Scientists Capture First Radio Images of 2 Orbiting Supermassive Black Holes 3.5 Billion Light-Years Away
Updated
Updated · Futura · May 31
Scientists Capture First Radio Images of 2 Orbiting Supermassive Black Holes 3.5 Billion Light-Years Away
7 articles · Updated · Futura · May 31
Archived RadioAstron data revealed the first radio images of two supermassive black holes orbiting each other in quasar OJ287, a system about 3.5 billion light-years from the Milky Way.
The images were made by tracing the pair through their particle jets, using space-ground interferometry when RadioAstron was roughly halfway to the Moon, sharply boosting resolution over ground-only observations.
OJ287 contains an 18 billion-solar-mass primary black hole and a 150 million-solar-mass companion that completes a 12-year orbit and punches through the primary's accretion disk twice each cycle.
Those disk crossings have long been linked to 48-hour outbursts in which the quasar's brightness quadruples, making the newly imaged binary a key target for testing black-hole astrophysics.
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Direct Imaging of Binary Supermassive Black Holes in OJ 287: Unveiling Twisted Jets, Magnetic Interactions, and Gravitational Wave Implications
Overview
OJ 287 is a unique quasar whose light output changes in a regular 12-year cycle, revealing the presence of two supermassive black holes orbiting each other. Scientists have now directly imaged not only the massive jet from the larger black hole but also, for the first time, a twisted jet from the smaller companion. This breakthrough was possible by overcoming previous observational challenges, providing clear evidence of the smaller black hole’s activity. The twisted shape of the jet is caused by the smaller black hole’s rapid motion around its partner, constantly changing the jet’s direction and offering new insights into binary black hole systems.