Astronomers have been observing a giant black hole at the center of a distant galaxy, which has suddenly begun producing unprecedented bursts of X-ray light. The European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space telescope played a crucial role in studying this phenomenon, known as quasiperiodic eruptions (QPEs).
The black hole, located 300 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo, had been dormant for decades before suddenly “switching on” and producing flashes of X-ray light. Researchers believe that these events are caused by an object interacting with the accretion disc, a hot, bright disk of matter that forms around a black hole.
The unusual characteristics of the black hole’s eruptions have prompted researchers to reconsider their theories about QPEs. The bursts from this giant black hole are ten times longer and ten times more luminous than those observed from typical QPEs, releasing a hundred times more energy.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for astronomers to learn more about black holes and the energetic events they power,” said Erwan Quintin, ESA Research Fellow and X-ray astronomer. “We need more observations to understand what’s happening and how these X-ray flashes are being generated.”
The research team used XMM-Newton and other space telescopes to study the black hole’s behavior in real time, providing a unique insight into the mysterious behavior of massive black holes. The findings have been published in Nature Astronomy and will help scientists better understand black holes and their evolution.
Source: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/XMM-Newton/From_boring_to_bursting_a_giant_black_hole_awakens