The black hole may have reversed its magnetic field before our eyes.
The story begins with a galaxy known as 1ES 1927 + 654, which briefly stopped emitting X-rays for a few months, then resumed and increased. So far, the potential prison cell The observations represent a unique case that can be seen from 236 million light-years away.
“This event marks the first time we’ve seen X-rays disappear completely while other wavelengths shine out,” said study lead author Sebasish Laha, a research scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. . NASA agency statment.
If scientists can confirm that the explosion was caused by a giant black hole At the heart of the galaxy by changing its magnetic field, the event may help astrophysicists understand how this change affects the black hole’s environment, according to the statement.
Related: Eureka! Scientists photograph a black hole for the first time
The Milky Way (and most other large galaxies like it) have a supermassive black hole at their core; A black hole attracts matter toward its center. The material first accumulates in an accretion disk surrounding the black hole, then heats up and emits light (in visible, ultraviolet, and X-ray wavelengths) as the material is pushed inward.
When this material is pushed inward, it forms a cloud of extremely hot particles that scientists call the corona. The new study suggests that changes in the corona are what caused the temporary disappearance of X-ray transmission from the galaxy’s core 1ES 1927+654.
If a magnetic reversal occurs, causing the north pole to become the south pole and vice versa, the visible and ultraviolet light should increase toward the galactic center due to the increase in heat, as the corona begins to shrink and the accretion disk grows. narrower in the middle.
But as the reflection develops, the field weakens so much that the corona can’t withstand at all, causing the X-ray emissions to stop, the researchers suggested.
This idea matches observations of this galaxy, where X-ray emissions reappeared in October 2018, about four months after their disappearance, indicating a magnetic reversal. The galaxy reverted to X-ray emissions before the volcanic eruption in the summer of 2021.
Two space telescopes have tracked changes in ultraviolet and X-rays, including those of NASA. Neil Geirels Swift Observatory and the European Space Agency XMM-Newton Satellites Visual and radio observations have been made from various ground-based telescopes in places such as Italy, the Canary Islands, and New Mexico.
a paper According to the research, it has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal and is available from prepress service arXiv.org.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter Embedded Tweet. Follow us on Twitter Embedded Tweet or Facebook.
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”