Scientists Find Energy Jets Among the Universe's Largest Structures
2024-09-26
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1Scientists say they have found the largest jets of energy ever observed shooting out of a black hole in a distant galaxy.
2The jets extend 23 million light years from end to end.
3That is about 140 times the width of our Milky Way Galaxy.
4The galaxy responsible is estimated to be 7.5 billion light years from Earth.
5The scientists observed the structures using the Low-Frequency Array, or LOFAR, radio telescope network centered in the Netherlands.
6Violent, highly energetic events around a black hole in the galaxy are the cause of the jets.
7A black hole is often the remains of a super-massive star that collapses.
8It is so massive that even light cannot escape its powerful gravity.
9Researchers have named the energy jets Porphyrion after a giant in ancient Greek mythology.
10Porphyrion is 30 percent longer than any other known energy jet.
11Martijn Oei of Caltech is an astrophysicist and lead writer of the study published in Nature.
12Oei said, "Jet systems like Porphyrion appear to be among the most energetic spectacles that have occurred in the universe since the Big Bang."
13The Big Bang is the event that scientists say marked the beginning of the universe.
14Astrophysicist Martin Hardcastle of the University of Hertfordshire in English was also a writer of the study.
15He explained how scientists believe the jets formed.
16"The general understanding is that jets are formed when magnetized material falls onto a rotating black hole," he said.
17He said the jets "need to be sustained by a continued infall of matter into the black hole, something on the order of one solar mass (the mass of the sun) a year of material."
18However, although they are huge, the jets cannot be seen in visible light. Scientists used radio telescopes to find them.
19They start small and grow over time, the scientists say.
20"We've known for a while that black holes can generate these jets.
21But what is interesting is that to generate a large structure like this, the jets must stay on for a long time - about a billion years," Hardcastle said.
22The Porphyrion jets reach far beyond their home galaxy.
23Their total output of energy is equal to trillions of stars like the sun.
24Oei said that amount of energy is similar to when two clusters of galaxies crash into one another, each containing thousands of galaxies.
25Hardcastle said the discovery could increase knowledge of magnetic fields in the universe.
26He said: "The fact that it extends so far from its parent black hole means that it may be carrying energy, particles and magnetic fields into the voids in the cosmic web..."
27Such jets also could heat up gas in interstellar space, suppressing the formation of new stars or could damage planets that could hold life, the researchers said.
28Scientists say our Milky Way Galaxy has a black hole at its center, but it does not have a jet, and it is not active.
29However, the researchers noted that the most important finding of the study might be that black holes can create some of the largest structures in the universe.
30"This means that individual black holes can have a sphere of influence that extends way beyond the galaxy in which they reside," Oei added.
31I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
1Scientists say they have found the largest jets of energy ever observed shooting out of a black hole in a distant galaxy. 2The jets extend 23 million light years from end to end. That is about 140 times the width of our Milky Way Galaxy. The galaxy responsible is estimated to be 7.5 billion light years from Earth. 3The scientists observed the structures using the Low-Frequency Array, or LOFAR, radio telescope network centered in the Netherlands. 4Violent, highly energetic events around a black hole in the galaxy are the cause of the jets. A black hole is often the remains of a super-massive star that collapses. It is so massive that even light cannot escape its powerful gravity. 5Researchers have named the energy jets Porphyrion after a giant in ancient Greek mythology. Porphyrion is 30 percent longer than any other known energy jet. 6Martijn Oei of Caltech is an astrophysicist and lead writer of the study published in Nature. Oei said, "Jet systems like Porphyrion appear to be among the most energetic spectacles that have occurred in the universe since the Big Bang." 7The Big Bang is the event that scientists say marked the beginning of the universe. 8Astrophysicist Martin Hardcastle of the University of Hertfordshire in English was also a writer of the study. He explained how scientists believe the jets formed. 9"The general understanding is that jets are formed when magnetized material falls onto a rotating black hole," he said. 10He said the jets "need to be sustained by a continued infall of matter into the black hole, something on the order of one solar mass (the mass of the sun) a year of material." 11However, although they are huge, the jets cannot be seen in visible light. Scientists used radio telescopes to find them. They start small and grow over time, the scientists say. 12"We've known for a while that black holes can generate these jets. But what is interesting is that to generate a large structure like this, the jets must stay on for a long time - about a billion years," Hardcastle said. 13The Porphyrion jets reach far beyond their home galaxy. Their total output of energy is equal to trillions of stars like the sun. 14Oei said that amount of energy is similar to when two clusters of galaxies crash into one another, each containing thousands of galaxies. 15Hardcastle said the discovery could increase knowledge of magnetic fields in the universe. 16He said: "The fact that it extends so far from its parent black hole means that it may be carrying energy, particles and magnetic fields into the voids in the cosmic web..." 17Such jets also could heat up gas in interstellar space, suppressing the formation of new stars or could damage planets that could hold life, the researchers said. 18Scientists say our Milky Way Galaxy has a black hole at its center, but it does not have a jet, and it is not active. 19However, the researchers noted that the most important finding of the study might be that black holes can create some of the largest structures in the universe. 20"This means that individual black holes can have a sphere of influence that extends way beyond the galaxy in which they reside," Oei added. 21I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 22Will Dunham reported this story for Reuters news agency. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. 23________________________________________ 24Words in This Story 25jet -n. a forceful rush of liquid, gas, or vapor especially through a narrow opening 26mythology -n. ancient stories of a culture which are often the source of names in astronomy and other sciences 27astrophysicist -n. a scientist who studies stars and their physical and chemical qualities 28spectacle -n. something that is seen that creates wonder and amazement 29rotate -v. to turn (around an axis or center) 30generate -v. to create electromagnetic, electric or heat energy 31cluster -n. a number of related objects that form a group and which influence each other in some ways 32void -n. emptiness 33reside -v. to be in, on or at a place 34We want to hear from you. 35Our comment policy is here.