A New Insight into Black Holes: Powerful Jet Detected in the Distant Universe
In a groundbreaking discovery, a black hole has been observed unleashing an unexpectedly potent jet in a remote region of the universe. This revelation comes from a recent study conducted by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, providing a fresh perspective on cosmic phenomena. This observation is particularly remarkable because the jet is visible due to the afterglow of the Big Bang, providing astronomers with a unique opportunity to study these events in the early universe.
Cosmic Noon: A Time of Rapid Growth
Astronomers utilized both the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to examine this black hole and its jet during a period known as "cosmic noon." This era, occurring roughly three billion years after the universe’s inception, was a time when galaxies and their supermassive black holes experienced rapid growth. This intense phase of development offers valuable insights into the evolution of the cosmos.
Visualizing the Phenomenon
An artistic representation accompanying the study depicts material spiraling into a supermassive black hole, forming a disk. A powerful jet is seen shooting out from the black hole, directed towards the upper right. Chandra’s observations revealed this jet, located approximately 11.6 billion light-years from Earth. At that time, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the residual glow from the Big Bang, was denser than it is today. As electrons within the jets move through this CMB radiation, they interact with microwave photons. These collisions elevate the energy of the photons into the X-ray spectrum, enabling their detection by Chandra despite the vast distance.
Two Black Holes with Powerful Jets
Researchers have identified and confirmed two black holes, each with jets extending over 300,000 light-years. These black holes are situated 11.6 billion and 11.7 billion light-years from Earth, respectively. In one of the jets, particles are traveling at speeds between 95% and 99% of the speed of light (designated as J1405+0415), while in the other, speeds range from 92% to 98% of the speed of light (J1610+1811). The jet from J1610+1811 is especially noteworthy, carrying energy comparable to half of the intense light emitted by the hot gas orbiting the black hole.
Detecting Distant Jets
Detecting these jets, given their great distances and proximity to bright, growing supermassive black holes—commonly referred to as "quasars"—was made possible by Chandra’s sharp X-ray capabilities. Additionally, the denser CMB at that time provided an energy boost that enhanced visibility. When quasar jets approach the speed of light, Einstein’s theory of special relativity comes into play, creating a brightening effect. Jets directed towards Earth appear significantly brighter than those pointing away. The observed brightness can result from various combinations of speed and viewing angle, with jets moving at near-light speed but angled away appearing as bright as slower jets aimed directly at Earth.
Overcoming Observational Challenges
To address the challenge of distinguishing between speed and viewing angle effects, researchers developed a novel statistical method. Their approach acknowledges a fundamental bias: astronomers are more likely to detect jets aimed towards Earth due to relativistic effects that make them appear brightest. This bias was incorporated using a modified probability distribution, accounting for how jets oriented at different angles are detected in surveys.
The method works by first applying the physics of how jet particles scatter the CMB to establish a relationship between jet speed and viewing angle. Instead of assuming all angles are equally probable, they apply the relativistic selection effect, recognizing that jets directed towards us (smaller angles) are overrepresented in catalogs. By conducting ten thousand simulations matching this biased distribution to their physical model, the researchers determined the most probable viewing angles: approximately 9 degrees for J1405+0415 and 11 degrees for J1610+1811.
Presentation and Publication of Findings
These findings were presented by Jaya Maithil from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska. Additionally, the results are being published in The Astrophysical Journal, with a preprint available for review. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, oversees the Chandra program, while the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center manages scientific operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.
Additional Resources
For those interested in learning more about the Chandra X-ray Observatory and its mission, further information is available through these links:
- Chandra X-ray Observatory at NASA
- Chandra X-ray Observatory
Visual Description of the Phenomenon
An artist’s illustration supports this release, vividly depicting a supermassive black hole and its powerful jet. The black hole is centrally positioned, resembling a black marble encircled by a fine yellow outline. Encircling the black hole is a swirling disk, akin to a tilted dinner plate, composed of fiery rings transitioning from dark orange on the outer edges to bright yellow near the core.
Two beams, one bright and one dimmer, shoot out from the black hole, the primary beam directed towards the upper right and the secondary towards the lower left. These beams are encased in long, corkscrew-like lines resembling stretched springs. The black hole’s location, 11.6 billion light-years from Earth, places it in an era when the CMB was denser. The electrons in the jets interact with this CMB radiation, boosting the energies of the CMB light into the X-ray band, thus enabling detection by Chandra at such a significant distance.
An X-ray image inset in the upper right-hand corner illustrates this interaction. In this image, a bright white circle is surrounded by a band of glowing purple energy, with a faint purple line representing the jet extending from the ring, aiming towards the upper right, capped by a blob of purple energy.
This discovery enhances our understanding of black holes and the early universe, providing valuable insights into cosmic events and the forces at play in the distant universe.
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