Articles tagged with Black Holes
A newly discovered 'Goldilocks' black hole, approximately 55,000 times the sun's mass, provides insight into how supermassive black holes form and grow. The finding may indicate that these behemoths have ancient relics as seeds, potentially leading to a greater understanding of the universe.
Astronomers using the Event Horizon Telescope have observed polarised light around a black hole, showing that magnetic fields at its edge are strong enough to push back against hot gas and resist gravity's pull. This discovery helps explain how the M87 galaxy launches energetic jets from its core.
Astronomers have captured the first-ever image of a black hole's magnetic fields, revealing that polarized light reveals the structure of these fields just outside the event horizon. This breakthrough observation will help scientists understand how energy is extracted from spinning black holes to produce powerful jets.
A new view of the region closest to M87's supermassive black hole reveals important details of magnetic fields and hints at how powerful jets originate. The observations suggest strongly magnetized gas plays a key role in launching energetic jets.
The EHT collaboration has revealed a new view of the massive object at the centre of the M87 galaxy, measuring polarisation and magnetic field lines just outside the black hole. This new data is key to understanding how the M87 galaxy launches energetic jets from its core.
Researchers develop theoretical model suggesting microscopic wormholes could be traversable without exotic matter, using Dirac field to describe probability density function of particles. The model proposes that certain elementary particles like electrons and electromagnetic waves could traverse tiny tunnels in spacetime.
Astronomers have found the most distant cosmic jet, providing insights into how galaxies evolved and supermassive black holes grew when the universe was only 780 million years old. The quasar, with a massive black hole 300 million times more massive than the Sun, has a jet of fast-moving particles about 1,000 years old.
A new study advances a decisive test to investigate the origin of solar-mass black holes, which may be connected to dark matter. The research suggests that such black holes could have formed in the early Universe, contradicting conventional stellar evolution astrophysics.
A new theoretical study suggests that supermassive black holes could form directly from dark matter in high-density regions, contradicting current understanding of their formation. This proposal has key implications for cosmology and the early Universe, potentially explaining how supermassive black holes grew so quickly.
Researchers detected radio flares months and years after a star was torn apart by a black hole, contradicting previous expectations. The team observed two delayed flares in a distant galaxy, suggesting that new models may be needed to explain this phenomenon.
Researchers linked a high-energy neutrino to an object outside our galaxy, tracing it back to a black hole tearing apart a star in a rare cataclysmic occurrence called a tidal disruption event. The findings provide insights into how these phenomena work and challenge previous expectations about when and how neutrinos are produced.
Researchers have detected a high-energy neutrino in the wake of a star's destruction by a black hole, providing new insights into the origins of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays. This breakthrough sheds light on decades-old problem and offers support for the conclusion that Tidal Disruption Events could be responsible for producing UHECRs.
Researchers found that most high-energy astrophysical neutrinos are born near quasars with massive black holes. This challenges previous theories suggesting only highest-energy neutrinos could be produced by these sources.
The stellar-mass black hole in the Cygnus X-1 binary system was found to have a mass 21 times that of the Sun and is rotating at a speed close to the speed of light. This discovery challenges astronomers' thoughts on how black holes formed.
Cygnus X-1 contains a 21-solar mass black hole, challenging how astronomers thought they formed. The black hole is more than 20 times the mass of our Sun, with its spin approaching the speed of light.
A new study using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) has refined the distance to Cygnus X-1 and found its black hole mass to be approximately 21 solar masses, exceeding current stellar evolution models. This massive black hole suggests that lower mass loss through stellar winds during progenitor star evolution may have occurred.
Burke-Spolaor plans to use the fellowship funding to launch exploratory projects on gravitational waves and fast radio bursts. She aims to expand her work internationally through partnerships with the International Pulsar Timing Array.
Astronomers have found a concentration of smaller black holes at the center of the globular cluster NGC 6397, contradicting the long-held assumption of an intermediate-mass black hole. The discovery was made using Hubble data and Gaia space observatory measurements.
Astronomers used Hubble and Gaia data to analyze the positions and velocities of stars in NGC 6397, finding strong evidence for invisible mass in the dense central regions. The bulk of this unseen mass is likely made up of stellar-mass black holes, rather than white dwarfs or neutron stars.
