Latest news with #IMBHs
The Irish Sun
02-08-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Watch monstrous black hole GOBBLE up a star before Earth-shattering explosion in incredible new Nasa clip
WATCH the shocking moment a rare black whole gobbles up a star and causes an earth-shattering explosion in a stunning new Nasa clip. 5 Researchers have created an animation showing the moment a black hole ripped apart a star Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI 5 The event triggered a massive explosion Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI The animation shows the rare moment that the suspected intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) HLX-1 ripped apart the According to Live Science, IMBHs are hard to spot and often confused with clusters of smaller black holes left over from collapsed stars. Researches also think they may hide behind small groups of stars that closely orbit them without being ripped apart. Tech news Therefore, the best way to spot an IMBH is indirectly, by measuring the masses of merging black holes or by catching them in the act consuming a star. In a study published April 11 in By combining data from the and 's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the study team believes they have spotted a bright flash, or "tidal disruption event," caused by the black hole devouring a neighbouring star. However, as with many other IMBH candidates, it is not 100% certain that HLX-1 is real. Most read in Tech In addition to being rare, IMBHs are important because of what they can tell us about other black holes. Yi-Chi Chang, a researcher at the National Tsing Hua University, said: "They represent a crucial missing link in black hole evolution between stellar mass and supermassive black holes." UK-led plan to build hypersonic plane that flies on edge of space at 4,000mph going from London to NYC in 60mins One theory is that they may start as large stellar-mass black holes and eventually grow into supermassive black holes over the course of billions of years. In a search for answers, astronomers are now on the lookout for more potential tidal disruption events on the edges of other galaxies. All you need to know about the planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the 5 HLX-1 is located on the outskirts off NGC 6099 galaxy Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI 5 Astronomers are on the lookout for more disruption events of this kind Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI 5 The black hole devoured a neighbouring star Credit: NASA, ESA, Ralf Crawford (STScI
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A dozen black holes may be 'wandering' through our galaxy — and they're the rarest type in the universe
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Milky Way has millions of small black holes and one giant supermassive black hole at its center. But does the galaxy have any medium-sized black holes? New research suggests the answer is yes: Perhaps a dozen may inhabit the Milky Way, but they are wandering freely through space and are fiendishly difficult to detect. For decades, researchers have wondered about the prevalence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). Certainly, every galaxy is capable of producing an enormous number — roughly a handful every century — of small black holes with masses of up to 100 or so times that of the sun. And it appears that when galaxies like the Milky Way first arrived on the cosmic scene, they already had companion supermassive black holes in their hearts. Our own supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, has a mass of 4.5 million suns. But what about the IMBHs? Theoretically, they should have masses of 10,000 to 100,000 solar masses. Finding IMBHs — or disproving their existence — has enormous implications for our understanding of black hole growth and evolution. But so far, there have been only faint, sketchy hints of IMBHs residing in dwarf galaxies, and no direct evidence that they live in a galaxy like the Milky Way. In April, a team of researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland explored whether our current simulations of the universe could conclusively predict if the Milky Way hosts a population of IMBHs. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Related: Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This James Webb Space Telescope discovery might blow your mind Galaxies do not grow up alone. Instead, they develop through the cannibalization of their neighbors, by incorporating their stars — and any black holes — within their volumes. The Milky Way has consumed over a dozen dwarf galaxies, and probably many more, in its long history. Presumably, some of those dwarf galaxies held IMBHs. But the common assumption was that large black holes tend to slink down the centers of their host galaxies, where they go on to merge with the central supermassive black hole. RELATED STORIES —Physicists create 'black hole bomb' for first time on Earth, validating decades-old theory —James Webb Space Telescope finds a wild black hole growth spurt in galaxies at 'cosmic noon' —Has the James Webb Space Telescope discovered a 'missing' supermassive black hole? (video) Through their models, the researchers saw a different story unfold. They used a simulation of the evolution of a Milky Way-like galaxy and found that it can contain somewhere between five and 18 "wandering" IMBHs, which are not located near the central core but are left to roam within the disk of the galaxy. The exact number of IMBHs depends on whether they are born near the core of a soon-to-be-consumed dwarf galaxy or in its outskirts. Although the researchers were heartened to find that the Milky Way should host a population of IMBHs, they urged caution in interpreting their results. They could not conclusively state what masses these black holes should have or where they would ultimately reside. So, while the new research strongly hints that IMBHs are out there, we do not yet know where to look.
Business Mayor
22-05-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
A dozen black holes may be 'wandering' through our galaxy — and they're the rarest type in the universe
The Milky Way has millions of small black holes and one giant supermassive black hole at its center . But does the galaxy have any medium-sized black holes? New research suggests the answer is yes: Perhaps a dozen may inhabit the Milky Way, but they are wandering freely through space and are fiendishly difficult to detect. For decades, researchers have wondered about the prevalence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). Certainly, every galaxy is capable of producing an enormous number — roughly a handful every century — of small black holes with masses of up to 100 or so times that of the sun. And it appears that when galaxies like the Milky Way first arrived on the cosmic scene, they already had companion supermassive black holes in their hearts. Our own supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*, has a mass of 4.5 million suns. But what about the IMBHs? Theoretically, they should have masses of 10,000 to 100,000 solar masses. Finding IMBHs — or disproving their existence — has enormous implications for our understanding of black hole growth and evolution. But so far, there have been only faint, sketchy hints of IMBHs residing in dwarf galaxies, and no direct evidence that they live in a galaxy like the Milky Way. In April, a team of researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland explored whether our current simulations of the universe could conclusively predict if the Milky Way hosts a population of IMBHs. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Related: Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This James Webb Space Telescope discovery might blow your mind Cannibal galaxies Galaxies do not grow up alone. Instead, they develop through the cannibalization of their neighbors, by incorporating their stars — and any black holes — within their volumes. The Milky Way has consumed over a dozen dwarf galaxies , and probably many more, in its long history. Presumably, some of those dwarf galaxies held IMBHs. But the common assumption was that large black holes tend to slink down the centers of their host galaxies, where they go on to merge with the central supermassive black hole. Through their models, the researchers saw a different story unfold. They used a simulation of the evolution of a Milky Way-like galaxy and found that it can contain somewhere between five and 18 'wandering' IMBHs, which are not located near the central core but are left to roam within the disk of the galaxy. The exact number of IMBHs depends on whether they are born near the core of a soon-to-be-consumed dwarf galaxy or in its outskirts. Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. Although the researchers were heartened to find that the Milky Way should host a population of IMBHs, they urged caution in interpreting their results. They could not conclusively state what masses these black holes should have or where they would ultimately reside. So, while the new research strongly hints that IMBHs are out there, we do not yet know where to look.
