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X Ray Astronomy

All articles tagged with #x ray astronomy

science14 days ago

Magnetar Polarization Tests Quantum Vacuum: Evidence of Vacuum Birefringence

Astronomers observing magnetar 1E 1547.0–5408 with IXPE and NICER detected strong X-ray polarization aligned with the star's magnetic field, matching predictions for vacuum birefringence, a long-predicted quantum electrodynamics effect where empty space behaves like a birefringent medium under extreme magnetic fields. While this could be the first direct test of the effect, researchers caution that other magnetar processes could mimic the signal and more data are needed to confirm the finding.

via SciTechDaily|
#magnetar#polarization#quantum-electrodynamics
Two Million X-ray Sources Reveal New High-Energy Cosmos
science17 days ago

Two Million X-ray Sources Reveal New High-Energy Cosmos

Astronomers’ second public data release from the German-led eROSITA X-ray telescope, DR2, catalogs nearly 2 million X-ray sources—over 1.9 million point-like objects (mostly active supermassive black holes and Milky Way stars) and about 64,000 extended sources (galaxy clusters and remnants). By linking X-ray detections to optical/IR counterparts, DR2 provides the most comprehensive, uniform view of the high-energy universe to date, enabling robust studies of black-hole growth, galaxy evolution, and large-scale cosmic structures; a future DR3 is planned for 2028, effectively nearly doubling our view of the high-energy cosmos.

via Space|
#black-holes#dr2-catalog#erosita
Milky Way Could Be Bigger and Wider Than Previously Thought
space1 month ago

Milky Way Could Be Bigger and Wider Than Previously Thought

New measurements from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton suggest the Milky Way’s spiral arms extend about 10% farther and are roughly 3,500 light-years wider than previously estimated, based on X-ray echoes from gamma-ray bursts reflecting off dust in three arms (Perseus, Outer, and Outer Scutum–Centaurus). This direct geometric approach could revise our understanding of the galaxy’s mass distribution, rotation, and overall structure, though gamma-ray bursts are rare and the data come from only a handful of usable events.

via Space|
#galactic-mass-distribution#gamma-ray-bursts#milky-way
Chandra spots detailed X-ray jet from M87*, refining black hole engine picture
space2 months ago

Chandra spots detailed X-ray jet from M87*, refining black hole engine picture

Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have produced the most detailed X-ray view yet of the jet from the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87 (M87*), revealing a complex, evolving flow and apparent superluminal motions over more than a decade. The data deepen understanding of how jets launch and accelerate particles and deposit energy into their host galaxy; M87* weighs about 6.5 billion suns and lies roughly 55 million light-years away. The findings were presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting and are available as a preprint on arXiv.

via Space|
#astronomy#black-holes#m87
Ancient supernova debris spotted near the Milky Way’s black hole
space2 months ago

Ancient supernova debris spotted near the Milky Way’s black hole

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, with help from XMM-Newton, detected a bright X-ray blob near the Milky Way’s center—likely the wreckage of a supernova that exploded about 1,700 years ago and is the closest such debris to Sagittarius A*. The debris lies in a bubble of ionized gas dubbed Sagittarius C and is seen moving at roughly 2 million mph. While an SN origin is favored, some uncertainty remains whether the emission could be from gas heated by nearby massive stars. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, highlights how such debris contributes to chemical enrichment and the birth of future stars and planets.

via Space|
#milky-way-center#sagittarius-a#sagittarius-c
Possible Supernova Remnant Detected Near Milky Way’s Core
science2 months ago

Possible Supernova Remnant Detected Near Milky Way’s Core

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra and ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray data, with radio and optical support from MeerKAT and Pan-STARRS, find a bright X-ray blob in the Sagittarius C region near the Galactic Center that could be a new supernova remnant. If confirmed, it would be one of the closest remnants to the Milky Way’s central black hole and is estimated to be about 1,700 years old, expanding at roughly two million miles per hour, though an alternative explanation involving a massive-star cluster remains possible and confirmation is pending.

