Astronomers Discover Hot Gas Bubble Spinning Around Massive Black Hole

Astronomers detected a hot bubble of gas spinning around the Sagittarius A using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

According to research, the ALMA helped astronomers to look into the polarised radio emission from Sagittarius A, showing the magnetic field of a black hole. 

Maciek Wielgus, who led the study, shared that they thought they were looking at a hot bubble of gas spinning around the Sagittarius A in orbit with planet Mercury's similar size.

Wielgus is also from Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany. 

He added that it showed a full loop in around 70 minutes, requiring a velocity of about 30% speed of light.

He is also part of the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, Poland, and the Black Hole Initiative at Harvard University, USA. 

The Astronomy and Astrophysics published the research, which can also be read at ScienceDaily.

Based on the study, the astronomers say that GRAVITY and ALMA data say the flares originated in a "clump of gas" spinning around the blackhole at 30% speed of light.

It is in the clockwise direction of the sky. 

The team also said they hope to look into the gas clumps using EHT.

ALMA

(Photo : by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the NASA, black holes refer to astronomical objects with a strong gravitational pull that even light can't escape.

The research applied observations with theoretical models to unlock the formation of the hotspot and the surroundings and magnetic field present.

The discovery can offer insights into the dynamic environment of the massive black hole and inspire interest in building theoretical interpretations. 

The ALMA in the Chilean Andes is from and co-owned by European Southern Observatory radio telescope (ESO). 

The study noted that the first image of Sagittarius A came because the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) linked the eight existing radio telescopes globally, such as the ELA.

Moreover, Wilgus team looked into the ALMA data recorded with the EHT's Sagittarius observations, unveiling more clues about the nature of the black hole. 

Flares observation

Wielgus explained they saw an indication of orbiting hotspots present in radio observations for the first time. 

He added that the interesting flares were present in X-ray and infrared observations of the Sagittarius A.

The study revealed that the observed flares from X-ray and infrared telescopes are said to be associated with hot gas bubbles orbiting around the black hole.

The new findings in the study can support the idea that flares came from magnetic interactions in the hot gas spinning close to Sagittarius A. 

Also Read: NASA Rover catches Amazing Image of Cat Loaf Rock on Mars. 

Jesse Vos, a Ph.D student at Radboud University, said that the hotspots from the infrared wavelengths could manifest that infrared-emitting hotspots become visible at longer wavelengths as they cool down, which is like the EHT and ALMA observed. 

On the other hand, the research said that the observations could support previous discoveries of the GRAVITY instrument ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT).

Co-author Ivan Marti-Vidal said that they should track hotspots across frequencies with multiwavelength observations using GRAVITY and AlMA, which could present a milestone in the physics of flares in the Galactic center.

Vidal is also from the University of València in Spain. 

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