Black Hole Activity Observed: Matter Ejected at 20% Light Speed

Recent observations of the supermassive black hole NGC 3783 have revealed a significant outburst of matter being ejected at speeds reaching 20% of the speed of light, according to an international team of astronomers led by SRON.

During a focused 10-day observation primarily using the XRISM space telescope, researchers noted a phenomenon where gas was expelled from the black hole's accretion disk at astonishing speeds of approximately 60,000 kilometers per second.

The ejection, which coincided with variations in X-ray brightness, is believed to be driven by a sudden change in the magnetic field, a process known as magnetic reconnection, rather than the previously understood mechanisms of intense radiation or heat.

This event marks the first clear observation of high-speed ejection occurring concurrently with an X-ray burst, providing crucial insights into black hole dynamics and their role in cosmic evolution. The findings, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, underscore the importance of collaborative efforts among various space missions, including XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, Hubble, Chandra, Swift, and NICER, in advancing our understanding of these enigmatic entities in the universe.