Scientists Capture Black Hole Waking Up After 100 Million Years

In a rare event, astronomers were able to capture a black hole that appeared to be waking up after laying dormant for 100 million years. Scientists have described the phenomena as that of a 'cosmic volcano' that erupted.

The rare phenomenon was first observed on the radio galaxy J1007+3540 with India's uGMRT telescope. Images captured by the telescope show the black hole erupting like a 'cosmic volcano' with force strong enough to reshape its host galaxy. The black hole is even producing jets of superheated plasma that span almost one million light-years, 10 times wider than the Milky Way.

Evidence of Previous Eruptions

Surrounding the jets of plasma was a ring of old, faded plasma. These are likely the remains of previous outbursts. This suggests the black hole is alternating between quiet and active phases.

'It's like watching a cosmic volcano erupt again after ages of calm,' said lead researcher Dr Shobha Kumari of India's Midnapore City College. Radio imaging by astronomers detected the awakening of the previously dormant black hole, which Kumari described as a 'new birth.'

Scientists from Midnapore City College and the Manipal Centre collaborated on the research. Aside from the uGMRT telescope, they also made use of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) in the Netherlands. Their paper was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The Chaos at the Core

Researchers say that their radio images of the black hole also reveal the hidden evidence of the 'messy, chaotic struggle' that is taking place at the galaxy's core. The black hole lives inside a galaxy cluster filled with hot gas. This produces a constant battle between the power of the black hole and the pressure of the surrounding galaxy as when the new jets of the black hole attempt to escape, they face resistance.

'This dramatic layering of young jets inside older, exhausted lobes is the signature of an episodic AGN – a galaxy whose central engine keeps turning on and off over cosmic timescales,' said Dr. Kumari, referring to the Active Galactic Nucleus.

The outside pressure bends and compresses the jets, especially in the northern region of the black hole, which radio images show to be curved. The surrounding gases, according to the researchers, have also pushed the plasma to one side. This activity is an example of how turbulent space evolution is, according to researchers.

What Comes Next

Scientists now plan to study the galaxy's centre in greater detail to measure how fast the jets spread through the environment. This reawakened black hole can act as a natural laboratory, which could help scientists understand how black holes can influence and regulate their host galaxies.

Supermassive black holes, on the other hand, are ultra-dense cores of dead stars that collapsed in supernova explosions, with masses that are 10 million times larger than the Sun. They also have a very strong gravitational pull that not even light can escape beyond the point of no return which is referred to as an 'event horizon.'

In most galaxies, supermassive black holes are relatively stable, with surrounding matter orbiting at a distance. However, they can feed on the surrounding clouds of gas, making them 'active.' In our own galaxy, the supermassive black hole, also known as Sagittarius A, is currently dormant. However, scientists believe that this black hole could make an eruption similar to what they have just discovered.