Astronomers Find Quasar J2318 Driving UV Black Hole Winds at 30% of Light Speed
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Jun 9
Astronomers Find Quasar J2318 Driving UV Black Hole Winds at 30% of Light Speed
1 articles · Updated · Space.com · Jun 9
Summary
J2318, a quasar about 3 billion light-years away, is ejecting ultraviolet-detected black hole winds at roughly 201 million mph—the fastest such UV outflow yet observed.
The record wind appears to be driven by radiation from gas and dust spiraling into a 1.7 billion-solar-mass black hole, with photons pushing matter outward from the accretion disk.
SDSS-IV and SDSS-V spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey revealed the extreme ultraviolet signatures, helping researchers probe how the gas reaches such speeds without stripping key ions from view.
Those outflows matter beyond the quasar itself: astronomers say they may transfer enough energy to expel star-forming gas from host galaxies, a feedback process central to galaxy-evolution models.
What strange physics allows atoms to survive a 201 million mph ride on a black hole's wind?
How can a black hole's 'cosmic hurricane' be powerful enough to sterilize an entire galaxy?
The Fastest Ultraviolet Wind Ever Detected: Record-Breaking Quasar Outflow from J2318 Sheds Light on Black Hole Feedback and Galaxy Evolution
Overview
A recent discovery has revealed the fastest ultraviolet wind ever detected from a supermassive black hole, originating from quasar J2318 in Pegasus. This record-breaking outflow marks a significant milestone in astrophysics, highlighting the extreme conditions near such colossal objects. Unusually, astronomers observed visible carbon and silicon ions within this harsh environment, presenting a scientific puzzle since such energetic winds typically strip atoms of their electrons. This challenges existing models of black hole winds and their interactions with surrounding matter, opening new questions about the dynamics and composition of these powerful cosmic phenomena.