Black hole jets are accompanied by surrounding outflows as the black hole rapidly expands. As radio waves are emitted from the vicinity of a black hole, their polarization plane rotates when passing through the nearby magnetized gas. Credit: NAOJ
The VERA network of radio telescopes has aided astronomers in uncovering new information about the growth patterns of young supermassive black holes in Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. Through the detection of substantial Faraday rotation in polarized radio waves from these galaxies, they have confirmed the presence of abundant gas, promoting the rapid expansion of these black holes.
An international consortium of astronomers has taken significant steps toward understanding the expansion of young supermassive black holes. With the sophisticated technology of VERA, a network of radio telescopes managed by Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory (NAOJ), they’ve gleaned fresh insights into the formation and potential evolution of these massive cosmic entities into even more powerful quasars.
The general consensus among the scientific community is that nearly every active galaxy houses a supermassive black hole at its center, with masses millions to billions of times greater than the Sun. Yet, the process by which these black holes have amassed such staggering mass is still a topic of ongoing investigation.
Guided by Mieko Takamura, a University of Tokyo graduate student, this global team concentrated their study on a specific type of active galaxies called Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies. These galaxies are thought to house relatively small but rapidly expanding black holes, offering a unique opportunity to examine an early developmental stage of these cosmic giants.
To deepen their understanding of the immediate environments of these intriguing black holes, the team examined the cores of six nearby active NLS1 galaxies using VERA, a radio telescope network with a visual acuity over 100,000 times more powerful than that of a human eye. They capitalized on VERA’s newly enhanced ultra-wideband recording capability, which allowed them to detect weak polarized radio waves from these galaxies’ cores with unprecedented accuracy.
Radio waves near supermassive black holes exhibit polarization. This polarized emission, as it travels through the magnetized gas around the black hole, undergoes a gradual rotation, resulting in an effect known as Faraday rotation. The degree of this rotation is proportionate to the density of the gas and the magnetic field’s intensity in the medium through which the waves propagate. Thus, polarization and Faraday rotation serve as useful tools for studying a black hole’s immediate surroundings.
With the clearest view ever of these galaxies’ cores, the newly obtained data revealed a significantly larger Faraday rotation compared to measurements taken from older, more massive, and well-developed black holes. This suggests a high gas concentration in these galaxies’ nuclear regions, enabling the rapid growth of the central black holes.
“Supermassive black holes experience a growth process akin to human growth,” Takamura explains. “The black holes we studied can be likened to young children with an insatiable appetite for food.”
These findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal as “Probing the heart of active narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies with VERA wideband polarimetry” by Takamura and team.
Reference: “Probing the heart of active narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies with VERA wideband polarimetry” by Mieko Takamura et al., 18 July 2023, The Astrophysical Journal.
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acd9a8
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Supermassive Black Holes Growth
What did the VERA network of radio telescopes reveal about supermassive black holes?
The VERA network of radio telescopes enabled astronomers to discover new insights about the growth of young supermassive black holes, specifically in Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies. Through detecting substantial Faraday rotation in polarized radio waves from these galaxies, astronomers confirmed the presence of an abundant amount of gas, which supports the rapid expansion of these black holes.
Who led the international team of astronomers in this research?
The international team was led by Mieko Takamura, a graduate student at the University of Tokyo. The team focused on studying a distinct category of active galaxies known as Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies.
What is the significance of the Faraday rotation observed in the study?
The degree of Faraday rotation, which occurs when polarized emission from a black hole travels through magnetized gas, is proportionate to the density of the gas and the intensity of the magnetic field in the medium through which the waves propagate. By observing a significantly larger Faraday rotation, the team was able to infer a high concentration of gas in the nuclear regions of the observed galaxies, enabling the rapid growth of the central black holes.
What metaphor did Mieko Takamura use to describe the growth process of supermassive black holes?
Mieko Takamura compared the growth process of supermassive black holes to that of humans, likening the black holes they studied to young children with an insatiable appetite for food.
More about Supermassive Black Holes Growth
- Original Research Article in The Astrophysical Journal
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
- Information on Supermassive Black Holes
- Overview of Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) Galaxies
- About VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry)
5 comments
That’s pretty amazing work from a grad student leading such an impressive research. Kudos to Mieko Takamura and the team!
Didn’t quite get all the technical jargon, but hey, more power to the people who do this research! We’re learning more and more about the universe every day.
i always thought black holes were just, well, black holes. who knew they grow like human beings, that’s quite a metaphor Mieko!
wow, this is just mind blowing stuff! It’s incredible to think about these enormous black holes growing out there in the universe.
Faraday rotation? Never heard of it before, but sounds fascinating. These researchers are certainly pushing the boundaries of what we know about space.