Astronomers used the Event Horizon Telescope to capture direct evidence of a spinning black hole in the center of the Messier 87 galaxy. This discovery offers new insights into supermassive black holes and their role in the universe.
In this handout photo provided by the National Science Foundation, the Event Horizon Telescope captures a black hole at the center of galaxy M87, outlined by emission from hot gas swirling around it under the influence of strong gravity near its event horizon, in an image released on April 10, 2019.
Scientists Confirmed the First Black Hole Imaged Is Spinning
The supermassive black hole, M87*, initially famous for its first image in 2019, is confirmed to be spinning. The precise speed of its rotation remains unknown. Researchers have been observing this black hole with radio telescopes for two decades, especially noting its powerful jet of radiation and particles.
The study, titled "Precessing jet nozzle connecting to a spinning black hole in M87" published in the journal Nature, confirms that black hole rotation is linked to the creation of powerful cosmic jets, a phenomenon previously theorized but unconfirmed. This observation provides valuable information about these enigmatic celestial objects.
This jet oscillates in an 11-year cycle, driven by gravitational interactions between the massive black hole, 6.5 billion times the Sun's mass, and the surrounding material disk, offering solid proof of the black hole's spin. High-resolution data spanning two decades contributed to this discovery.
Furthermore, the study reveals that the jet from M87*'s black hole changes its direction by approximately 10 degrees every 11 years. These findings align with theoretical supercomputer simulations and offer valuable insights into the formation and evolution of black holes, which are common cosmic phenomena.
Astronomers previously observed these jets from a closer black hole wobbling like crazy some 8,000 light-years away in 2019, marking some of the fastest jet movements seen in astronomy.
In contrast, the recent study focuses on M87's black hole, which exhibits an 11-year cycle for its jets. However, these observations align with Albert Einstein's predictions in his theory of general relativity.
Einstein's theory explains that a massive spinning black hole's gravitational influence on spacetime, known as frame-dragging, occurs when the black hole's spin axis doesn't align perfectly with the nearby accretion disk's rotation axis, causing the black hole's jets to exhibit slight wobbling, as observed in this study.
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Why Is the Black Hole Spinning?
The processes leading to black hole spin remain somewhat enigmatic, but one theory posits that smaller black holes become rapidly spinning by consuming star matter via an accretion disk. Over time, these smaller black holes are believed to merge and evolve into supermassive black holes.
These second-generation black holes are expected to spin more slowly than their younger counterparts. To verify this hypothesis, researchers need to study the spin rates of black holes of varying sizes, and the recent study contributes to this effort.
Nonetheless, the study's findings provide strong evidence that the supermassive black hole in M87 is indeed spinning. Understanding the spin of supermassive black holes enhances comprehension of these cosmic phenomena.
Dr. Ziri Younsi, an astrophysicist at UCL, emphasized that the discovery of precession in the black hole indicates its non-zero spin, providing indirect yet compelling confirmation of its spin. Moreover, a black hole's spin could offer insights into the dramatic events that led to the formation of supermassive black holes, suggesting past violent occurrences in their history.
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