterparts using X-ray, optical, and radio telescopes.
Astronomers have discovered a 'nearly naked' supermassive black hole after a smaller galaxy passed through a larger neighbor, stripping away nearly all its stars and gas. The remnant black hole is now speeding away at over 2,000 miles per second.
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration detected gravitational waves that could have been caused by the collision of two black holes. Researchers used theoretical models to test whether these signals could also be produced by gravastars, hypothetical objects proposed as an alternative to black holes.
Dense molecular gas disks are supplying gas directly to supermassive black holes at galaxy centers. The growth of supermassive black holes is enhanced by strong turbulence generated by supernova explosions in these disks.
Associate professor Chris Packham will use a $387,214 NSF grant to observe local galaxies and understand the nature of their central black holes. The project aims to uncover how these supermassive black holes influence galaxy formation.
Researchers at the University of Surrey have discovered hundreds of undetectable black holes within a globular cluster, overturning old theories on their formation. The study uses advanced simulations to map the cluster and its behavior, revealing the effects of these massive objects on the surrounding stars.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University suggest that fast radio bursts could provide clues to dark matter by detecting black holes of a specific mass. The team argues that the brief flashes of radio-frequency radiation can detect black holes with masses predicted for dark matter, offering a direct probe of this phenomenon.
A team of physicists has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the internal composition of neutron stars. They used thermal perturbation theory to determine the thermodynamic properties of dense quark matter under extreme conditions, shedding light on its potential presence inside these stars.
New data from NuSTAR reveals large numbers of black holes sending out high-energy X-rays, helping astronomers understand growth patterns and evolution of supermassive black holes. The study resolves 35% of the high-energy X-ray background, uncovering details about the most obscured black holes hidden in gas and dust.
The LIGO-Virgo collaboration's detection of binary black holes could be evidence of primordial black holes formed after the Big Bang. The observation would guide theories about the universe's early days and provide crucial clues about dark matter.
Rochester Institute of Technology professors Carlos Lousto and Manuela Campanelli have won separate grants worth $600,000 and $435,000 to advance gravitational wave astronomy. The funding will support research on black hole mergers and develop software tools for computational astrophysics.
Data from Japan's Hitomi X-ray satellite shows that supermassive black holes play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies, regulating their growth by releasing energy that keeps plasma hot. This heat prevents galaxies from forming new stars and becoming even larger.
Physicists have devised a method to distinguish black holes from compact massive objects using the energy spectrum of particles moving in their vicinity. The method involves studying the behavior of scalar particles near these objects and finding discrete energy levels, which are absent in the case of black holes.
Researchers develop new method to detect and measure black hole superkicks using gravitational waves, which occur when two spinning supermassive black holes collide. eLISA space-based detector expected to detect several runaway black holes upon launch in 2034.
Researchers at RIT create a faster and more accurate way to assess gravitational wave signals, inferring the sources that made them. They use numerical simulations of binary black holes to extract information directly from the data, improving accuracy over previous approximations.
Researchers found a clandestine black hole, VLA J2130+12, within the Milky Way galaxy, which is about five times closer to Earth than previously thought. This black hole is pulling in material from a companion star at a very slow rate, making it nearly undetectable.
Scientists using cosmological simulations and gravitational wave signals predict initial mass of supermassive black hole seeds. The research aims to uncover mechanism that created these massive black holes and when they formed in the early Universe.
Computer simulations of evolving binary stars predict the formation of massive black hole binaries that can be detected by LIGO. The simulations show a high likelihood of these events occurring due to the production of low-metallicity stars in the early universe.
A new study in Nature predicts hundreds of massive black hole mergers each year observable with the second generation of gravitational wave detectors. The model takes into account differences in binary black hole production across the universe.
Astronomers have used X-ray reverberation mapping to map the flow of gas near a newly awakened black hole for the first time. The study provides insights into the 'killer' black hole's hidden structures, revealing high-energy X-rays originate from a compact region near the black hole.
Astronomers from UMD and Michigan document X-rays bouncing off inner accretion disk near dormant black hole Swift J1644+57. The study reveals the shape and activity of the accretion disk, opening a door to reliable measurements of black hole spin.
A team of astronomers using ALMA observed a supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy Abell 2597 feeding on chaotic downpour of cold, clumpy clouds. The discovery provides evidence for 'cold, chaotic accretion', a process that challenges traditional models of how black holes grow.
Astronomers discovered that magnetic instabilities in black hole jets determine their fate. Powerful jets can punch through surrounding gas into intergalactic space, while unstable ones fall apart and deposit energy within the galaxy.
The second detection of gravitational waves from merging black holes is a significant milestone in the development of physics. Scientists have found that the observed gravity waves were generated by two black holes with masses of 14 and 8 solar masses, which merged to form a single rotating black hole.
Researchers found that supermassive black holes at galaxy centers are likely to have weaker gravitational fields, making them harder to detect. This challenges previous assumptions about the detection of gravitational waves from merging galaxies.
The detection confirms the existence of binary black holes with a range of masses, forming from different stars. The event provides valuable data on gravitational waves and the nature of gravity, shedding light on the universe's most violent cosmic events.
Astrophysicists at Northwestern University predict that LIGO's first detection of merging black holes could have been formed through dynamic interactions in the star-dense core of an old globular cluster. The theory, known as dynamical formation, is one of two recognized main channels for forming binary black holes detected by LIGO.
