Articles tagged with Black Holes
Astronomers have found the most crowded galaxy in our part of the universe, M60-UCD1, packed with an extraordinary number of stars. The ultra-compact dwarf galaxy is estimated to be about 10 billion years old and has a density of stars about 15,000 times greater than Earth's neighborhood.
Researchers develop new technique to find coherent ocean eddies, equivalent to black holes, which can moderate the negative impact of melting sea ice. These 'eddy-black holes' can also transport warm and salty water, influencing climate change and ocean currents.
Astronomers have found strong evidence that a galaxy's central black hole is blowing massive amounts of gas out of the galaxy, limiting its growth and rate of star formation. The process, observed in a galaxy called 4C12.50, is thought to be key to understanding how galaxies develop and regulate the growth of their central black holes.
A team of astronomers used NASA's Chandra X-ray space telescope to solve a long-standing mystery about super massive black hole accretion rates. They found that most SMBHs swallow very little cosmic material and instead reject hot gases due to their high temperatures.
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found that less than 1 percent of the gas within 26,000 light-years of the Milky Way Galaxy's giant black hole reaches its event horizon. Instead, most gas is ejected before it can brighten and emit X-rays.
Astronomers have created time-lapse movies of a jet of superheated gas emanating from a supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. The research team analyzed Hubble data to study the details of this process in understanding galaxy formation and black hole physics.
Fermi's extended mission will enable deeper studies of gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, and supermassive black holes. The telescope has already revealed giant bubbles above and below our galaxy, shedding light on the universe's most extraordinary phenomena.
HZDR physicists offer new explanation for magnetic field-induced turbulences within 'dead zones,' enabling compact object formation. This breakthrough sheds light on the role of magnetic fields in planetary system formation.
Researchers have discovered a magnetar at the centre of our Milky Way, providing insights into the strong magnetic field surrounding the supermassive black hole. The discovery enables scientists to study the accretion flow and X-ray emissions of the gravity trap.
Astronomers have measured the magnetic field emanating from a swirling disk of material surrounding the black hole at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The measurement, made by observing a recently-discovered pulsar, is providing a powerful new tool for studying the mysterious region at the core of our home galaxy.
Astronomers at Durham University developed a new way to measure supermassive black holes' spin, which is linked to their role in driving galaxy growth. The technique uses the distance between a black hole and its feeding disc to estimate spin.
Researchers use holographic duality to translate physics of black holes to superfluid turbulence, discovering turbulent flows behave like 3-D fluids. This breakthrough helps explain complex behavior of superfluids and provides new insights into the dynamics of these materials.
Astronomers using ALMA telescope discover billowing columns of cold gas fleeing nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253. The gas is likely being ejected due to intense pressure from young stars, potentially explaining the mystery of missing high-mass galaxies.
Astronomers observe VLT's real-time data of a gas cloud accelerating towards the Milky Way's supermassive black hole. The cloud is being grossly stretched by the black hole's extreme gravitational field, with its light becoming harder to see.
Astronomers at the University of Warsaw discovered that stellar monsters with masses 200-300 times that of our Sun will not collide until billions of years from now. Due to their large distance apart and lack of expansion, there is no mechanism for their orbit to tighten, making a spectacular collision impossible.
A new NASA-led study confirms the production of high-energy X-rays from gas spiraling into a black hole. The research models the complex motions and turbulent magnetic fields in the accretion disk, reproducing important features long observed in active black holes.
Astrophysicists used supercomputer simulations and traditional calculations to demonstrate that gas spiraling toward a black hole inevitably results in X-ray emissions. The study reveals high-energy light emission is not only possible but also an inevitable outcome of gas being drawn into a black hole.
A study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope data suggests that black holes are responsible for at least 20% of the cosmic infrared background. This finding indicates intense activity from black holes feeding on gas during the epoch of the first stars.
John Hawley and Steven Balbus were recognized for their discovery that magnetic fields make accretion disks unstable, solving a fundamental problem in astrophysics. Their work transformed the field of accretion disk theory and earned them the $1 million Shaw Prize award.
Astronomers may witness the birth of a black hole for the first time using a new analysis that predicts a distinct burst of light just before the black hole forms. The study suggests that this signature light burst could be detectable in nearby galaxies and provide valuable insights into black-hole formation.
