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
|
|
Report outlines cost growth in canceled NASA exploration programs
Posted: Sat, Jun 27 11:14 AM ET (1514 GMT) Perseverance Mars rover finds more potential biosignatures
Posted: Sat, Jun 27 11:12 AM ET (1512 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, July 2
President Meloni receives ESA astronaut Parmitano
Government of Italy — 3:05 am ET (0705 GMT) China-Europe Earth observation cooperation moves toward greater complementarity: ESA official
Xinhua — 3:04 am ET (0704 GMT) Launch Date Confirmed for Seven GRUS-3 Earth Observation Microsatellites
Axelspace — 3:03 am ET (0703 GMT) Blue Origin Doubles Down On Return To Flight This Year
Aviation Week — 3:00 am ET (0700 GMT) The SpaceX IPO tells one story. Here is the more important one.
Space News — 2:58 am ET (0658 GMT) |
