Free Astronomy Magazine March-April 2016

17 MARCH-APRIL 2016 SPACE CHRONICLES red radiation has a direct and vio- lent impact on the entire galaxy. The region around the black hole is at least 100 times more lumi- nous than the rest of the galaxy combined, thus releasing intense yet localised radiation in W2246- 0526 that is exerting tremendous pressure on the entire galaxy. In most other quasars this ratio is much more modest. (This pro- cess of mutual interaction be- tween the central black hole of a galaxy and the rest of its ma- terial is known to astronomers as feedback.) Because of the ex- pansion of the Universe the in- frared radiation from W2246- 0526 is redshifted to longer mil- limetre wavelengths — where ALMA is very sensitive — when it is observed from Earth. “We suspected that this galaxy was in a transformative stage of its life because of the enormous amount of infrared energy,” said co-author Peter Eisenhardt, Project Scientist for WISE at NA- SA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “ALMA has now shown us that the rag- ing furnace in this galaxy is making the pot boil over,” adds Roberto Assef, also from Univer- sidad Diego Portales and leader of the ALMA observations. If these turbulent conditions con- tinue, the intense infrared radia- tion would boil away all of the galaxy’s interstellar gas. Mod- els of galaxy evolution based on the new ALMA data indicate that the interstellar gas is al- ready being ejected from the galaxy in all directions. “If this pattern continues, it is possible that W2246-0526 will eventual- ly mature into a more traditio- nal quasar,” concludes Manuel Aravena, also from the Universi- dad Diego Portales. “Only AL- MA, with its unparalleled reso- lution, can allow us to see this object in high definition and fathom such an important epi- sode in the life of this galaxy.” A rtist impression of W2246-0526, a single galaxy glowing in infra- red light as intensely as 350 trillion suns. It is so violently turbulent that it may eventually jettison its entire supply of star-forming gas, accord- ing to new observations with ALMA. [NRAO/AUI/NSF; Dana Berry / Sky- Works; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)] n