Study Maps Black Hole-Driven Star Formation in 9 Galaxies, Finding Rings 0.8 to 6 Kiloparsecs Out
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Sep 21
Study Maps Black Hole-Driven Star Formation in 9 Galaxies, Finding Rings 0.8 to 6 Kiloparsecs Out
3 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Sep 21
Summary
Nine nearby galaxies showed the same layout: shocked gas near active black holes and rings or arcs of young stars 0.8 to 6 kiloparsecs from each center.
A new three-axis, pixel-by-pixel test separated light from young stars, black-hole activity and shocks, addressing contamination that can contribute about 35% of hydrogen emission and up to half of oxygen emission.
Very Large Telescope data revealed black-hole-lit gas in opposite cones 1 to 5 kiloparsecs long, while the fastest shocked gas often spread roughly 1 kiloparsec sideways from those outflows.
Chandra X-ray observations of all nine galaxies backed that map, matching active-nucleus regions and hot shocked gas on either side of the cones.
Seven of the nine galaxies also have bars that can form rings without black holes, so the team said stellar motion in the rings will be needed to test whether jets or winds actually triggered the star formation.