Scientists have detected the largest black hole-launched jet ever seen in the early universe, stretching out for at least 200,000 light-years and twice as long as our galaxy, the Milky Way. The twin-lobed jet was powered by a relatively small supermassive black hole with a mass of 450 million solar masses.
The discovery was made using a network of radio telescopes, including the Low-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) Telescope, which detected the jet’s presence when the universe was just 1.2 billion years old. The team then followed up on the observation with other instruments, such as the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph and the Hobby Eberly Telescope.
According to Anniek Gloudemans, team leader and researcher at NOIRLab, the discovery suggests that smaller black holes or accretion rates may not be necessary to generate powerful jets in the early universe. The finding provides new insights into how supermassive black holes evolve and impact galaxy formation.
The team’s research also revealed that the jet is not a perfect twin, with one lobe being brighter than its counterpart. This could indicate an extreme environment around the supermassive black hole affecting its jets.
Source: https://www.space.com/monster-black-hole-early-universe-jet-twice-milky-way