Scientists witnessed a rare and enigmatic outburst from a galaxy 236 million light-years away that caused a black hole to reverse its surrounding magnetic field. NASA scientists noted that this is the first time they have seen X-ray emissions dropping completely while other wavelengths simultaneously brighten.
A comprehensive study by a team of international scientists links the unusual characteristics of the eruption to changes in the environment of the black hole that likely triggered the magnetic switch.
Massive Black Hole May Have Done a 180-Degree Magnetic Flip in A 'Strange Explosive Episode'
Black Hole Magnetic Field Reversal Happening in Real-Time
NASA scientists proposed that a black might have done a 180-degree magnetic flip after seeing a mysterious cosmic outburst in a galaxy millions of light-years away from Earth.
The theory detailed in the study, titled "A radio, optical, UV and X-ray view of the enigmatic changing look Active Galactic Nucleus 1ES~1927+654 from its pre- to post-flare states" published in The Astrophysical Journal, describes an unusual characteristic of an eruption linked to the changes in the vicinity of the black hole.
According to Interesting Engineering, magnetic field reversals are common occurrences in space. Even the Sun switches north and south poles every 11 years during the solar cycle due to massive solar eruptions.
Researcher Sibasshh Laha from the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said that rapid changes in visible and ultraviolet light had been observed before in galaxies similar to this one. However, the recent discovery is the first time they have seen X-ray emissions while the other wavelengths brighten.
Scientists analyzed telescopes for their research in which they noticed in 2018 that the galaxy called 1ES 1927+654 had brightened almost a hundred times. Archive data suggests that the galaxy's eruption started near the end of 2017, but observations were only made in June 2018, when higher-energy X-ray emissions had disappeared completely.
Understanding the 'Strange Explosive Episode'
Although a previous theory about the explosion suggests it was triggered by a star destroyed by the black hole, researchers have suggested another possible scenario.
Study co-author Mitchell Begelman from the University of Colorado-Boulder said that a magnetic reversal in which the north pole and south pole switch seems to be the best fit for observation of the explosion. Per Space.com, visible and UV light should increase toward the galaxy's center if a magnetic reversal occurs that causes the north pole to become the south pole and vice versa.
Additionally, the magnetic field weakens so much that the corona cannot be supported anymore and so X-ray emissions cease and only re-emerges in October 2018, roughly four months after it disappeared, which suggests a magnetic reversal happened. This means that X-ray emissions returned and corona had been restored after the flip.
The team used two space telescopes to complete their observation that tracks changes in ultraviolet and X-rays. These telescopes are NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and the XMM-Newton satellite of ESA. They conducted several ground-based visible light and radio observations in various locations, like Italy, the Canary Islands, and New Mexico.
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