A team of astronomers used the VLA to create a detailed image of the distant universe, revealing distinct galaxies with gorging black holes at their cores. The study found that 63% of background radio emission comes from galaxies with active black holes and 37% from star-forming regions.
A team of researchers has developed a method using black holes to measure the universe's rate of expansion with high accuracy. The method uses radiation emitted by material surrounding black holes, allowing for distance measurements of billions of light years and providing insights into the universe's past.
A team of scientists has identified a new type of gamma-ray burst that lasts for several hours, challenging previous theories. The ultra-long bursts are thought to occur in the violent death throes of a supergiant star, with a massive explosion taking time to propagate through the star.
Three unusually long-lasting stellar explosions discovered by NASA's Swift satellite represent a previously unrecognized class of gamma-ray bursts. Dying supergiant stars hundreds of times larger than the sun are likely the cause, producing powerful jets that propel matter at nearly the speed of light.
Astronomers have discovered signs of star formation perilously close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The ALMA telescope detected jets of material bursting out of dense clouds of gas and dust, indicating the formation of young stars.
Assistant professor of astronomy Misty Bentz will receive a five-year $862,769 NSF grant to measure distances to galaxies with known black hole masses and obtain clearer images of galaxies to predict black hole masses. This project aims to develop a shortcut for predicting black hole mass in any given galaxy through simple observations.
Researchers have found that entanglement across a black hole's event horizon plays a crucial role in determining the existence of a 'firewall' paradox. The study confirms and generalizes previous claims about entanglement in black holes, supporting Einstein's theory of gravity.
Astronomers suggest that a merger between a galactic black hole and an intermediate-sized black hole in a satellite galaxy could have produced the observed high-energy radiation in the Fermi bubbles. This scenario also explains the absence of old stars near the supermassive black hole.
Researchers used NuSTAR to observe X-rays emitted by hot gas near a supermassive black hole, ruling out obscuring clouds and conclusively measuring its spin rate. The findings provide crucial clues about the fundamental relationship between black holes and their host galaxies.
Astronomers have measured the spin rate of a supermassive black hole, providing insights into the galaxy's evolution. The black hole's spin is linked to its accretion disk and can offer clues about the galaxy's past.
Recent supercomputer simulations on XSEDE provide new insights into the interaction between jets, accretion disks, and magnetic fields around black holes. The findings challenge the long-held simplistic view of these phenomena, revealing a more complex and dynamic relationship between the jet, disk, and gravitational forces.
A new technique developed by Oxford University scientists can spot carbon monoxide within gas circling a supermassive black hole, 'weighing' its mass. This breakthrough enables the study of thousands of distant galaxies and spiral galaxies, previously hard to target.
Farhad Zadeh has discovered a new tool for detecting dusty clouds and stars using radio waves, allowing astronomers to image exotic features in the galaxy's center. The technique reveals dark features that indicate interactions between cold gas clouds and hot radiation fields.
Astronomers have found gamma-ray flares originating 70 light-years away from a galaxy's central black hole, contradicting the long-held theory that such events occur only close to the black hole. The 2011 flares from galaxy 4C +71.07 provide the clearest evidence of this phenomenon.
Astronomers discovered a massive outburst in NGC 660, a spiral galaxy 44 million light-years away. The outburst was ten times brighter than the largest supernova and is likely caused by material pulled into a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.
A mathematician has proven that a formula for mock modular forms, developed by Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, can be computed just as he predicted. The discovery may unlock secrets about black holes and has implications for number theory.
A new study using data from NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope shows that high-speed jets launched from active black holes possess fundamental similarities regardless of mass, age or environment. The result provides a tantalizing hint that common physical processes are at work.
A team of astronomers discovered a 'missing link' of black holes in the Andromeda galaxy, shedding light on bright X-ray sources and ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). The findings confirm that these ULXs are normal, everyday black holes with masses around ten times that of the Sun.
Astronomers have discovered a microquasar in the Andromeda Galaxy, a black hole devouring material from a companion star. The discovery provides opportunities for detailed studies to unravel the mystery of microquasars and their physics.
Scientists have used an X-ray laser to measure atomic processes in extreme plasmas, revealing a surprising finding: collisions with electrons are not a factor in reducing X-ray signals. This discovery challenges existing models and paves the way for future research using free-electron lasers.
