Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2024

Supermassive black hole appears to grow like ababy star byALMAObservatory Bárbara Ferreira owdosupermassiveblackholesg etsobig?Aninterna-tional team of astronomers,including scientists at the U.S. Na- tional Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) have discovered a powerful, rotating, magnetic wind that theybelieveishelpingagalaxy’scentral supermassive black hole to grow. Most galaxies, including ourownMilkyWay,haveasupermassiv e blackholeattheircenter.Howthese black holes grow remains a mystery to astronomers. A team of scientists chose to study the relatively nearby galaxy ESO320-G030, only 120 mil- lion light years away from Earth.This galaxy is very active, forming stars ten times as fast as our own Milky Way. Astronomers measured light from molecules carried bywinds from the galaxy’s core, hop- ingtotracetheiroriginfromthesu- permassive black hole. ALMA was used to study this light, fromthe wavelengths of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) molecules, hidden within thick layers of dust and gas. ALMA was able to see details and trace movements in the gas,and discovered patterns that suggest the presence of a magnetized, ro- tating wind. While other winds and jets in the center of galaxies push materialawayfromtheircore,as- H ﻣﺠﻠﺔ FreeAstronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ 32 ﺛﻘﺐ أﺳﻮد ﻓﺎﺋﻖ اﻟﻜﺘﻠﺔ ﻨﻤﻮ ﻣﺜﻞ ﻧ ﻢﺻﻐ : ﻘﻠﻢ ﺎر ﺮا ﻓ ﺮا ﻣﺮﺻﺪ ﻣﺼﻔﻮﻓﺔ أﻟﻤﺎ اﻟﺮادﻳﻮي ـﻒ ﻛ ﺗﺼﺒﺢ اﻟﺜﻘﻮب اﻟﺴﻮداء ﻓﺎﺋﻘﺔ اﻟﻜﺘﻠﺔ ؟ اً ﻛﺒ ة ﺟﺪ اﻛﺘﺸﻒ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ دوﱄ ﻣـﻦ ﻋﻠﻤـﺎء اﻟﻔﻠﻚ ﺑﻤﺎ ﰲ ذﻟﻚ ﻋﻠﻤﺎء ﰲ ا ﺮﺻـﺪ اﻟـﻮﻃﻨﻲ ﻟﻌﻠﻢ اﻟﻔﻠﻚ اﻟﺮادﻳﻮي اﻟﺘﺎﺑﻊ ﺆﺳﺴﺔ اﻟﻌﻠﻮم اﻟﻮﻃﻨﻴﺔ اﻷ ﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ رﻳﺎﺣ ﺎً ﻣﻐﻨﺎﻃﻴﺴﻴﺔ ﻗﻮﻳﺔ ودوارة ﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪون أﻧﻬﺎ ﺗﺴﺎﻋﺪ اﻟﺜﻘﺐ اﻷﺳﻮد ا ﺮﻛﺰي ﻓﺎﺋﻖ اﻟﻜﺘﻠﺔ ﰲ ا ﺠﺮة ﻋـﲆ اﻟﻨﻤـﻮ . ﺗﺤﺘﻮي ﻣﻌﻈﻢ ا ﺠﺮات ﺑﻤﺎ ﰲ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﺠﺮﺗﻨـﺎ درب اﻟﺘﺒﺎﻧﺔ ﻋﲆ ﺛﻘﺐ أﺳﻮ د ﻓﺎﺋﻖ اﻟﻜﺘﻠـﺔ ﰲ ﻣﺮﻛﺰﻫﺎ ﻟﻜﻦ ﺗﻈﻞ ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﻧﻤﻮ ﻫﺬه اﻟﺜﻘﻮب اﻟﺴﻮداء ﻟﻐﺰ اً ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻌﻠﻤـﺎء اﻟﻔﻠـﻚ . ﻟﻘـﺪ اﺧﺘﺎر ﻓﺮﻳﻖ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻠﻤﺎء اﻟﻔﻠﻚ اﻟﻘﻴﺎم ﺑ ﺪراﺳﺔ ا ﺠـﺮة اﻟﻘﺮﻳﺒـﺔ ﻧﺴـﺒﻴﺎ ESO320-G030 واﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺒﻌﺪ ﻋـﻦ اﻷرض 120 ﻣﻠﻴـﻮن ﺳـﻨﺔ ﻓ ﺿﻮﺋﻴﺔ ﻓﻘﻂ ﻬﺬه ا ﺠـﺮة ﻧﺸـﻄﺔ ﻟﻠﻐﺎﻳـﺔ ﺗﻘﻮم ﺑ و ﻴ ﺘﺸﻜ ﻞ اﻟﻨﺠﻮم ﺑﴪﻋﺔ ﺗﺒﻠﻎ ﻋ ﴩة ـ أﺿﻌﺎف ﴎﻋﺔ ﻣﺠ ﺮﺗﻨﺎ درب اﻟﺘﺒﺎﻧﺔ وﻗـﺎس اﻟﻔﻠﻜﻴﻮن اﻟﻀﻮء ا ﻨﺒﻌﺚ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﺎت ا ﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺤﻤﻠﻬﺎ اﻟﺮﻳﺎح ﻣﻦ ﻧﻮاة ا ﺠﺮة ﻋﲆ أﻣﻞ ﺗﺘﺒﻊ ﻣﺼﺪرﻫﺎ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺜﻘﺐ اﻷﺳـﻮد ﻓـﺎﺋﻖ اﻟﻜﺘﻠـﺔ ــــ ﺗـﻢ اﺳـﺘﺨﺪام ﺔ ﻣﺼـﻔﻮﻓ ﻣﺮﺻـﺪ أﺗﻜﺎﻣـ ﺎ ا ﻠﻴﻤﱰي / ﺗﺤﺖ ا ﻠﻴﻤﱰي اﻟﻜﺒـ ) ﻣﺮﺻـﺪ ( أ ﺎ ﻣﺮﺻﺪ أ ـﺎ ﻟﺪراﺳـﺔ ﻫـﺬا اﻟﻀـﻮء ﻣـﻦ اﻷﻃـــﻮال ا ﻮﺟﻴــﺔ ﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌــﺎت ﺳــﻴﺎﻧﻴﺪ اﻟﻬﻴﺪروﺟ ) HCN ( دا ﺧﻞ ﻃﺒﻘﺎت ﺳﻤﻴﻜﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻐﺒﺎر واﻟﻐﺎز وﺗﻤﻜﻦ ﻣﺮﺻـﺪ أ ـﺎ ﻣـﻦ رؤﻳﺔ اﻟﺘﻔﺎﺻﻴﻞ وﺗﺘﺒـﻊ اﻟﺤﺮﻛـﺎت ﰲ اﻟﻐـﺎز واﻛﺘﺸـﻒ أﻧﻤﺎﻃـ ﺎ ﺗ ﺸـ إﱃ وﺟـﻮد رﻳـﺎح ﻣﻤﻐﻨﻄــﺔ ودوارة ﺑﻴﻨﻤــﺎ ﺗﻘــﻮم اﻟﺮﻳــﺎح واﻟﻨﻔﺎﺛــﺎت اﻷﺧــﺮى ا ﻮﺟــﻮدة ﰲ ﻣﺮﻛــﺰ ـــــــ - ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺃﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ 2 0 2 4