Latest news with #XingLu
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Detect "Strange Filaments" at the Heart of Our Galaxy
Researchers have zoomed in on the area surrounding the supermassive black hole lurking at the center of our galaxy, and made a fascinating discovery: a structure of "strange filaments" driving a cycle of gas emissions and replenishment. As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the international team of astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Chilean desert to produce high-resolution observations of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a region known for continuously cycling through copious amounts of dust and gas molecules. However, how these cycles of formation and destruction actually function has largely remained a mystery. But thanks to ALMA's highly detailed map of the region, astronomers discovered a new type of filamentary structure, which reacts to shock waves rippling through the region. "When we checked the ALMA images showing the outflows, we noticed these long and narrow filaments spatially offset from any star-forming regions," said Shanghai Jiao Tong University researcher and team lead Kai Yang in a statement that described the findings as vast "alien structures." "Unlike any objects we know, these filaments really surprised us," he added. "Since then, we have been pondering what they are." The team made the discovery by tracing silicon monoxide (SiO) and eight other molecules in the region, using ALMA. Interestingly, their velocities suggest they're not associated with dust emissions. "Our research contributes to the fascinating Galactic Center landscape by uncovering these slim filaments as an important part of material circulation," said Shanghai Astronomical Observatory research professor and corresponding author Xing Lu. "We can envision these as space tornados: they are violent streams of gas, they dissipate shortly, and they distribute materials into the environment efficiently." In their paper, the researchers suggest the filaments are "associated with parsec-scale shocks, likely arising from dynamic interactions between shock waves and molecular clouds." According to their findings, these shocks bring these slim filaments to life, releasing SiO and several other complex organic molecules, including methanol, into the CMZ. They then dissipate, allowing molecules to freeze back into dust grains, restarting the cycle. The researchers are hoping that future ALMA observations could shed more light on the process to hone in on these filaments' origins. "We speculate that these slim filaments represent a distinct class from the dense gas filaments typically observed in nearby molecular clouds, and they may result from interactions between shocks and molecular clouds," the paper reads. More on the supermassive black hole: Scientists Intrigued by "Star Grinder" Pulverizing Entire Star Systems in Our Galaxy
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers discover space ‘tornadoes' around our galaxy's core
Scientists say they've found 'space tornadoes' swirling in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. While the galaxy's center, including the supermassive black hole Sgr A*, is known to be active and filled with swirling dust and gas molecules, the process has remained mysterious. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array — a group of dozens of radio telescopes in the Chilean desert and the largest astronomical project in existence — astronomers were able to peel back the curtain and sharpen their view of the area. That's how they found the so-called 'tornadoes.' 'We can envision these as space tornados: they are violent streams of gas, they dissipate shortly, and they distribute materials into the environment efficiently,' Xing Lu, a research professor at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, said in a statement. Lu is a corresponding author of the study, which was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. They used the telescope array's high-resolution capabilities to map the narrow bands of light within cold and dense regions at the center of the galaxy. 'When we checked the ALMA images showing the outflows, we noticed these long and narrow filaments spatially offset from any star-forming regions. Unlike any objects we know, these filaments really surprised us. Since then, we have been pondering what they are,' Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Kai Yang, who led the research, explained. What they found do not fit the profile of previously discovered types of dense gas filaments, and it remains unknown how they form. But, they have an idea. It could be due to energetic shock waves, they said, citing the presence of emissions of bright lines and other observations. The findings offer a more detailed view of what happens in the Milky Way's center, and suggest that there's a cyclical process of material circulating there. Shocks would create the tornadoes, releasing gas. Then, they would dissipate to refuel the material that was released. And, the molecules the shocks release would then freeze. The authors of the paper hope that future observations using the array will confirm how the tornadoes are formed.
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Astronomers discover space ‘tornadoes' around our galaxy's core
Scientists say they've found 'space tornadoes' swirling in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. While the galaxy's center, including the supermassive black hole Sgr A*, is known to be active and filled with swirling dust and gas molecules, the process has remained mysterious. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array — a group of dozens of radio telescopes in the Chilean desert and the largest astronomical project in existence — astronomers were able to peel back the curtain and sharpen their view of the area. That's how they found the so-called 'tornadoes.' 'We can envision these as space tornados: they are violent streams of gas, they dissipate shortly, and they distribute materials into the environment efficiently,' Xing Lu, a research professor at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, said in a statement. Lu is a corresponding author of the study, which was published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. They used the telescope array's high-resolution capabilities to map the narrow bands of light within cold and dense regions at the center of the galaxy. 'When we checked the ALMA images showing the outflows, we noticed these long and narrow filaments spatially offset from any star-forming regions. Unlike any objects we know, these filaments really surprised us. Since then, we have been pondering what they are,' Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Kai Yang, who led the research, explained. What they found do not fit the profile of previously discovered types of dense gas filaments, and it remains unknown how they form. But, they have an idea. It could be due to energetic shock waves, they said, citing the presence of emissions of bright lines and other observations. The findings offer a more detailed view of what happens in the Milky Way's center, and suggest that there's a cyclical process of material circulating there. Shocks would create the tornadoes, releasing gas. Then, they would dissipate to refuel the material that was released. And, the molecules the shocks release would then freeze. The authors of the paper hope that future observations using the array will confirm how the tornadoes are formed.
