Astronomers have discovered a unique cosmic jet at the heart of a very active galaxy, bearing a striking resemblance to the eye of Sauron from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The discovery was made using 15 years of observations with the Earth-based Very Long Baseline Array and has helped scientists better understand the anatomy of cosmic jets.
The cosmic jet, powered by a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy PKS 1424+240, is unusual in that it moves at roughly a quarter of the speed of light. This is surprising given that blazars are typically associated with high-energy emissions and fast-moving jets. However, the cosmic jet’s slow pace has puzzled astronomers for years.
The unique alignment of the Earth with the galaxy, combined with the use of polarized radio signals, allowed researchers to map out the jet’s magnetic field and structure. The results suggest that the magnetic field may be shaped like a spiral or doughnut, which could play a major role in how the plasma flows out of the blazar.
“This discovery is part of our ongoing efforts to monitor jets in active galaxies,” said Anton Zensus, co-founder of the MOJAVE program. “Our observations are making it real that we can directly connect distant black hole jets to cosmic neutrinos.”
The study, published in August 2023, used a technique called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to connect radio telescopes across the globe and form a virtual telescope roughly the size of the Earth. This allowed researchers to capture high-resolution images of the jet and better understand its properties.
When asked about the discovery, Yuri Kovalev, co-author of the study and astrophysicist at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, said, “We have never seen anything quite like it – a near-perfect toroidal magnetic field with a jet, pointing straight at us.”
Source: https://www.popsci.com/science/eye-sauron-black-hole-space