This artistic interpretation demonstrates a precessing stream spewing from the supermassive black hole located at the heart of galaxy VV 340a.(Image credit: W. M. Keck Observatory / Adam Makarenko)ShareShare by:
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It is generally acknowledged that supermassive black holes (SMBH) have a crucial function in how galaxies develop.
Their intense gravity and how it boosts matter within their proximity triggers the emission of immense radiation from the core region — i.e., an active galactic nucleus (AGN) — to the point that it can sporadically surpass the brightness of all stars within the disk combined.
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Since the initial observation of these “relativistic jets,” scientists have been keen to explore them further and understand their contribution to galactic development. In an impressive first, a group of astronomers, steered by investigators at the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) and the Caltech Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), recently detected the most sizable and expansive jet yet documented in a neighboring galaxy.
Their findings also brought to light expansive “wobbly” formations, delivering the clearest proof so far that SMBHs possess the ability to substantially alter their resident galaxies well beyond their centers.
Their discoveries, appearing in the journal Science, were also presented at the 247th Gathering of the American Astronomical Society held in Phoenix, Arizona.
The group observed the galaxy VV340a utilizing the W. M. Keck Observatory situated on Maunakea, Hawaii, spotting a jet that stretched up to 20,000 light-years from its middle. Due to the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) on the Observatory’s Keck II telescope, they distinguished a spear-resembling structure aligned with the galactic nucleus.
The information procured from KCWI enabled the team to create a model depicting the volume of material being discharged and ascertain if the outflow might be influencing the galaxy’s development. Justin Kader, a UC Irvine postdoctoral scholar and principal author of the study, stated in a W.M. Keck Observatory media release:
The Keck Observatory data facilitated our comprehension of the true magnitude of this occurrence. The gas identified by Keck Observatory extends to the greatest distances from the black hole, signifying it also traces the most prolonged periods. Without these observations, we wouldn’t recognize the actual strength — or durability — of this outflow.
The researchers merged the Keck data with infrared observations acquired via the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) alongside radio imagery from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). While the infrared data from Webb exposed the energetic core of the galaxy, the optical data from Keck illustrated how that energy proliferates outward. Simultaneously, the VLA radio data presented a pair of plasma jets contorted into a spiral as they spread. The cumulative data provided a convincing portrayal, accompanied by some surprises.
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For one instance, the Webb data pinpointed extremely energized “coronal” gas, the superheated plasma spurting out from both sides of the black hole, spanning several thousand parsecs across. The majority of coronae detected measure in the hundreds of parsecs, positioning this as the most vast coronal gas construction ever seen. In parallel, the VLA radio information displayed a duo of plasma jets intertwined into a spiral pattern as they progressed, signaling a rare occurrence where a jet’s orientation gradually fluctuates with time (referred to as jet precession).
Additionally, the KCWI data demonstrated that the jet curtails star birth by depriving the galaxy of gas at an approximate rate of 20 Solar masses yearly. However, what stood out most was the detection of these jets within a comparatively young galaxy such as VV340a, still undergoing the initial phases of a galactic merger. Commonly, such jets are noted in older elliptical galaxies where star formation has long ended. This finding puts current concepts of how galaxies and their SMBHs jointly evolve into question and could unveil fresh perspectives into the formation of the Milky Way. Kader expressed:
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This marks the first instance we’ve witnessed a precessing, kiloparsec-scaled radio jet triggering such an extensive outflow in a disk galaxy. Although there’s no definite fossil record of similar events within our galaxy, this discovery indicates we can’t dismiss its possibility. It alters our perception of the galaxy we inhabit.
The team’s subsequent action entails conducting radio observations with enhanced resolution to determine if a second SMBH could be residing at the core of VV340a, perhaps instigating the jets’ oscillation. “We’re merely at the initial stages of grasping how commonplace this phenomenon may be,” stated Vivian U, an associate scientist at Caltech/IPAC, serving as the second and senior author of the study. “Via the joint efforts of Keck Observatory and these other formidable observatories, we’re uncovering a novel vantage point into how galaxies transform over time.”
The initial form of this piece was featured on Universe Today.
Matthew WilliamsScience journalist
Matt Williams functions as a science communicator, journalist, writer, and educator, equipped with over 20 years engaged in education and outreach. His writings have been showcased in Universe Today, Interesting Engineering, HeroX, Phys.org, Business Insider, Popular Mechanics, among other eminent platforms. He heads Stories from Space, a weekly podcast exploring the chronicles, the present, and the prospects of spaceflight, as well as being a science fiction novelist boasting multiple titles to his name.
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