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Study Reveals Black Holes May Promote Star Formation
Confirmed
In Short: A new study of nine nearby galaxies has revealed that actively growing supermassive black holes may contribute to star formation, contrary to previous assumptions.
A new study of nine nearby galaxies has revealed that actively growing supermassive black holes may contribute to star formation, contrary to previous assumptions.
Zhu's team used the Very Large Telescope in Chile to map out the structure of these galaxies and found that fast shockwaves are launched out from the black holes, extending perpendicular to the bicones of radiation.
These shockwaves, along with ionized cones of black-hole radiation, appear to be associated with star-forming rings or arcs and regions of energized gas.
The team's findings challenge the long-held belief that black holes prevent star formation in host galaxies.
The study utilized a new three-dimensional diagnostic technique to distinguish among star formation, radiation from the active black hole, and excitation by shocks.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has also been instrumental in understanding the early universe, where supermassive black holes and massive stars formed rapidly.
What this adds
The study adds to the understanding of how supermassive black holes influence star formation and shock waves in their host galaxies.
The research suggests that black holes may play a dual role in galaxy evolution, both consuming material and potentially fostering star formation.
The findings challenge previous theories about the formation of the universe and the role of supermassive black holes in early galaxy development.
Background
These findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, suggest that massive clouds of cold gas coalesced at the center of early galaxies and collapsed to form black holes, known as the Direct-Collapse Black Hole (DCBH) scenario.
New research suggests the mysterious Little Red Dots observed by the JWST could be forming supermassive black holes.
What's confirmed
- The colors represent star formation in red, black-hole radiation in blue, and shocks in yellow.
What's still developing
- But studying these bright regions, called active galactic nuclei (AGNs), that are sprinkled across the cosmos can teach astronomers about how stars and galaxies form—and possibly shed light on our Milky Way.
- Their findings, published September 14 in the Astrophysical Journal, suggest that these active regions might promote star formation—contrary to what astronomers have long thought.
- Scientists mapped out the structure of nine bright cores of galaxies located near the Milky Way and revealed common patterns that could shed light on how the universe evolved At the heart of some galaxies lie extremely bright spots— far too luminous to be lit by stars alone.
- Each glowing core outshines the rest of its galaxy combined, thanks to a supermassive black hole that’s devouring matter, pushing out jets and winds, and driving emissions of every type of electromagnetic radiation, from radio waves to gamma rays.
- Perhaps most importantly, they include supermassive black holes, which are thought to play a role in cosmic evolution.
- “In general, people think overall it’s preventing the star formation in host galaxies,” says study lead author Peixin Zhu, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian.
- Thanks to a series of observations made using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, research by Harvard Center for Astrophysics graduate student Peixin Zhu, shows active galactic nuclei (AGN) in nine nearby Seyfert galaxies appear to be associated with star formation.
- “We’re seeing that black holes are not just consuming material at the centers of galaxies, but they’re actively reshaping their surroundings,” said Lisa Kewley, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, director of the Center, and Zhu’s advisor.
- The research allowed them to differentiate sites of star formation from black hole radiation and excitation by shock fronts moving through the galaxy from the black hole through the interstellar medium.
- “The most interesting phenomena about shocks is that they always go perpendicular to where the black hole’s injected outflows go,” Peixin said.
- The black holes at the hearts of galaxies get the credit and/or blame for a lot of things in their hosts.
- For example, they take the blame for gobbling up star-forming material, effectively "quenching" starbirth in some areas of galaxies.