Researchers at NANOGrav Physics Frontiers Center have found intriguing low-frequency signal that may be attributable to gravitational waves. The signal is attributed to supermassive black hole pairs at the cores of merged, distant galaxies.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham have demonstrated that backreaction can be simulated in a laboratory experiment using a specially designed water tank. The study found that waves sent into an analogue black hole significantly changed its properties, with effects visible to the eye.
Researchers have discovered a phenomenon where extreme black holes exhibit 'gravitational hair', a measurable quantity that depends on the black hole's formation process. This finding violates the 'no hair' theorem, which states that all black holes are identical and can be fully characterized by their mass, spin, and charge.
Researchers found that certain head-on galaxy collisions can clear matter from the galactic nucleus, reducing the activity of central black holes. This discovery could help us understand the evolution of our Milky Way and its interactions with smaller galaxies.
A team of scientists has discovered the most distant quasar ever observed, J0313-1806, which is also the earliest known quasar in the universe. The quasar is powered by a supermassive black hole weighing over 1.6 billion times the mass of the Sun.
A new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals that three galaxies colliding can lead to triple mergers with growing supermassive black holes. The research found one single, four double, and one triple merger system, shedding light on how these events shape galaxy growth.
Physicists Luca Comisso and Felipe Asenjo propose a new method to extract energy from rotating black holes by breaking and reconnecting magnetic field lines. This process could accelerate plasma particles to negative energies, allowing for massive amounts of energy extraction with an efficiency of up to 150%.
Astronomers have identified the most distant quasar known, powered by a supermassive black hole weighing over 1.6 billion times the mass of the Sun. The discovery provides insight into the formation of massive galaxies in the early universe and challenges theories of black hole growth.
Astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy that erupts roughly every 114 days, creating a 'cosmic Old Faithful'. Using data from NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, scientists studied repeated outbursts of an event called ASASSN-14ko.
Astronomers have observed a luminous quasar 13.03 billion light-years from Earth, providing insight into the formation of massive galaxies in the early universe. The quasar hosts a supermassive black hole equivalent to 1.6 billion suns and shows evidence of an outflowing wind, challenging current models of black hole formation.
Scientists have discovered a rare cosmic phenomenon - an 'Old Faithful'-like eruption of light flashing about once every 114 days on a nearly predictable schedule. The flare is caused by a black hole ripping at a star, creating a regular series of tidal disruption events.
Astronomers have discovered the most distant quasar yet found, J0313-1806, which is 13 billion light-years away and powered by a supermassive black hole. The discovery provides valuable insights into how massive galaxies and their supermassive black holes formed in the early Universe.
A new study by Durham University and colleagues suggests that galaxy mergers could shut down star formation in the early universe, affecting galaxy growth. The researchers observed a massive galaxy, ID2299, which ejected half of its gas into the intergalactic medium due to the merger.
Researchers at Kavli IPMU propose a novel scenario for primordial black hole formation, suggesting they could account for all or part of dark matter. They also suggest that PBHs could be responsible for some gravitational wave signals and seed supermassive black holes found in the center of our Galaxy.
A graduate student developed an open-source code called BADASS, which provides a way to fit stellar motions simultaneously with other components in astronomical spectra. The code is versatile enough to fit not just active galactic nuclei but also normal galaxies, and can be used for any kind of spectroscopy.
A new study by UMBC physicists finds that black hole jets primarily release energy in the molecular torus, rather than the broad-line region. This resolves a decades-long debate on jet formation and structure, offering clues to how jets initially form and dissipate energy.
A team of researchers has developed a method to tease out primordial gravitational waves from gravitational-wave data. The new approach allows for the detection of faint signals that could reveal insights into the early universe's conditions and processes.
A new study using VERA data has revised Earth's velocity around the Galactic Center from 220 km/s to 227 km/s, making it faster. The revised calculation places Earth approximately 2000 light-years closer to the supermassive black hole at the Galaxy's center.
Researchers at University of Kansas discover a galaxy 5.25 billion light years away undergoing a rare stage in its life cycle, where an X-ray luminous AGN coexists with high star formation rates. The team found that the galaxy is still generating new stars despite the presence of the active galactic nucleus.
Researchers have developed a new theory for observing the quantum vacuum, which could lead to new insights into black hole behavior. By using sound particles and ultra-cold atoms, they created a two-dimensional cloud where sound waves become audible to an accelerated observer in a silent phonon vacuum.
