Scientists Discover that Our Galaxy's Black Hole Spins Rapidly and Influences Space-Time

Subscribe to CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter to stay updated on the latest news about the universe, including captivating discoveries and scientific breakthroughs. A recent study has revealed that the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, situated at the heart of our galaxy, is rotating at a high speed and causing changes in space-time.

Space-time is the fusion of one-dimensional time and three-dimensional space, creating a four-dimensional continuum that represents the fabric of space, which curves in response to massive celestial bodies.

Physicists recently observed a black hole, located 26,000 light-years from Earth, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The team used the outflow method, analyzing radio waves and X-ray emissions in the accretion disk surrounding the black hole to calculate the rotational speed of Sagittarius A*. Their findings were published on October 21 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Researchers have confirmed that the black hole is spinning, resulting in the Lense-Thirring effect, also known as frame dragging. According to the lead study author Ruth Daly, a physics professor at Penn State University, this effect happens when a black hole drags space-time along with its spin. Daly, who developed the outflow method over a decade ago, has been focused on determining the spin of different black holes since its invention. In 2019, she conducted a study that investigated over 750 supermassive black holes.

The University of Utah and the University of Tokyo, leading the Telescope Array Collaboration, have observed an incredibly energetic cosmic ray, depicted in an artist's illustration. This remarkable discovery has been dubbed the "Amaterasu particle."

Osaka Metropolitan University/L-INSIGHT, Kyoto University/Ryuunosuke Takeshige

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"Sagittarius A* will significantly alter the shape of space-time in its vicinity with its rotation," Daly explained. "We're accustomed to living in a world where all spatial dimensions are equivalent - the distance to the ceiling, the wall, and the floor...they all seem linear, not completely squished compared to others.

Daly mentioned that there is nothing to worry about regarding the alteration of space-time, but it could be very beneficial for astronomers to shed light on this phenomenon. She expressed that it is a valuable tool for understanding the role of black holes in the formation and evolution of galaxies. She also noted that the dynamic nature of black holes, including their ability to spin, could have an impact on the galaxies they are located in, which is both thrilling and intriguing.

Supermassive black holes have a spin value between 0 and 1, where 0 indicates no spin and 1 represents the maximum spin. Previously, there was no agreement on the specific spin value of Sagittarius A*, noted Daly.

This artist's concept illustrates the new view of the Milky Way, along with other findings presented at the 212th American Astronomical Society meeting in St. Louis, Mo.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

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The outflow method, which is the sole approach that incorporates data from both the outflow and material near the black hole, revealed that Sagittarius A* has a spin angular momentum value between 0.84 and 0.96. Conversely, M87* in the Virgo galaxy cluster, located 55 million light-years away, was found to spin at a value of 1, with a larger uncertainty of plus or minus 0.2, nearing the maximum for its mass.

Despite both black holes spinning at similar rates, M87* is significantly more massive than Sagittarius A*, resulting in the latter having less distance to cover and spinning more times per one spin of M87*.

Sagittarius A* rotates at a much faster rate due to its shorter distance to travel around, rather than having a higher spin angular momentum, according to Daly. This phenomenon is significant in understanding black holes and galactic history.

Understanding the mass and spin of a black hole is crucial for astronomers to gain insight into its formation and evolution, according to Daly. Dejan Stojkovic, a cosmology professor at the University at Buffalo, who was not part of the study, explained that black holes formed from the merging of smaller black holes would have a low spin value, while those formed from the accretion of surrounding gas would have a high spin value.

The rate at which Sagittarius A* is spinning would indicate that a significant portion of the mass of the black hole came from accretion, he said.

This composite image of galaxy cluster MACS0416 was generated by merging infrared observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope with visible-light data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The image was created by assigning the shortest wavelengths of light to the color blue, the longest wavelengths to red, and intermediate wavelengths to green. With a wavelength coverage from 0.4 to 5 microns, the resulting image showcases a vibrant assortment of galaxies, offering one of the most colorful views of the universe. NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

A new image captured by the Hubble and Webb telescopes reveals a stunning cosmic Christmas tree. Stojkovic emphasized the significance of determining whether our central galactic black hole rotates and at what speed.

The ultimate goal is to measure the properties of the center of our galaxy with the highest possible accuracy. This will allow us to gain insight into the history and structure of our galaxy, test our theories, and possibly even infer the existence of fascinating objects such as wormholes," said Stojkovic, the lead author of a 2019 study on these hypothetical structures.