ALMA finds a Swirling, Cool Jet that Reveals a Growing, Supermassive Black Hole

Chalmers-led astronomers have used Alma telescope to make the surprising discovery of a jet of cool, dense gas in the centre of NGC 1377 galaxy 70 million light years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus (the River). The jet, with its unusual, swirling structure, gives new clues to a long-standing astronomical mystery – how supermassive black holes grow.

“We were curious about this galaxy because of its bright, dust-enshrouded centre. What we weren’t expecting was this: a long, narrow jet streaming out from the galaxy nucleus,” says Susanne Aalto. The observations with Alma reveal a jet which is 500 light years long and less than 60 light years across, travelling at speeds of at least 500,000 miles per hour.

A black hole’s presence can be seen indirectly by telescopes when matter is falling into it, ie “accretion.” Jets of fast-moving material are typical signatures that a black hole is growing by accreting matter. The jet in NGC 1377 reveals the presence of a supermassive black hole. But it has even more to tell us, explains Francesco Costagliola (Chalmers): “The jets we usually see emerging from galaxy nuclei are very narrow tubes of hot plasma. This jet is very different. Instead it’s extremely cool, and its light comes from dense gas composed of molecules.”

The jet has ejected molecular gas equivalent to 2 million times the mass of the Sun over a period of only around half a million years – a very short time in the life of a galaxy. During this short and dramatic phase in the galaxy’s evolution, its central, supermassive black hole must have grown fast. “Black holes that cause powerful narrow jets can grow slowly by accreting hot plasma. The black hole in NGC1377, on the other hand, is on a diet of cold gas and dust, and can therefore grow – at least for now – at a much faster rate,” explains team member Jay Gallagher (University of Wisconsin-Madison).

The motion of the gas in the jet also surprised the astronomers. The measurements with Alma are consistent with a jet that is precessing – swirling outwards like water from a garden sprinkler. “The jet’s unusual swirling could be due to an uneven flow of gas towards the central black hole. Another possibility is that the galaxy’s centre contains 2 supermassive black holes in orbit around each other,” says Sebastien Muller, Chalmers.

“Alma’s unique ability to detect and measure cold gas is revolutionising our understanding of galaxies and their central black holes. In NGC 1377 we’re witnessing a transient stage in a galaxy’s evolution which will help us understand the most rapid and important growth phases of supermassive black holes, and the life cycle of galaxies in the universe,” she says. http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/chalmers/pressreleases/alma-finds-a-swirling-cool-jet-that-reveals-a-growing-supermassive-black-hole-1463725?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=Subscription&utm_content=pressrelease