Articles tagged with Black Holes
Researchers found a cluster of young, blue stars encircling the first intermediate-mass black hole ever discovered in a dwarf galaxy. The presence of this star cluster suggests that the black hole was once at the core of the now-disintegrated dwarf galaxy.
The study suggests a massive cloud of trillions of asteroids and comets surrounds Sgr A*, where they are vaporized by friction as they pass through the hot gas flowing onto the black hole. The flares observed by Chandra could be explained by the frequent collision of asteroids with the black hole.
The Hubble Space Telescope has created the sharpest visible-light image ever made of the nucleus of an external galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy. The blue stars surrounding the massive black hole are just 200 million years old and formed in a burst of star formation near the black hole.
An international team of astronomers identified the moment when a black hole launched super-fast knots of gas into space using NASA's RXTE and NSF's VLBA radio telescope. The 'bullets' of ionized gas were thought to arise from a region outside the event horizon, where they were associated with changes signaling the start of the process.
Researchers used the VLBA and RXTE satellite to study a 2009 outburst from a black hole system. The collaboration gathered detailed images of
Astronomers will use a new telescope called X-Calibur to study the polarization of X-rays, providing information about cosmic sources that is not available elsewhere. The instrument will be sensitive to hard X-rays and will be flown at an altitude of 40 kilometers, allowing it to focus on celestial objects with high accuracy.
Astronomers identify smallest-known black hole using data from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The 'heartbeat' pattern, similar to an electrocardiogram, suggests a minuscule black hole weighing less than three times the sun's mass.
Astronomers have discovered a unique new object, a dusty ionized gas cloud, nearly doubling its speed in seven years and approaching the event horizon of the black hole. The cloud will break apart completely over the next few years due to external pressure and gravitational pull.
Astronomers are observing a unique opportunity to study how a black hole gulps gas, dust, and stars as it grows bigger. The gas cloud is currently 550 Kelvin or 280 degrees Celsius and will be ripped apart by the tidal forces around the black hole.
Researchers have discovered two massive black holes, each with a mass equivalent to 10 billion suns, in nearby galaxies. These 'sleeping giants' are thought to be remnants of quasars that powered the early universe.
Researchers recreated universe's first billion years using largest cosmological simulation to date. Thin streams of cold gas flowed into early black holes, causing rapid growth and challenging astrophysical theory.
Astronomers have found two massive black holes, each with a mass of 10 billion suns, in nearby galaxies. These 'sleeping giants' are thought to be remnants of quasars that powered matter into black holes in the early universe.
Astronomers have discovered two gigantic black holes with masses about 10 billion times the mass of our sun, surpassing previous measurements by more than 50 per cent. The discovery suggests that these massive black holes may be the dormant remains of extremely luminous quasars from billions of years ago.
Astronomers have discovered the largest black holes to date, two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns threatening to consume anything within a region five times the size of our solar system. These black holes are located in giant elliptical galaxies more than 300 million light years from Earth.
For the first time, astronomers have produced a complete description of a black hole using precise measurements. The new information reveals that the black hole is nearly 15 times more massive than our Sun and spinning over 800 times per second.
A new theory suggests that high-speed collisions between planets and asteroids near supermassive black holes create microscopic dust clouds. This process blocks harmful radiation, creating a more hospitable environment for life in the galaxy's central region.
Researchers at Princeton University and NYU have developed a method to detect the collision of stars with primordial black holes, which are believed to be a source of dark matter. The new technique uses existing solar observation methods to identify subtle vibrations in a star's surface caused by a passing black hole.
Astronomers have found supermassive black holes in small distant galaxies, suggesting that central black holes formed early in galaxy evolution. The study used the Hubble Space Telescope to probe the universe and identifies a connection between star formation and active galactic nuclei.
Astronomers have discovered a unique spiral galaxy with massive jets, providing insights into the formation of galaxies and clusters in the early universe. The galaxy, dubbed Speca, has been found to exhibit three distinct episodes of jet activity, shedding new light on the processes that shaped these ancient structures.
Two studies reveal that the star was torn apart by intense tides as it approached the black hole, creating an unprecedented outburst of energy. The outburst produced X-rays and radio emissions that pointed straight at Earth, offering insights into relativistic beaming.
