Scientists find the hungriest black hole EVER detected

by · Mail Online

A newly discovered black hole has been dubbed the 'hungriest' black hole ever detected. 

Scientists from the International Gemini Observatory and NSF NOIRLab say the void, called LID-568, devours matter at a rate 40 times faster than the theoretical limit.

'This black hole is having a feast,' said study co-author Dr Julia Scharwächter.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the researchers were able to observe LID-568 as it was just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.

Even at this early moment in the Universe's formation, scientists saw that the black hole was producing far more X-ray radiation than should be possible for its size.

Its massive appetite could help to explain how some tiny black holes become supermassive so quickly.

Dr Scharwächter says: 'This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism above the Eddington limit is one of the possible explanations for why we see these very heavy black holes so early in the Universe.'

The researchers are now planning follow-up observations with the JWST to further investigate the possible mechanisms at play. 

Scientists have found the hungriest black hole ever which is absorbing matter at a rate 40 times the theoretical limit 
Black holes have a maximum rate at which they can absorb new matter based on their mass. This restriction, called the Eddington limit, is the point at which the force of gravity pulling inwards is balanced against the outward force generated by the heat of matter falling in. Pictured the magnetic fields around Sagittarius A* which show the path of infalling matter 

Scientists believe that every black hole has a maximum rate at which it should be able to absorb new material. 

This is called its 'Eddington limit', named after English astrophysicist Sir Arthur Eddington.

This is the point at which the black hole's inward gravitational force is balanced by the outward force generated by the heat of infalling matter.

If a black hole exceeds this limit, astrophysicists theorised it would become so bright that the surrounding gasses would be blasted away. 

However, when scientists looked at a sample of galactic cores extremely far from Earth, they found that one was glowing with unusual intensity.

While invisible in the visible and near-infrared parts of the spectrum, the ring of material around LID-568 was giving out 4,000 per cent more energy than its Eddington limit should allow.

The researchers believe this might be possible thanks to a number of powerful gas outflows around the centre of the black hole.

Since LID-568 is so faint, the researchers opted to use an instrument called the 'integral field spectrograph' rather than the JWST's usual methods.

While this technique is not as focused, it allows the researchers to measure the spectrum for each pixel in the instrument’s field of view rather than being limited to a narrow slice.

Using a device called an integral field spectrograph, the researchers measured the spectrum of each pixel in the telescope's field of view. This revealed intense jets of gas being emitted from the area around the black hole (illustrated) 

Thanks to this decision, the researchers were able to get a full view of the region around the black hole, revealing unusual outflows of gas leaving the black hole at speeds of 600-500 kilometres per second (310-372 miles per second).

The researchers think these outflows allow a black hole to exceed its Eddington limit by acting as a 'release valve' for the excess energy created during a massive feast. 

This also suggests that the black hole may have gained a substantial part of its mass in a single episode of extremely rapid consumption.

Lead author Dr Hyewon Suh: 'This serendipitous result added a new dimension to our understanding of the system and opened up exciting avenues for investigation.'

1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, the earliest galaxies were already beginning to form and with them came dense the galactic nuclei that are at the heart of all galaxies today. 

Recent observations have shown that many of these faint, dusty nuclei contained supermassive black holes shortly after forming. 

Just like the black hole at the centre of our galaxy, Sagittarius A*, these are incredibly dense points of matter with a mass at least 100,000 times greater than that of our sun. 

Current theories suggest that supermassive black holes form from smaller black hole 'seeds' formed very early in the universe's history.

The researchers think these outflows may have allowed the black hole (pictured) to exceed its Eddington limit as its surrounding galaxy developed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang 
This could explain how supermassive black holes such as the one in the middle of our galaxy became so large shortly after the formation of the universe. Pictured: A NASA composite image showing the swirling gasses surrounding the black hole in the centre of the Milky Way 

Read More

Huge black hole 8,200 times the size of the Sun is discovered in a neighbouring star cluster

These could either be 'heavy seeds' formed by the collapse of vast gas clouds or 'light seeds' created by the death of the Universe's very first stars.

The puzzle for astronomers has been to explain how these seeds grew so quickly into supermassive black holes without exceeding their Eddington limit.

This discovery suggests that some black holes may be able to temporarily exceed this limit during rapid feasts of nearby matter.

Dr Suh says: 'The discovery of a super-Eddington accreting black hole suggests that a significant portion of mass growth can occur during a single episode of rapid feeding, regardless of whether the black hole originated from a light or heavy seed.'