Scientists have discovered the most distant and oldest known blazar, labeled J0410–0139, located 12.9 billion light years away. This finding challenges current theories about supermassive black holes in the early universe. The discovery provides a rare glimpse into what the universe was like when it was less than 800 million years old.
The blazar is detected through its powerful jet of charged particles shooting out in two directions, pointing almost directly at Earth. By observing this alignment, scientists can see deep into the galaxy to near the supermassive black hole and learn more about the jet itself and the black hole. The study’s findings indicate that supermassive black holes in the early universe may have existed in greater numbers than previously thought.
“This observation adds to a body of findings suggesting that supermassive black holes aren’t acting as expected,” said Joe Pesce, NSF program director for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO). “We’re excited to explore these new mysteries and learn more about the universe.”
The discovery is made possible by multiple facilities, including the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The study suggests that supermassive black holes might be more commonplace during the ancient beginnings of the universe than previously thought.
According to Eduardo Bañados, first author of the paper, finding one AGN with a jet pointing directly towards us implies there must have been many others in that period. This discovery could mean hundreds or even thousands of other AGNs from the same era remain unseen, challenging our current understanding of supermassive black holes in the early universe.
Source: https://new.nsf.gov/news/far-out-blazar-discovery-suggests-early-universe-had-more