ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

A monster supermassive black hole was surprised feeding on an unusual supper: cold gas

Astronomers used to think black holes feed exclusively on a hot gas and dust, but it seems they sometimes like to go out for ice cream.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
June 9, 2016
in News, Space
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Astronomers stumble upon largest explosion in the universe thus far
The 8 coolest ways the Earth might be destroyed
Astronomers found the oldest supermassive black hole — and they were puzzled by it
Quasars “snack” regularly, instead of “feasting in one gulp”

For the first time, astronomers have caught a black hole red handed gobbling on clumps of cold gas. Both observations and mathematical models suggested that black holes feed exclusively on a hot gas and dust, but it seems they sometimes like to go out for ice cream.

Artist impression of cold gas being consumed by a supermassive black hole. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; D. Berry / SkyWorks; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
Artist impression of cold gas being consumed by a supermassive black hole. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; D. Berry / SkyWorks; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

“The simple model of black hole accretion consists of a black hole surrounded by a sphere of hot gas, and that gas accretes smoothly onto the black hole, and everything’s simple, mathematically,” says Michael McDonald, assistant professor of physics in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “But this is the most compelling evidence that this process is not smooth, simple, and clean, but actually quite chaotic and clumpy.”

Using one of the most powerful telescopes in the world, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA, the astronomers mapped the carbon monoxide signatures in the center of the Abell 2597 Cluster. This massive formation is home to thousands of galaxies and stretches tens of thousands of light-years. Carbon dioxide is often used as a proxy whose presence usually signals cold gas.

The researchers were interested in charting new stars in the Abel Cluster, which is one of the brightest out there and hence easier to study. Cold gas, cooled and condensed out of the diffuse halo of hot gas, eventually gathers in clumps and if the conditions are right, these clumps can collapse to form a new star.

black hole dinner
Credit: B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF); G. Tremblay et al.; NASA/ESA Hubble; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)

So far, so good. It’s pretty standard stellar hunting practice, but what was surprising to see were three very cold gas clumps. The clumps’ shadows were cast against the familiar bright jets spewing from the massive black hole at the center of the galaxy cluster, which can only mean the gas was about to be consumed.

“We got very lucky,” McDonald says. “We could probably look at 100 galaxies like this and not see what we saw just by chance. Seeing three shadows at once is like discovering not just one exoplanet, but three in the first try. Nature was very kind in this case.”

“We’re only seeing this tiny sliver,” McDonald says. “If there are three clouds in just our line of sight, there might be millions of clouds all around. And there’s a tremendous amount of energy in just these three clouds. So if we were to look at this thing a million years later, we might see that the black hole is in outburst—much brighter, with more powerful jets, because all this high-energy material is landing on it.”

The authors believe the cold clumps will likely not stream directly into the black hole. Rather these will be accreted with hot material, revolving around the black hole until dinner is ready. Findings appeared in Nature.

 

Tags: black hole

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

black hole
News

Astronomers Claim the Big Bang May Have Taken Place Inside a Black Hole

byJordan Strickler
7 days ago
News

Astronomers Just Found the Most Powerful Cosmic Event Since the Big Bang. It’s At Least 25 Times Stronger Than Any Supernova

byTibi Puiu
1 week ago
News

We Could One Day Power a Galactic Civilization with Spinning Black Holes

byTibi Puiu
2 months ago
News

Black Holes Might Not Be Cosmic Dead-Ends But Rather the Beginning Of White Holes

byTibi Puiu
3 months ago

Recent news

Science Just Debunked the ‘Guns Don’t Kill People’ Argument Again. This Time, It’s Kids

June 13, 2025

It Looks Like a Ruby But This Is Actually the Rarest Kind of Diamond on Earth

June 12, 2025

ChatGPT Got Destroyed in Chess by a 1970s Atari Console. But Should You Be Surprised?

June 12, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.