Astronomers have detected radio-emitting jets from a stellar-mass black hole outside our galaxy, providing insight into extreme accretion rates. The discovery sheds light on the nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources and their connection to black hole binaries.
Researchers used Earth-orbiting X-ray telescopes to observe a bingeing black hole that expels powerful beams of material, solving the debate over whether ULXs are black holes gorging themselves or more massive ones eating sedately. The discovery provides key insights into how jets are produced by a binging black hole.
Davide Gaiotto has won a $100,000 New Horizons in Physics Prize for emerging work as a young researcher, while Stephen Hawking received a $3 million Fundamental Physics Prize for his path-breaking discoveries about black holes. Perimeter Institute congratulates its researchers on these major international awards.
Astronomers have identified a new class of galaxies, known as green beans, which are rare and display the largest and brightest glowing regions ever found. These giant glows are thought to be echoes from when the central black hole was more active in the past, providing valuable insights into galaxy evolution.
The study uses combined imaging power to unveil spectacular jets of the galaxy, powered by a 2.5-billion-solar-mass central black hole. The jets exhibit unusual ring-like structures and are composed of high-energy plasma beams, subatomic particles, and magnetic fields.
Astronomers have discovered a black hole with 17 billion solar masses in the heart of a small galaxy, NGC 1277. This massive object challenges current models of galaxy evolution and could be the largest known black hole of its kind.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered a quasar with the most energetic outflow ever recorded, exceeding the Milky Way galaxy's total power output by 100 times. The massive material ejected has a rate equivalent to two trillion times the sun's power output.
Astronomers used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope to measure a massive black hole in galaxy NGC 1277 with a mass 17 billion Suns, rewriting theories on black hole formation. This unusual finding comes from a survey of the most massive galaxies in the universe.
A record-setting X-ray jet has been detected 12.4 billion light years from Earth, providing a glimpse into the explosive activity associated with supermassive black holes in the early universe. The jet is thought to be boosted by cosmic background radiation and points almost directly toward us.
Astronomers discovered a quasar hidden behind a dusty galaxy, where no starlight is visible due to intense dust blocking. The James Webb Space Telescope will help detect the underlying stars, which were not seen by Hubble.
Astronomers have discovered a supersonic jet of material from a supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy, resembling an afterburner flow. The jet exhibits bright and dark regions, including regularly spaced areas brighter than the rest, which may provide insight into its formation and power.
NASA's Swift satellite detected a rising tide of high-energy X-rays from a source near the center of the Milky Way galaxy, announcing the presence of a new stellar-mass black hole. The discovery was made using the Burst Alert Telescope and X-ray Telescope on Swift.
Astronomers report the discovery of S0-102, a star with an extremely short orbit near the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's galactic center. The study aims to test Einstein's theory of general relativity and reveal the fabric of space and time around a black hole.
Researchers have discovered a star orbiting the Milky Way's monster black hole in just 11.5 years, offering a new test of Einstein's general theory of relativity. TMT will enable breakthroughs on astrometric precision and potentially find even more tightly bound stars, allowing for tests of gravity's warping of space-time.
Astronomers have found two smaller black holes in Messier 22 globular cluster, contradicting theoretical predictions of a single black hole. The discovery sheds new light on the environment in close clusters of hundreds of thousands of stars.
Two black holes, about 10 to 20 times heavier than the Sun, have been found in the globular cluster M22, a surprise discovery that challenges existing theories. The research, published in Nature, reveals that these smaller black holes are more common in globular clusters than previously thought.
Researchers used computer simulations to explore the mergers of supersized black holes, revealing a 'funnel-like structure' that could drive particle jets. The study sheds light on the universe's most extreme phenomena, including gravitational waves, black holes, and the death of stars.
A team of scientists has discovered a 'launchpad' where jet streams from black holes originate, providing insight into the phenomenon. The finding suggests that the black hole is the engine driving the jets, and spin plays a crucial role in their production.
Astronomers have measured the closest distance that matter can approach a black hole without being pulled in. The findings suggest that the accretion disk is spinning in the same direction as the black hole, providing new insights into gravity and space.
Researchers at MIT's Haystack Observatory have measured the radius of a black hole at the center of a distant galaxy using the Event Horizon Telescope. The measurement confirms Einstein's theory of general relativity by showing that the accretion disk is spinning in the same direction as the black hole.