Astronomers have found distant galaxies with supermassive black holes that launched powerful radio-emitting jets within the past two decades. The study used data from the VLA Sky Survey and compared it with earlier surveys to identify these new jets.
Scientists calculate that rare signals from dark matter can be detected by GPS atomic clocks and magnetometers, adding to multi-messenger astronomy
Computer simulations show that neutron star mergers can lead to black hole formation under specific conditions. The threshold mass for collapse depends on the properties of dense nuclear matter.
RIT scientists developed record-breaking simulations of unequal mass black hole mergers to aid the development of next-generation gravitational wave detectors. These simulations calculate key properties of merged black holes, enabling the comparison of signals received by advanced detectors.
Researchers use advanced simulation to model large mass ratio black hole merger, predicting characteristics of ultimate merged black hole and its speed. The simulation's success could help plan future gravitational wave detectors and answer mysteries about black holes.
A RUDN University physicist created a software solution to identify the instability regions of black holes, ensuring their mathematical models are physically viable. The approach uses Einstein's equation with added corrections and identifies critical coupling constants that affect model stability.
A team of scientists has created the most detailed family portrait of black holes to date, analyzing gravitational-wave data from LIGO and Virgo detectors. The study reveals new clues about black hole formation and tests Einstein's theory of general relativity, passing all tests with flying colors.
Astronomers observe a direct connection between stellar material and bright flare emitted as star is consumed, revealing the origin of obscuring dust and debris. The study provides insights into supermassive black holes and matter behavior under extreme gravity conditions.
Research reveals black holes emit complex signals when observed from their equator, indicating a unique relation between gravitational waves and black hole behavior. The team discovered that the final black hole's cusp emits more intense gravitational waves, producing multiple 'chirps' as it settles to its final form.
A RUDN University physicist simplified the Einstein-Lovelock theory for black holes by presenting its geometry in a compact form with a limited number of terms, sufficient to describe observed values. This simplification could aid in studying black holes in theories with quantum corrections.
Researchers from the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration used the first horizon-scale image of a black hole to test general relativity, deepening understanding of black holes and ruling out many alternatives. The study found that the size of the black hole shadow corroborates the predictions of general relativity.
Researchers used black hole images to test Einstein's general relativity, identifying modifications that cannot be significantly different from the theory. The new analysis provides a tighter gauge for testing gravity theories, constraining deviations from general relativity even further.
The satellite detected a low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) above 200 keV in a black hole binary, indicating the presence of a relativistic jet near the event horizon. The discovery resolves the long-running debate on the physical origin of low-frequency QPOs.
Astrophysicists identify distinctive signatures of stellar-mass black holes in archival X-ray data, separating them from neutron stars. This is the strongest steady signature of stellar-mass black holes to date.
Rochester Institute of Technology scientists played a key role in detecting the most massive gravitational wave binary observed to date, GW190521. The event revealed an intermediate-mass black hole with masses of about 85 and 66 solar masses.
Researchers at Osaka University used powerful lasers to recreate relativistic magnetic reconnection, a process responsible for X-ray emissions from black holes. This study may help explain the mysterious X-rays emitted by some celestial bodies.
Researchers have discovered the first intermediate-mass black hole, which has a mass of 142 solar masses. The cosmic event was detected as a brief gravitational wave signal, lasting less than one-tenth of a second, and is believed to have occurred roughly 7 billion years ago.
A new model integrates two phases of matter accumulation in active galaxies, revealing a universal mechanism for ejection of matter by black holes. The research suggests that the molecular phase is part of the outflow, blowing away more matter than previously thought.
Researchers have detected a signal from the most massive black hole merger observed in gravitational waves, producing an 'intermediate-mass' black hole with a mass of up to 1,000 solar masses. The merger released energy equivalent to eight suns and has raised questions about the formation of such massive black holes.
Researchers suggest a novel process to explain the collision of a large black hole and a much smaller one, proposing that the more massive black hole was a product of a prior merger. This 'hierarchical' merging could generate a merger with a high mass ratio and spin.
Astronomers detect the most massive black hole collision ever observed, involving two mammoth black holes weighing 85 and 66 times the mass of the Sun. The larger black hole is considered 'impossible' due to its mass exceeding predicted limits.