This black hole is emitting “heartbeats” 100 light years away

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There is a piece foggy within our own galaxy that emits unexpectedly gamma radiation in constant intervals, as if it were a clock. Scientists have now linked these periodic pulses to a “microqamong otherssar ” (probably a black hole) what is found located about 100 light years away, in what has meant an extraordinary observation.

A new investigation published Yesterday in Nature Astronomy describes an unusual relationship where they are involved a cloud of radioactive gas, called Fermi J1913+0515, and a microqamong otherssar, called SS 433, both of the which reside within our Milky Way but they are at a great distance from each other.

The data collected during thisThe last 10 years suggest that both objects are indissolubly connected and working in sync, despite the enormous distance that separates them. The authors of the new paper, header by Jian Li del Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron and Diego Torres from the Institute of Space Sciences, are not entirely sure what is happening or how this microqamong otherssar is causing that kind of beat in the gaseous cloud of gamma rays, beating’ once every 162 days.

Located 15,000 light years from Earth, the SS 433 microquasar is one of the most fascinating places in the galaxy. Is about a binary system consisting of a compact object, probably a black hole or perhaps a star of neutrons, and a heavy star. The assumption black hole weighs between 10 and 20 solar masses (where a solar mass is equal to the mass of our Sun), while the star has a mass of 30 solar masses. Both objects are united and they rotate around each other once every 13 days. SS 433 is a miniature version of a qamong othersnormal sar, a type of cosmic object that envelops much heavier black holes with a mass of millions of solar masses.

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This celestial union generates a series of traces detectable in the form of gamma rays, X-rays, radio waves and gas from hydrogen. The star is pouring much of its matter over the black hole, which results in an intense accumulation of gases.

“This material accumulates in an accretion disk before falling into the black hole, as when the water forms a eddy over a bathtub drain, ”Li explained in a release press. “However, a part of this matter does not fall down the drain but is shot out at high speed in two jets of matter in opposite directions above and below the rotating accretion disk ”.

These jets generate X-rays and gamma rays due to the combined forces of high-speed particles and highly magnetic fields. strong that exist in the binary system. That said, it should be noted that the accretion disk found around the black hole it does not lie perfectly flat along the orbital plane of the two objects.

“SIt swings, like a spinning top that has been placed leaning over a table, “he explained Torres. “How Consequently, the two jets advance spiraling into the surrounding space, rather than just forming a straight line. “

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This precession occurs every 162.25 days. And, as the new research shows, Fermi J1913+0515 emits a gamma ray signal in perfect synchrony with the microquasar, even though it is 100 light years away. Apart from this there is nothing special in this hunk foggy of space, but the data, collected by The telescope Fermi gamma rays from NASA, suggest that the heartbeat of gamma rays is being caused by the microquasar SS 433.

To further complicate matters, matter jets del microquasar, even with esto precession, do not cross the path of Fermi J1913+0515, as we Li explained.

“This is the first time we have seen the result of this observation, and it is something completely unexpected from theoretical models that have been previously published, ”he said.

Li and his companions they are not entirely sure how the microqamong otherssar is affecting this remote gas cloud, but they believe that the protons in the equatorial flux of SS 433 are interacting with the cloud, leading to the emission of gamma rays and that periodicity similar to the heartbeat of a heart.

“To maintain cohesion of the beats, a magnetic tube could be connecting the gas cloud and SS 433, “said Li.

More observations from estobjects and a new theoretical explanation that explains this unexpected hallazgo dthe so-called “magnetic tube” would help advance this investigation. However, one thing is for sure: this little bit of space, located in the constellation Aquila, is now among the most fascinating places in the Milky Way.

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