Unveiling the Enigmatic Periphery of a Supermassive Black Hole's Accretion Disk

Astronomers using the Gemini North telescope have made the first detection ever of two near-infrared emission lines in the accretion disk of the galaxy III Zw 002, providing new insights into the size and behavior of these structures. Emission lines, which result from excited atoms releasing light, broaden into shallower peaks in the accretion disk due to the black hole's gravitational influence. The double-peaked profiles observed in III Zw 002's broad line region confirm the presence of an accretion disk and advance understanding of its geometry. The observations also reveal the feeding process and inner structure of the active galaxy's supermassive black hole.