A recent astronomical study conducted by an international research team, led by Takuma Izumi from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, has provided fascinating insights into the feeding habits of supermassive black holes. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the team observed a supermassive black hole located in the Circinus Galaxy, 14 million light-years away in the Circinus constellation.
The key discovery from these observations is the revelation that only about 3% of the gas flowing towards the supermassive black hole is actually consumed by it. The remaining 97% is ejected and recycled back into the host galaxy. While it has long been known that not all matter that falls toward a black hole is absorbed, determining the exact ratio of matter ingested versus matter ejected has been challenging.
Thanks to ALMA’s high resolution, this research team became the first in the world to measure the inflow and outflow around the black hole on a scale of just a few light-years. They achieved this by examining the flows of gases in different states: molecular, atomic, and plasma.
The study’s results provide valuable insights into the feeding habits of supermassive black holes and the fate of matter drawn into their vicinity. While just a small fraction is directly consumed by the black hole, the ejected outflows are not fast enough to escape the host galaxy. Instead, they are recycled, gradually making their way back towards the black hole. This recycling process highlights the complex and dynamic nature of these astrophysical phenomena.
The findings not only expand our understanding of supermassive black holes and their interactions with surrounding matter but also provide an essential glimpse into the cosmic processes that govern these enigmatic cosmic entities.
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Reference: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231102162529.htm
