New Discovery Confirms Einstein's Theory on Black Hole Structure

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As per Albert Einstein's theory of gravity, there exists a region near black holes where matter is unable to remain in orbit and is instead drawn in.

A team of astronomers, using X-ray telescopes, has recently observed the "plunging region" in a black hole located approximately 10,000 light-years away from Earth. Lead author of the study, research scientist Andrew Mummery, mentioned that this area had been overlooked due to lack of data, but now with the new observations, they have a better understanding.

Black holes have played a significant role in confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity. The first image of a black hole taken in 2019 further supported the idea that gravity is the result of matter bending the fabric of space-time, as proposed by the renowned physicist.

Many of Einstein’s other predictions, such as gravitational waves and the universal speed limit, have been proven correct over the years. Mummery, a Leverhulme-Peierls Fellow in the department of physics at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, mentioned, “He’s a tough man to bet against at this point.”

Mummery explained, “We specifically went out searching for this one, that was always the plan. For a long time, we debated whether we would ever be able to find it. People thought it would be impossible, so confirming its existence is truly exciting.”

In an artist's illustration, a black hole pulls material from a companion star, forming a disc that rotates around the black hole before falling into it.

In an artist's illustration, a black hole pulls material from a companion star, forming a disc that rotates around the black hole before falling into it.

NASA/CXC/M. Weiss

‘Like the edge of a waterfall’

The black hole observed is in a system known as MAXI J1820 + 070, consisting of a star smaller than the sun and the black hole itself, estimated to be 7 to 8 times the mass of the sun. Astronomers used NASA's NuSTAR and NICER telescopes to study how hot gas, called plasma, from the star is pulled into the black hole.

NuSTAR, or the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, orbits Earth, while NICER, also called the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, is situated on the International Space Station.

NASA’s space-based NuSTAR telescope, seen here in an artist’s concept, was used for the first time to detect the "plunging region" around a black hole.

NASA’s space-based NuSTAR telescope, seen here in an artist’s concept, was used for the first time to detect the "plunging region" around a black hole.

"According to Mummery from NASA/JPL-Caltech, there are large discs of orbiting material surrounding black holes, originating from nearby stars. He explains that most of this material is stable and can flow smoothly, likening it to a river. However, there is a specific region near the black hole known as the plunging region, which is comparable to the edge of a waterfall. In this area, the support is lost, and the material crashes headfirst. While the majority of what is visible is the flowing river-like material, there is a small region at the end resembling a waterfall, which has been recently discovered. This distinction marks the first evidence of the existence of the "waterfall" region."

In the "plunging region" of a black hole, light can still escape, but matter is pulled in by the strong gravitational force. This is different from the event horizon, which is closer to the center and does not allow anything, not even light or radiation, to escape, as explained by Mummery.

Understanding the formation and development of black holes can be improved by the findings of this study. According to Mummery, studying this region provides valuable information because it is at the edge, offering astronomers the most insights into black holes.

A team of researchers, with the help of an astronomer from NSF's NOIRLab, has come up with a new way to improve the quality and clarity of radio interferometry images. They named this new technique PRIMO. To showcase the effectiveness of PRIMO, the team used it to create a more detailed version of the famous image of the supermassive black hole in the center of Messier 87, a massive galaxy located 55 million light-years away from Earth. The original image of the M87 black hole was released by the EHT collaboration in 2019 (left); and a new image produced by the PRIMO algorithm using the same data set (right).

A team of researchers, including an astronomer with NSF's NOIRLab, has developed a new machine-learning technique to enhance the fidelity and sharpness of radio interferometry images. To demonstrate the power of their new approach, which is called PRIMO, the team created a new, high-fidelity version of the iconic Event Horizon Telescope's image of the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87, a giant elliptical galaxy located 55 million light-years from Earth. The image of the M87 supermassive black hole originally published by the EHT collaboration in 2019 (left); and a new image generated by the PRIMO algorithm using the same data set (right).

NOIRLab

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A fuzzy photo of a black hole is getting a sharp makeover. The study lacks an actual image of the black hole due to its small size and distance. However, a team of Oxford researchers is working on something even more exciting: the first movie of a black hole. They plan to achieve this by building a new observatory called the Africa Millimetre Telescope in Namibia. The telescope, expected to be operational within the next decade, will be part of the international Event Horizon Telescope collaboration that captured the groundbreaking 2019 image of the black hole. With this new telescope, scientists will be able to observe and film large black holes at the center of the Milky Way galaxy and beyond.

A link to the past

Christopher Reynolds, an astronomy professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, explains that discovering evidence of the "plunging region" is a crucial advancement. This will help scientists enhance their models on how matter interacts near a black hole. Reynolds, who was not part of the study, mentions that this evidence can even be used to determine the rotation speed of the black hole.

Dan Wilkins, a research scientist at Stanford University in California, is thrilled about a recent discovery. In 2018, a black hole in our galaxy emitted a powerful burst of light along with an abundance of high-energy X-rays.

Astronomers have found the most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy, thanks to the wobbling motion it induces on a companion star. This artist’s impression shows the orbits of both the star and the black hole, dubbed Gaia BH3, around their common centre of mass. This wobbling was measured over several years with the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. Additional data from other telescopes, including ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, confirmed that the mass of this black hole is 33 times that of our Sun. The chemical composition of the companion star suggests that the black hole was formed after the collapse of a massive star with very few heavy elements, or metals, as predicted by theory.

Astronomers have recently discovered the most massive stellar black hole in our galaxy by observing the wobbling motion it causes in a nearby star. The black hole, named Gaia BH3, and the star orbit around a common center of mass, as shown in an artist's illustration. This wobbling effect was tracked over several years using the European Space Agency's Gaia mission. Data collected from various telescopes, including ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile, confirmed that the black hole's mass is 33 times that of the Sun. The chemical composition of the companion star indicates that the black hole likely formed from the collapse of a massive star with few heavy elements, aligning with theoretical predictions.

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"We had thought before that the extra emission came from the hot material in the 'plunging region,' but we didn't have a complete theoretical prediction of how that emission would appear," explained Wilkins, who was not part of the recent study.

In this new study, they actually make that calculation. They used Einstein's theory of gravity to forecast what the X-rays emitted by material in the 'plunging region' would look like around a black hole. They then compared this prediction with the data from the bright outburst in 2018.

Wilkins expressed excitement about the future, stating that in the next decade, there will be significant advancements in the field of space discovery. He mentioned the development of new X-ray telescopes that will provide more precise measurements of the areas surrounding black holes, particularly the regions just outside their event horizons.

Editor's P/S:

This article delves into the captivating world of black holes, providing a fascinating glimpse into their enigmatic behavior and the ongoing quest to understand their nature. The recent discovery of the "plunging region" near a black hole offers a crucial piece of the puzzle, shedding light on how matter interacts in this extreme environment. By studying this region, astronomers gain valuable insights into the formation and development of black holes.

Moreover, the article highlights the remarkable progress made in astrophysics, as evidenced by the development of new techniques like PRIMO, which has significantly enhanced the clarity and quality of radio interferometry images. The future holds even more exciting prospects, with plans underway to create the first movie of a black hole. These advancements will undoubtedly deepen our comprehension of these celestial giants and their role in the cosmic tapestry.