Hypothetical map of the interstellar medium distribution of active galactic nuclei based on current observations. High-density molecular gas from the galaxy flows along the disk surface toward the black hole. The energy generated by the high temperature of the material accumulated around the black hole destroys the molecular gas and converts it into atoms and plasma. Most of these multiphase interstellar materials are jets flowing outward from the galactic center (mainly generating plasma jets directly above the disk, mainly generating atomic and molecular jets diagonally). However, we found that most of the particles returned to the disk like a fountain. Image credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), T. Izumi et al.
Recent advances in astrophysics have led to groundbreaking observations of gas flows around supermassive black holes.These observations were made in great detail light years scale, revealing important insights into the behavior of these cosmic giants. Remarkably, the researchers found that while a large amount of gas is attracted to these black holes, only a small portion (about 3%) is actually consumed. The remaining gas is ejected and then recycled back to the host galaxy.
Not everything will fall into one black hole are absorbed, some of which is excreted as effluent. But the ratio of matter “eaten” by black holes to matter “fallen” is difficult to measure.
An international research team led by Takuma Izumi, Assistant Professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (alma) Observe the supermassive black hole in the Circulus galaxy, which is located in the direction of the Cirrus, 14 million light-years away from us. It is known that this black hole is actively feeding.
The central region of the Circus Galaxy as observed with ALMA. Carbon monoxide (CO; indicates the presence of a medium-density molecular gas) in red; atomic carbon (C; indicates the presence of an atomic gas) in blue; hydrogen cyanide (HCN; indicates the presence of a high-density molecular gas) in green; hydrogen recombination line ( H36α; indicating the presence of ionized gas) appears pink. The central disk of dense gas (green) is about 6 light-years across. The plasma outflow travels almost perpendicular to the disk. Image credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), T. Izumi et al.
ALMA’s role in unraveling the mysteries of black holes
Due to ALMA’s high resolution, the team is the first in the world to measure the inflow and outflow around a black hole on scales of several light years.By measuring gas flow in different states (molecules, atoms and gases) plasma) team was able to determine the overall efficiency of black hole feeding and found that it was only around 3%. The team also confirmed that gravitational instability is driving the inflow.
The analysis also showed that most of the expelled outflows were not moving fast enough to escape the galaxy and disappear. They are recycled back into the perinuclear region around the black hole and begin to slowly fall toward the black hole again.
Reference: “Supermassive black hole supply and feedback observed at subparsec scales” by Takuma Izumi, Keiichi Wada, Masatoshi Imanishi, Kouichiro Nakanishi, Kotaro Kohno, Yuki Kudoh, Taiki Kawamuro, Shunsuke Baba, Na Matsuatsumoto Yutaka Fujita and Konrad RW 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.
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Image Source : scitechdaily.com