An imaginary diagram of the interstellar medium distribution of active galactic nuclei based on current observation results. Dense molecular gas from the galaxy flows along the disk’s surface toward the black hole. The energy generated by the high temperature of the material accumulated around the black hole destroys molecular gas, converting it into atoms and plasma. Most of these multiphase interstellar mediums are jets flowing outward from the galactic center (mainly plasma jets occur directly above the disk, and mainly atomic and molecular jets occur at an angle). However, it turns out that most of the particles flow back into the disk like a fountain. Credit: ALMA (ESO/National Astronomical Observatory of Japan/Nuclear Astronomical Observatory), T. Izumi et al.
Recent advances in astrophysics have led to groundbreaking observations of gas flows around supermassive black holes. These observations were made with great detail. light years Important insights into the behavior of these giant universes have been revealed. Remarkably, the researchers found that while large amounts of gas are attracted to these black holes, only a small portion (about 3 percent) is actually consumed. The remaining gas is ejected and recycled back to the host galaxy.
Not all substances fall into this. Black Hole It is absorbed, but some is excreted as effluent. However, it has been difficult to measure the ratio between the amount of material that a black hole “eats” and the amount that it “falls into.”
An international research team led by Assistant Professor Takuma Izumi of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan is developing the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (alma telescope) Observe a supermassive black hole in the Circus Galaxy, 14 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Circus. This black hole is known to be actively feeding.
The center of the Silcinus galaxy observed with ALMA. Carbon monoxide (CO; indicating the presence of a medium-density molecular gas) is shown in red. Atomic carbon (C; indicates the presence of an atomic gas) in blue. Green is hydrogen cyanide (HCN; indicating the presence of a dense molecular gas). Pink hydrogen recombination line (H36α; indicating the presence of ionized gas). The central dense disk of gas (green) is about 6 light-years wide. The plasma outflow proceeds almost perpendicular to the disk. Credit: ALMA (ESO/National Astronomical Observatory of Japan/Nuclear Astronomical Observatory), T. Izumi et al.
ALMA’s role in solving the mystery of black holes
Thanks to ALMA’s high resolution, the research team was able to measure the inflow and outflow around a black hole for the first time on a scale of several light years. By measuring the flow of gases in different states (molecules, atoms, and states), plasma) The team was able to determine the overall feeding efficiency of the black hole and found it to be only about 3%. The researchers also confirmed that gravitational instability is driving the influx.
The analysis also showed that most of the ejected outflow was not fast enough to escape from the galaxy and be lost. They are recycled into the perinuclear region around the black hole and begin falling slowly towards the black hole again.
Reference: “Feeding and feedback of supermassive black holes are observed at subparsec scale” Takuma Izumi, Keiichi Wada, Masatoshi Imanishi, Koichiro Nakanishi, Kotaro Kono, Yuki Kudo, Daiki Kawamuro, Shunsuke Baba, Naoki Matsumoto , Yutaka Fujita, Conrad R.W. Tristram, 2 November 2023 science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adf0569
This research was funded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
Source: scitechdaily.com
