Black hole initially captured in direct imagery shows significant alterations within a four-year timeframe, according to recent research.
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global network of radio telescopes, has recently expanded its reach with new observatories in Arizona and France. This collaborative effort has been instrumental in capturing unprecedented images of celestial bodies, including the first black hole ever imaged, M87. Located at the heart of the galaxy Messier 87 (M87) and a staggering 55 million light-years from Earth, M87 is a supermassive black hole with a mass over six billion times that of our sun. Spinning at 80% of the cosmic speed limit, it pulls in matter at an incredible pace. Intriguingly, M87's jets, propelled by immense energy and stabilized by magnetic fields, have a significant impact on the galaxy's star formation and energy distribution. Recent observations by the EHT collaboration have shed light on unexpected changes in the magnetic fields surrounding M87. Images of M87 were obtained in 2017, 2018, and 2021, revealing a fascinating pattern. The polarization pattern flipped direction between these images, indicating that the magnetic fields were spiraling one way in 2017, stabilizing in 2018, and then reversing in 2021. Researchers, including Eduardo Ros from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, are currently investigating these changes. They are ruling out additional polarization changes caused by electrons or matter along the line of sight, known as external Faraday rotation. Sebastiano von Fellenberg, a scientist involved in the study, noted that while the polarization has a lot of variability, the total intensity images of M87 remain consistent. The new polarization information provides scientists with valuable data about the structure and strength of the magnetic fields around M87. The team is exploring four possible explanations for the shift: a change in the underlying magnetic field structure, a change in the degree of Faraday rotation, evolving contributions from different emission regions, or a combination of these factors. The magnetic fields at supermassive black holes are situated in a disk of plasma circling the black hole. These magnetic fields spin together into 'magnetic towers' full of incredible energy. The changes observed suggest different states of these properties, providing insights into the structure and strength of the magnetic fields. Interestingly, these changes in the magnetic fields are consistent with theoretical predictions, offering a fascinating confirmation of our understanding of these cosmic phenomena. As research continues, we can expect to uncover more about the enigmatic black hole at the centre of M87.
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