via NASA Science (.gov)|
#chandra#galactic-center#sagittarius-c-region
X-ray Dot in the Dawn of the Universe Signals Transitional Black Hole Growth
space3 months ago

X-ray Dot in the Dawn of the Universe Signals Transitional Black Hole Growth

Astronomers using JWST have spotted hundreds of compact “little red dots” in the early universe; among them, 3DHST-AEGIS-12014 stands out for its X‑ray emission, suggesting it may be a transitional object between a black‑hole–related phase and the growth of a supermassive black hole in a forming galaxy. If confirmed, this rare LRD could help explain how SMBHs began to grow in the first billions of years, though its exact nature, environment, and evolution remain open questions and will require further observations.

via ScienceAlert|
#3dhst-aegis-12014#black-holes#little-red-dots
X-Ray Little Red Dot Hints at a Bridge in Early Black Hole Growth
science3 months ago

X-Ray Little Red Dot Hints at a Bridge in Early Black Hole Growth

Astronomers using JWST and Chandra found an unusual X-ray-bright “little red dot” (3DHST-AEGIS-12014) about 11.8 billion light-years away, suggesting it may be a transitional object linking black hole stars to the growth of early supermassive black holes. Its X-ray emission could escape through holes in surrounding gas clouds, explaining variability and offering a potential link between LRDs and SMBHs in the young universe, though further observations are needed to confirm the scenario and its implications for black hole formation.

via Universe Today|
#early-universe#jwst#little-red-dots
JWST Dots May Be Black Hole–Powered Clouds, New X-Ray Clue Emerges
science4 months ago

JWST Dots May Be Black Hole–Powered Clouds, New X-Ray Clue Emerges

A match between JWST observations of distant, cool “little red dots” and archival Chandra X-ray data has found an X-ray source at one dot’s location, bolstering the idea that these objects are gas clouds hosting growing supermassive black holes and possibly representing a transitional stage in how black holes and their host galaxies form.

via Yahoo|
#black-holes#galaxy-formation#james-webb-space-telescope
Webb’s X-ray Finds Hint that ‘Little Red Dots’ Harbor Baby Black Holes
space4 months ago

Webb’s X-ray Finds Hint that ‘Little Red Dots’ Harbor Baby Black Holes

JWST observations of the enigmatic 'little red dots' align with a Chandra X-ray source at 3DHST-AEGIS-12014, bolstering the idea that these distant, cool gas clouds host growing supermassive black holes. The X-ray detection suggests a transitional phase in SMBH growth inside a gas cloud, offering a potential window into how black holes and their host galaxies form and evolve in the early universe (around 11.8–12 billion years ago).

via Space|
#black-holes#galaxy-formation#james-webb-space-telescope
Japan builds ultra-precise X-ray telescope that spots a 3.5 mm dot from 1 km
science-space4 months ago

Japan builds ultra-precise X-ray telescope that spots a 3.5 mm dot from 1 km

A Japanese collaboration from Nagoya University and the SPring-8 facility has developed a high-resolution X-ray telescope with nanometer-precision, seamless nickel mirrors capable of resolving a 3.5 mm object at 1 km. Ground tests used a 10‑micrometer X-ray source about 900 meters away to simulate distant starlight, and the instrument flew on the FOXSI-4 sounding rocket in 2024 to observe a solar flare, validating its performance in space. The team plans a refined version for FOXSI-5 in 2026 and aims to miniaturize the optics for CubeSats to broaden access to high-resolution X-ray observations.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#foxsi-4#nagoya-university#science-space
From Frenzy to Freeze: Chandra Maps a 10-Billion-Year Slowdown in Black Hole Growth
science5 months ago

From Frenzy to Freeze: Chandra Maps a 10-Billion-Year Slowdown in Black Hole Growth

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that supermassive black holes grew rapidly in the early universe but have slowed dramatically over more than ten billion years, likely due to dwindling cold gas, fewer galaxy mergers, and feedback processes; the study combines multiple X-ray datasets to provide a comprehensive view of this long-term decline and its implications for how galaxies evolve.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#accretion#black-holes#chandra-x-ray-observatory