Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have made a surprising discovery near a supermassive black hole. The team found a “shock” feature caused by collisions with high-speed gas jets, rather than the expected energy from the black hole itself.
The galaxy ESO 428-G14, located 70 million light-years from Earth, is an active galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its center. The Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS) collaboration used JWST observations to study this phenomenon.
Unlike our galaxy’s quiet black hole, Sagittarius A*, which consumes very little material, ESO 428-G14’s black hole is surrounded by a swirling cloud of gas and dust. This material forms an accretion disk that feeds the black hole, generating immense heat and light.
The dust surrounding active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can obscure our view, but infrared light can penetrate this dust. JWST’s ability to capture infrared images allowed researchers to observe the relationship between the jets and dust near the black hole in ESO 428-G14.
The findings suggest that these jets play a role in heating and shaping the dust, impacting the galaxy’s evolution. Further research into this connection could provide insights into how supermassive black holes influence their surroundings.
This study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, highlights the importance of using advanced technology like JWST to unlock the mysteries of the universe. Researchers are excited about the possibilities of exploring exclusive data and images to deepen our understanding of these cosmic phenomena.
