Black hole jets imaged in submillimeter range

[Martin]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128074617.htm

 

A picture of the jets has been made in 870 micron wavelength, call it infrared light if you want. This is a first.

AFAIK earlier detection of the jets or polar lobes of a quasar have only been seen by radioastronomy---or at longer wavelengths.

 

I'd like to hear more about this, if anybody has more information.

 

The BH jets are interesting. I don't think the mechanism is entirely understood. Rotating magnetic field makes a long twist of line at either pole. Charged particles follow fieldlines.

As stuff spirals in it gets compressed and hot and ionizes and some of the charged particles rather than fall in to the BH follow field lines and escape up the long twisties. Something like that. Explain different if you know better:D

[NowThatWeKnow]

Very interesting but with a lot of unknowns. I wonder if these massive black holes may be another source for heavy elements in the galaxy. It would seem there would be plenty of pressure and energy for developing them and the jets could disperse it.

[Airbrush]

Could black hole jets create and distribute heavier elements? Maybe so, quasar jets are so powerful that they can be seen from 13 Billion LY away 13 Billion years ago. Those incredibly bright yet compact areas may be as energetic as a supernova and certainly more energetic than nuclear fusion.

 

"A super-massive black hole would have to consume the material equivalent of 10 stars per year. The brightest known quasars devour 1000 solar masses of material every year." That is 2.7 solar masses per day.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasar

Edited February 13, 2009 by Airbrush