Highlights

• The image was produced using the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA), supplemented by the Atacama
• Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Greenland Telescope (GLT).
• The image shows both the ring-like accretion structure around a black hole, where matter falls into the black hole, and the black hole's associated powerful relativistic jet.
• The image reveals a larger, thicker ring-like structure, indicating that material falling into the black hole generates an observable emission.
• The image also shows that the jet is connected to the accretion flow of the black hole.
• The study was recently published in the journal Nature.

New millimeter-wavelength observations reveal details of the accretion ring and relativistic jet surrounding the black hole at the center of Messier 87. This is the first time such structures have been observed at these wavelengths.

Accretion disks and toruses surrounding central supermassive black holes produce radiation in the radio spectrum. Predominantly thermal and X-ray emission arises from heated accretion disks, and broadband nonthermal synchrotron and Compton (gamma) emissions originate in highly collimated jets of plasma.

In a breakthrough discovery, astronomers have captured the first image of both the accretion ring and relativistic jet of a supermassive black hole. The image, which was taken of the black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy, provides unprecedented insights into the behavior of these enigmatic objects.

The accretion ring is a disk of hot gas that surrounds the black hole. As matter falls into the black hole, it is heated to millions of degrees Celsius and emits radiation. The relativistic jet is a stream of particles that is ejected from the black hole at nearly the speed of light. The jet is thought to be powered by the magnetic field of the black hole.

But new models based on General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic simulations suggest that these asymmetric features are actually the result of an accretion disc that is not fully accreted. The accretion disk is a dense spinning ring that orbits the black hole. Matter within the accretion disk spirals inward because it loses energy to friction as it moves closer to the central object. This friction comes from turbulence and effective viscosity that amplifies magnetic fields in the disk.

Despite this angular momentum loss, the disk must remain inside the tidal force radius of the central black hole. To do this, the accretion disk must contain a thick excretion flow.

The new image was created using the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA), supplemented by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Greenland Telescope (GLT). The GMVA is a network of radio telescopes that are spread around the globe. By combining the data from these telescopes, the astronomers were able to create a high-resolution image of the black hole and its jet.

The image reveals a larger, thicker ring-like structure than what was previously seen. This suggests that the material falling into the black hole is generating more observable emissions than previously thought. The image also shows that the jet is connected to the accretion ring. This suggests that the jet is being launched from the inner regions of the accretion disk.

The new image provides important insights into the behavior of supermassive black holes. It shows that the accretion ring is larger and thicker than previously thought, and that the jet is connected to the accretion ring. This information will help astronomers to better understand the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes.

If I talk about Relativistic Jet, in astrophysics jets are often invoked to do everything from get rid of excess angular momentum in forming stars to reionizing the Universe in active galactic nuclei. The problem is, despite their apparent importance, nobody really understands how these jets work.

One thing that is known for certain is that the hot relativistic jets are not unconditionally stable. Detailed computer simulations show that they can suffer from a process called centrifugal instability, which causes them to destabilize and lose their curved flow, transforming them into turbulent plumes.

However, it is believed that the magnetic field anchored at the jet footpoint can limit this instability, enabling relativistic jets to survive in most cases. This is an aspect of the so-called Penrose mechanism, first proposed by Reva Kay Williams to explain the extraction of energy from a rotating black hole using frame dragging.

The Implications of the Discovery

The discovery of the first image of an accretion ring and relativistic jet has a number of important implications. First, it provides direct evidence of the existence of these structures. Second, it shows that the accretion ring is larger and thicker than previously thought. This suggests that the material falling into the black hole is generating more observable emissions than previously thought. Third, the image shows that the jet is connected to the accretion ring. This suggests that the jet is being launched from the inner regions of the accretion disk.

The new image will help astronomers to better understand the behavior of supermassive black holes. It will also help them to better understand the formation and evolution of these objects. In addition, the image could be used to study the properties of the magnetic field around the black hole.

The Future of Research

The discovery of the first image of an accretion ring and relativistic jet is a major breakthrough in astronomy. It opens up new possibilities for research into supermassive black holes. In the future, astronomers will use the new image to study the behavior of these objects in more detail. They will also use it to study the properties of the magnetic field around the black hole.

The discovery is also likely to lead to new theoretical work on supermassive black holes. Astronomers will need to develop new models to explain the behavior of these objects in light of the new image. This work could lead to a better understanding of the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes.

The discovery of the first image of an accretion ring and relativistic jet is a major milestone in astronomy. It is a testament to the ingenuity of astronomers and the power of modern telescopes. The new image will help astronomers to better understand these enigmatic objects and to answer some of the most fundamental questions about the universe.