The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a dwarf black hole feeding on a a rate 40 times higher than previously thought possible. The discovery was made by observing the center of a distant galaxy, where astronomers have spotted this young black hole, called LID-568, which is triggering huge gas ejections.
This observation challenges previous theories about the growth limits of black holes: the phenomenon could explain why some primordial black holes appear much more massive than one would expect given their young age. LID-568 is located in a galaxy that formed about 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, so it is considered relatively young in the 13.8 billion-year-old universe.
“This black hole is having a feast,” said Julia Scharwächter, an astronomer at the International Gemini Observatory and co-author of the research published in Nature Astronomy. “This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism above the Eddington limit is one possible explanation for why we see these heavy black holes so early in the Universe.”
To observe the very distant black hole LID-568, scientists used the Webb telescope’s near-infrared spectrograph (NIRSpec) to detect faint but powerful light from the black hole’s gas emissions. This observation demonstrated that LID-568 exceeded the “Eddington limit”which represents the maximum luminosity and rate of matter consumption theoretically possible for a celestial object.
The Webb telescope, a collaboration between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, is designed to peer into the deep cosmos and reveal new information about the early universe. Its unique capabilities stem from several key features:
- Giant mirror: With a diameter of more than 6.5 meters, Webb’s mirror is 2.5 times larger than that of the Hubble telescope. This allows it to capture more light and observe more distant and ancient objects, dating back a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.
- Infrared vision: Unlike Hubble which primarily observes visible light, Webb is optimized for infrared. This allows it to penetrate cosmic clouds and see much further into the universe. As astronomer Jean Creighton explains: It “lifts the veil” over otherwise obscured regions.
- Exoplanet analysis: Webb is equipped with specialized spectrographs that can analyze the composition of the atmospheres of distant planets, both gas giants and rocky worlds. This could revolutionize our understanding of worlds outside the solar system.
The discovery of LID-568 is just the beginning. Astronomers mean continue to study this exceptional black hole to better understand how he was able to overcome the Eddington limit. With its unprecedented capabilities, the Webb telescope promises to reveal many more secrets of the early universe in the coming years.
Source: www.tomshw.it