For the second time, scientists have detected gravitational waves, which provide information about their origins and gravity's nature. The event involved two smaller black holes that merged to form a more massive spinning black hole.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory has detected a second pair of colliding black holes, validating the landmark discovery from earlier this year. RIT scientists played a crucial role in identifying and analyzing the gravitational wave signal, revealing diverse sizes and spins among black holes in the universe.
A Johns Hopkins team proposes a solution to the dark matter mystery by suggesting that black hole binaries detected by LIGO may be a signature of primordial black holes. The team's calculations match the predicted mass range for these mysterious objects, making them a plausible candidate for dark matter.
Researchers detected billowy clouds of cold, clumpy gas streaming toward a black hole, suggesting two dinner modes for black holes: slow grazing on diffuse hot gas and quick consumption of clumps of cold gas. The findings represent the first direct evidence to support the hypothesis that black holes feed on clouds of cold gas.
Researchers detected cold gas clouds traveling at 1 million km/h toward a black hole in the Abell 2597 Cluster. The discovery offers new understanding of how black holes ingest fuel, with implications for our knowledge of accretion processes.
A team of astronomers used ALMA to observe a cluster of towering intergalactic gas clouds raining in on the supermassive black hole at the center of an elliptical galaxy. The new findings reshape our understanding of how supermassive black holes feed, revealing a previously unknown process known as cold, chaotic accretion.
A new ALMA observation reveals that cold dense clouds can coalesce from hot intergalactic gas and feed a galaxy's central supermassive black hole. This challenges previous views of how supermassive black holes acquire mass, indicating a chaotic and dynamic feeding process.
For the first time, astronomers have detected billowy clouds of cold, clumpy gas streaming towards a supermassive black hole at speeds of up to 800,000 miles per hour. The observation provides direct evidence to support the theory that black holes feed on clouds of cold gas.
A team of physicists has developed a new method to calculate the thermodynamics of black holes, leveraging quantum gravity and holographic principles. The study proposes that a 'condensate' of space quanta can describe homogeneous classical geometries, allowing for a more realistic and robust calculation of black hole entropy.
A team of researchers has discovered a new class of galaxies where supermassive black holes trigger powerful winds that prevent future star formation. These 'red geysers' lack young stars despite having abundant gas, and their outflowing winds heat surrounding gas through shocks, ultimately suppressing stellar birth.
A new study by NASA scientist Alexander Kashlinsky proposes that primordial black holes, formed in the universe's first second, could make up dark matter. If correct, this would mean all galaxies are embedded within a vast sphere of black holes with masses similar to the sun.
Italian researchers used Hubble data and computer models to identify two objects as potential seeds for supermassive black holes. These early black hole seed candidates are seen less than a billion years after the Big Bang and have an initial mass of about 100,000 times the Sun.
Researchers at the IAC discovered a powerful wind of neutral material in the outer layers of V404 Cygni's accretion disc. This wind regulates accretion, causing shorter outbursts, and has been detected for the first time in a black hole system.
A team of astrophysicists has detected an intense wind in the neighborhood of a black hole, which is formed in the outer layers of the accretion disc. The wind has a high velocity of 3,000 km/s and plays a crucial role in regulating the accretion of material by the black hole.
Researchers use ALMA's high-resolution data to map the rotation of cold molecular gas and dust orbiting a giant elliptical galaxy, determining the massive supermassive black hole at its center has a mass 660 million times greater than the Sun. The precise measurement is among the most accurate for a galaxy's central black hole.
A team of astronomers used ALMA to measure the speed of carbon monoxide gas orbiting a supermassive black hole, calculating its mass as 660 million times greater than our Sun. This precise measurement is crucial for understanding these cosmic behemoths and their role in galaxy evolution.
Researchers use ALMA to accurately measure the mass of a supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy NGC 1332, shedding light on how galaxies and their black holes form. The findings suggest a coordinated growth between galaxies and their central black holes.
Astronomers have linked a record-breaking cosmic neutrino, Big Bird, detected in 2012 to a powerful outburst from the black hole at PKS B1424-418. The association is supported by data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other space-based observatories.
Astronomers from the University of Cambridge have discovered strong winds leaving mysterious binary systems, with speeds exceeding 70,000 km/s. The findings confirm that these sources conceal compact objects pulling in matter at extraordinarily high rates.
The detection of a brief gamma-ray burst consistent with the same part of the sky as gravitational waves offers a unique window into the universe. By analyzing this event, scientists can gain insights into the dynamics leading up to black hole mergers and shed light on the nature of gravity.
Physicists have found a simple formula for the maximum mass of neutron stars, which depends on their rotation rate. The research, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests that rotating neutron stars can support masses up to 20% higher than non-rotating ones.
Researchers at RMIT University have created a breakthrough chip that enables unparalleled control over the angular momentum of light, paving the way for next-generation optical technologies. The discovery could lead to new applications in ultra-high definition display, optical communication, and ultra-secure encryption.
Astronomers have discovered a record-breaking supermassive black hole weighing 17 billion suns in the center of a galaxy in a sparsely populated area of the universe. The massive object's size defies expectations, as it is 10 times more massive than predicted for a galaxy of its mass.
Researchers found a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 17 billion solar masses in the galaxy NGC 1600, located 200 million light-years from Earth. This discovery suggests that these massive objects may be more common than previously thought and could be living in smaller galaxies.