X-ray space telescopes measure spin rate of black hole
Posted: Thu, Feb 28, 2013, 7:14 AM ET (1214 GMT)
European and American space telescopes have, for the first time, measured the spin rate of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, finding evidence to support one model of how such black holes accrete matter. ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft observed the galaxy NGC 1365, looking for x-ray emission from iron atoms near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's heart. The joint observations found that the black hole is spinning nearly as rapidly as the theory of gravity will allow. The joint observations support a model where matter flows into the black hole in a uniform matter, causing the black hole's spin rate to increase; if the matter came in irregularly and from different directions, it would rotate more slowly.
European and American space telescopes have, for the first time, measured the spin rate of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, finding evidence to support one model of how such black holes accrete matter. ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft observed the galaxy NGC 1365, looking for x-ray emission from iron atoms near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's heart. The joint observations found that the black hole is spinning nearly as rapidly as the theory of gravity will allow. The joint observations support a model where matter flows into the black hole in a uniform matter, causing the black hole's spin rate to increase; if the matter came in irregularly and from different directions, it would rotate more slowly.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA to launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in September
Posted: Sat, Apr 25 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, April 26
OCCAM Space and The Exploration Company Partner on Separation System for Nyx Capsule
Occam Space — 11:55 am ET (1555 GMT) New simulations reveal the cold, dusty reality of galaxy formation
Netherlands Research School for Astronomy — 11:55 am ET (1555 GMT) MDA Space unveils space control platform MDA Midnight™, designed to defend and protect the space domain
PR Newswire — 11:54 am ET (1554 GMT) Voyager Unlocks Satellite Propulsion Production at Scale
Voyager Space — 11:53 am ET (1553 GMT) Sceye Completes Historic 12-Day, 6,400 Mile Stratospheric Flight, Advancing a New Layer of Infrastructure for Humanity
PR Newswire — 11:51 am ET (1551 GMT) |