New research by University of York scientists proposes that quantum mechanics could be the key to understanding how black holes work, potentially allowing information to escape. The study's findings suggest a possible breakthrough in our understanding of gravity and its relationship with space and time.
Astronomers have discovered a massive reservoir of water vapor 30 billion light-years away in a quasar, which is 100,000 times more massive than the sun. The water vapor is distributed around a black hole and provides insights into its environment.
Astronomers have found the largest and farthest reservoir of water ever detected in the universe, located in a distant quasar with a massive black hole. The discovery provides valuable information about the early universe's water vapor behavior and its influence on cosmic evolution.
Researchers detected massive water vapor in a distant quasar, equivalent to 34 billion times the mass of Earth. The discovery was made using a spectrograph called Z-Spec and reveals a time when the universe was only 1.6 billion years old.
A new study by Brigham Young University researchers reveals that black holes' movement, including lateral motion and spin, fuels massive jets of energy known as quasars. The study confirms a long-held theory while introducing a new component: that black holes' lateral movement also powers these jets.
Scientists have discovered the most distant quasar to date, ULAS J1120+0641, with a redshift of 7.1, providing a unique opportunity to study the early universe. The object's massive black hole is estimated to be two billion times that of our Sun, challenging current theories on its growth.
Astronomers discovered a massive black hole in a distant galaxy that ripped apart a star, creating a powerful beam of energy that crossed 3.8 billion light years to Earth. The extreme brightness of this event was due to the small fraction of the sky illuminated by the jet of light towards the Milky Way.
A gamma-ray flash was detected coming from a distant galaxy, suggesting a massive black hole is consuming a star. The long-duration event produced an enormous amount of energy and appears to be emanating from the center of the galaxy.
Researchers detected 13 billion light-year-old galaxies with hidden central black holes using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The findings suggest a symbiotic relationship between black holes and galaxies dating back to the Big Bang.
Astronomers used Chandra X-ray Observatory to discover massive black holes growing more aggressively than thought, in tandem with host galaxies. The study suggests that these young black holes are related to quasars and could have played a role in clearing cosmic fog.
A Rutgers University astrophysicist's research team has discovered that supermassive black holes were surprisingly common in the early universe, growing at a rate similar to their host galaxies. The findings suggest there are at least 30 million black holes in the early universe, far exceeding previous estimates.
Astronomers have discovered a second supersized black hole at the heart of the unusual nearby galaxy Markarian 739. The study used NASA's Swift satellite and Chandra X-ray Observatory to find the hidden AGN, which is one of the nearest and clearest cases of a binary AGN. The dual black holes are separated by only 11,000 light-years.
Researchers analyzed X-ray data from space telescopes to understand the relationship between a black hole's accretion rate and ionization state of its surrounding disk. The study found a linear dependence on the rate of accretion, contradicting theoretical predictions.
Researchers used radio telescopes to produce the most detailed image of particle jets erupting from a supermassive black hole in a nearby galaxy. The image shows features as small as 15 light-days across, making it the highest-resolution view of galactic jets ever made.
Researchers have developed conceptual tools to visualize warped space-time, discovering vortex lines and tendex lines that describe gravitational forces. These tools allow for a better understanding of black holes, gravity, and the universe, enabling predictions of gravitational waves and solving long-standing mysteries.
Italian researchers created space-like conditions in a vessel to confirm the behavior of astrophysical jets, which travel at high speeds and stretch across vast distances. The study found that these jets behave according to Newtonian Dynamics, confirming successful 3D simulations.
A newly merged black hole can be detected by observing the tidal disruption of surrounding stars, which will provide accurate distances and precise sky coordinates. This could lead to a better understanding of dark energy and Einstein's general theory of relativity.
A new supercomputer simulation reveals that the collision of two neutron stars can naturally produce the magnetic structures thought to power short gamma-ray bursts. The study provides the most detailed glimpse of the forces driving some of the universe's most energetic explosions.
Astronomers have never seen a gamma-ray burst as bright and long-lasting as GRB 110328A, which is believed to be associated with a massive black hole. The unusual blast likely arose when a star wandered too close to the central black hole of its galaxy.
