The Event Horizon Telescope has continued to capture stunning images of M87*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy. These images, combined with theoretical simulations, are revealing unprecedented details about the black hole's dynamics, including its rotational axis and the turbulent nature of its accretion disk.
Observed and theoretical images of M87 * are presented for comparison. The left panels display the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) images of M87 * captured during the 2018 and 2017 observation campaigns. The middle panels showcase example images from a general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulation at two distinct time points. The right panels present the same simulation snapshots, blurred to match the EHT's observational resolution.
This meticulous comparison allows astronomers to refine their understanding of the supermassive black hole at the heart of M87.Black holes, enigmatic regions of space-time characterized by immense gravity, warp the fabric of the universe. The event horizon, a defining boundary surrounding a black hole, marks the point of no return for any matter or radiation unfortunate enough to venture too close. Beyond this boundary, even light cannot escape the black hole's gravitational grip.The Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of radio telescopes, captured the first-ever image of a black hole's event horizon in 2017, focusing on the supermassive black hole residing at the center of M87, a massive elliptical galaxy located 53 million light-years away. Since then, over 120,000 more images have been accumulated, providing invaluable data for astronomers to analyze the evolution of the event horizon. This ongoing research has revealed unexpected insights about the black hole's rotational axis and the dynamics of its accretion disk, a swirling disk of gas and dust that orbits the black hole before being consumed.The axis of rotation for M87* points away from Earth, and the accretion disk exhibits signs of turbulence, a phenomenon that has brightened the disk compared to previous observations. Astronomers believe this turbulence is responsible for the increased brightness. Assistant Professor Hung-Yi Pu from National Taiwan Normal University explains, “the black hole accretion environment is turbulent and dynamic. Since we can treat the 2017 and 2018 observations as independent measurements, we can constrain the black hole’s surroundings with a new perspective.”These discoveries from computer-generated simulations shed light on the complex dynamics occurring in the regions surrounding a black hole. The simulations demonstrate that material spiraling into a black hole from afar can either flow in the direction of the black hole's rotation or in the opposite direction. This intricate interplay of matter and gravity continues to fascinate and challenge our understanding of the universe's most enigmatic objects
BLACK HOLES GALAXIES EVENT HORIZON ACCRETION DISK ASTROPHYSICS GRAVITY SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES EVENT HORIZON TELESCOPE M87
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