Team of scientists observe inner-most structure of quasar jet

ANI
23 Nov 2022, 12:07 GMT+10

Washington [US], November 23 (ANI): An international team of scientists has observed the narrowing of a quasar jet for the first time by using a network of radio telescopes across the world. The results suggest that the narrowing of the jet is independent of the activity level of the galaxy which launched it.

Nearly every galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole in its center. In some cases, enormous amounts of energy are released by gas falling towards the black hole, creating a phenomenon known as a quasar. Quasars emit narrow, collimated jets of material at nearly the speed of light. But how and where quasar jets are collimated has been a long-standing mystery.

An international team led by Hiroki Okino, a graduate student at the University of Tokyo, and including members from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kogakuin University, Hachinohe National College of Technology, and Niigata University, captured an image with the highest angular resolution to date that shows the deepest part of the jet in a bright quasar known as 3C 273.

The team found that the jet flowing from the quasar narrows down over a very long distance. This narrowing part of the jet continues incredibly far, well beyond the area where the black hole's gravity dominates. The results show that the structure of the jet is similar to jets launched from nearby galaxies with a low luminosity active nucleus. This would indicate that the collimation of the jet is independent of the activity level in the host galaxy, providing an important clue to unravelling the inner workings of jets. (ANI)

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Sierra Leone Times.

More Information

null in null

Business

Section

Beijing hits back at EU with medical device import curbs

HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...

Wall Street reels after Trump invokes new tariffs

NEW YORK, New York - Monday's trading session saw mixed performances across U.S. and global markets, with several major indices posting...

Trump admin allows GE to restart engine sales to China’s COMAC

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government has granted GE Aerospace permission to resume jet engine shipments to China's COMAC, a person...

Saudi Aramco plans asset sales to raise billions, say sources

DUBAI, U.A.E.: Saudi Aramco is exploring asset sales as part of a broader push to unlock capital, with gas-fired power plants among...

Russia among 4 systemic risk countries for Italian banks

MILAN, Italy: Italian regulators have flagged four non-EU countries—including Russia—as carrying systemic financial risk for domestic...

US debt limit raised, but spending bill fuels fiscal concerns

NEW YORK CITY, New York: With just weeks to spare before a potential government default, U.S. lawmakers passed a sweeping tax and spending...

Africa

Section