Astronomers have spotted extremely hot matter near a black hole just milliseconds before it plunges in. The unique observations suggest that some matter may be escaping via highly structured magnetic fields.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a model for interacting electrons in unconventional superconductors by mimicking the behavior of charged black holes. This work resolves the Mott problem, which has puzzled physicists for decades, and sheds light on the origin of superconductivity in copper oxide materials.
Astronomers using data from NASA's Swift satellite have found a largely unseen population of black-hole-powered galaxies, accounting for at least one-fifth of all active galaxies. The discoveries were made by analyzing X-ray emissions and finding that these heavily shrouded black holes are extremely faint and difficult to detect.
A UBC team designs an experiment featuring a flowing water trough to test Stephen Hawking's 35-year-old theory on black holes. The study creates a 'white hole' simulation, generating thermal radiation analogous to photon pairs in Hawking's theory.
Researchers use NASA X-ray satellites to monitor a binary system with a massive black hole, discovering its rhythmic cycles, which drive the black hole's intake and growth. The study reveals the importance of radiation in preventing the black hole from ingesting too much material.
Researchers discovered COSMOS-AzTEC3, a massive proto-cluster 12.6 billion light-years away, formed about one billion years after the Big Bang. The cluster is characterized by extreme bursts of star formation and a massive feeding black hole, indicating it will grow into a modern galaxy cluster.
Researchers have identified 16 binary systems consisting of supermassive black holes that are hundreds to thousands closer together than previously observed. This discovery sheds new light on how these cosmic behemoths and their host galaxies merge, a crucial aspect of understanding the universe's evolution.
Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole in a nearby dwarf galaxy, Henize 2-10, which is thought to be one of the first galaxies to form in the early Universe. The finding suggests that supermassive black holes formed before their surrounding galaxies, challenging current understanding of galaxy evolution.
Scientists have found a miniaturized galaxy with a single massive black hole, which produces radio jets that are much more efficient than previously thought. The discovery was made using CSIRO's Compact Array radio telescope and reveals that black holes can be both more powerful and more efficient.
Researchers have simulated the merger of two black holes with vastly different sizes, achieving a 100:1 mass ratio for the first time. This breakthrough allows for more realistic astrophysical scenarios and prediction of observational effects.
Researchers found compelling evidence for the birth of a stellar mass black hole in the type IIL supernova SN 1979C. The study proposes that the late time glow of the supernova is consistent with a black hole accreting material from either a fallback disk or a binary companion.
Artificial black holes made with metamaterials can trap EM waves, preventing them from escaping like a black hole traps light. This technology could be used to measure how light is absorbed when passing through the material and enable the harvesting of light for solar cells.
The telescope discovered two gamma-ray-emitting bubbles that span 50,000 light-years north and south of the galactic center
Scientists have successfully created an optical analogue of Hawking radiation using a laser beam and glass target. This experiment confirms the theoretical predictions of Hawking radiation, which is emitted by black holes but difficult to detect.
Researchers are tracing electromagnetic signatures back to the impact of colliding black holes to detect them with ordinary visible light. They're creating a detailed blueprint for future scientists and simulating mergers to aid in gravitational wave discovery, proving general relativity.
A new study analyzing four extremely bright gamma-ray bursts observed by NASA's Fermi satellite suggests that these events are likely powered by black holes rather than neutron stars. The analysis found that the remnant of a long-duration burst is most likely a black hole, as it cannot produce enough energy to power a magnetar.
Astronomers have confirmed that Hanny's Voorwerp is a large cloud of glowing gas illuminated by the light from a quasar, which has since burned out. The team found that the quasar lighting up the gas took up to 70,000 years to travel through space.
Researchers create model of M33 X-7's evolutionary history and formation to explain its observational characteristics. The model sheds light on massive star evolution and black hole formation physics.
Researcher Stelios Kazantzidis uses Ohio Supercomputer Center's powerful systems to model galaxy mergers and simulate the formation of massive black holes. His work has potential to shed light on astrophysical phenomena and verify general relativity.
A team of astronomers has confirmed the presence of an extreme ultra-luminous X-ray source in a nearby galaxy, which may indicate the presence of an intermediate mass black hole. The object, HLX-1, is located ~300 million light years from Earth and emits radiation 100 times brighter than most other objects in its class.
SOFIA's infrared telescope will study the Milky Way's galactic center, detecting heat radiation not visible to human eyes. The mission aims to understand star formation in the presence of a supermassive black hole.