Black holes with different light signatures that were thought to be the same objects in question
New study of black holes, some of themare active galactic nuclei (ANGs), has shown that it is necessary to revise the widely used “unified AGN model”, which characterizes supermassive black holes as objects with the same properties.
The new study will help researchers create more accurate models of the evolution of the Universe and understand how black holes develop.
“These objects puzzled researchers more thanhalf a century,” said Tonima Tasnim Ananna, a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth University and lead author of the new paper, in a press release accompanying the study. “Over time, we have made many assumptions about the physics of these objects.” We now know that the properties of hidden black holes are significantly different from the properties of AGN, which are not so hidden."
It is believed that supermassive black holesare located at the center of almost all large galaxies, including the Milky Way. These objects absorb galactic gas, dust and stars, and can become heavier than small galaxies. For decades, researchers have been interested in the light signatures of active galactic nuclei, such as supermassive black holes that are "accreting" or in a rapid growth stage.
In the late 1980s, astronomers realized thatLight signatures that come from space in the range from radio waves to x-rays are classified as AGN. The objects were thought to typically have a donut-shaped ring—or torus—of gas and dust around them. Differences in the brightness and color of an object were thought to vary depending on the viewing angle and how much of the torus obscured the view.
Based on this, the unified theory of AGN becamepredominant. According to it, if you look at a black hole through a torus, it should appear weak. And if it’s on the bottom or top of the ring, it’s bright. However, according to the new work, past studies relied too heavily on data from less obscured objects and skewed the observations.
New research focuses on howblack holes quickly feed on cosmic matter, or at their accretion rate. Scientists have proven that the accretion rate does not depend on the mass of the black hole, but varies depending on how hidden it is by the gas and dust ring.
“This confirms the idea that torusThe structures around black holes are not always the same, explains Ryan Hickox, professor of physics and astronomy and co-author of the study. “There is a relationship between structure and how it grows.”
New research confirms that there arenew differences between different AGN populations. When a black hole accretes at a high rate, the energy blows away dust and gas. As a result, it will most likely not be darkened and will look brighter. And on the contrary, a less active AGN is surrounded by a denser torus and appears weaker.
Read more:
A compelling new theory emerges as to why the Mayan civilization collapsed
The supersonic plane will fly at a speed of 2,000 km/h and cross the ocean in 3.5 hours
Created a quantum computer that "went beyond the binary system"