All articles tagged with #agn
Using JWST data, astronomers studied the ‘Stingray’ triple‑galaxy system—seen when the universe was about 1.1 billion years old—and found that the enigmatic little red dots may be a short‑lived evolutionary phase driven by galaxy interactions and delayed fueling of a central black hole, rather than a distinct class of objects.
XRISM observed the waking of the supermassive black hole IRAS 05189-2524 in a merging, star-forming galaxy, detecting high-velocity, bullet-like outflows up to about 0.14c that carry far more energy than slower winds. The finding shows how black-hole winds can shape the host galaxy and regulate star formation, shedding light on the co-evolution of galaxies and their central engines.
JWST observations reveal numerous compact ‘little red dots’ in the early universe whose spectra show active galactic nucleus features, suggesting central black holes. Some dots, notably the Virgil Galaxy, appear normal in UV/optical light but harbor an exceptionally massive black hole detected in mid‑infrared, challenging current growth models. A leading idea—quasi-stars—posits black holes inside dense gas cocoons that could skew mass estimates. These findings could reshape how we understand black hole formation in the first billions of years and motivate deeper mid‑infrared surveys for more such objects.
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have identified nine compact, point-like objects at redshifts 3.6–5.4 whose properties don’t fit neatly into stars, galaxies, quasars, or standard AGNs. They display narrow emission lines, lack resolvable host galaxies, and their light profiles differ from a true point source by about 10–20%, raising the possibility of a new class of objects—perhaps low-luminosity, hostless AGNs or unusual young galaxies—though their exact nature remains unclear pending deeper imaging and broader wavelength data. The discovery is framed as the cosmic equivalent of a platypus.
Astronomers using LOFAR and the upgraded GMRT detected a once-dormant supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy J1007+3540 reigniting, driving a colossal jet and an aging outer cocoon spanning about 1 million light-years. The radio structures reveal episodic AGN activity influenced by the hot gas in the surrounding galaxy cluster, illustrating how galactic nuclei turn on and off over cosmic timescales (publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society).
Astronomers have confirmed the first known system where three galaxies, each hosting active supermassive black holes, are merging, providing new insights into galaxy and black hole evolution through high-resolution radio imaging. The system, located 1.2 billion light-years away, shows all three black holes actively feeding and launching jets, a rare and significant discovery that advances our understanding of cosmic growth processes.
Astronomers observed a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy devouring matter rapidly and ejecting high-speed jets at nearly a third of the speed of light, which could influence star formation and galaxy evolution.
Astronomers have successfully determined the structure of black hole coronae, revealing them to be disk-like rather than spherical, using NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. This breakthrough provides new insights into black hole dynamics, particularly how they emit energy and interact with their surroundings, challenging existing models and enhancing our understanding of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The study focused on obscured black holes, allowing researchers to isolate and analyze the corona's high-energy X-ray emissions, which are crucial for understanding black hole behavior and their influence on galaxy formation.
Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in the galaxy Markarian 817 throwing a tantrum by emitting ultrafast winds, effectively cutting off its parent galaxy's gas supply needed for star formation. This behavior, detected by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space telescope, challenges previous assumptions about the conditions under which such winds are generated. The discovery suggests that even lightly feeding supermassive black holes can expel powerful winds capable of reshaping their host galaxies, and that such winds may be more common than previously thought. This finding could provide insights into the formation of galaxies and the role of black holes in their evolution.
Spanish astronomer Elio Quiroga Rodriguez has discovered a peculiar object in the Sombrero Galaxy, identified as a galaxy hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN). By analyzing Hubble Space Telescope images, Rodriguez found that the object, previously classified as a globular cluster candidate, may be a barred spiral galaxy with an AGN at its center. The newfound galaxy, cataloged as PSO J190.0326-11.6132, has a radial velocity suggesting it could be a satellite of the Sombrero Galaxy. Further observations are needed to determine the type of AGN present in the galaxy.
Astronomers have discovered an unusual galaxy system consisting of a pair of galaxies and a long, highly collimated tail of gas and stars. The tail is associated with a binary galaxy system and is the longest optical galactic tail detected so far. The tail is sufficiently gas-rich to support star formation along its length, even though it originates from an S0/a galaxy, which is expected to be gas-poor. The researchers propose that the tail resulted from a three-body interaction between the galaxies.
The Hubble telescope captured an image of Z 229-15, a celestial object that can be classified as a quasar, an active galactic nuclear, and a Seyfert galaxy due to an overlap in definitions. Z 229-15 is a galaxy with an AGN at its center, and the quasar involved in it is much dimmer than usual, making the stars within the galaxy visible. The image showcases the spiral appearance of the galaxy and the powerful instruments aboard the Hubble telescope.