The newly discovered “Infinity Galaxy” can prove how the ancient super-large black holes were formed
Team of Astronomers have discovered strange figures in the universe. It is two distant galaxies that collide with each other, forming a larger structure. From an Earth perspective, the junction of the disc is similar to the lying number 8, similar to the infinite symbol (∞).
Because of this similarity, researchers based at Yale and Copenhagen University called it the “Infinity Galaxy” and detailed its findings. Astrophysics Journal Letter. Beyond its stimulating shape, the structure intrigues scientists for its content. Its interior may be the first direct evidence of a newly formed, primitive, superwalled black hole.
Images were taken through James Webbspace Telescope And it’s rich with information from Chandra X-ray Observatorythe most powerful X-ray telescope ever created. The light from this galaxy comes from an era when the universe was only 470 million years ago. In the dual-galaxy structure, each can observe at least two integrated black holes at the center of their respective discs (yellow dots in the image below), and the area of compressed gas at the intersection suggests the existence of a supermasive object (green dots).
Scientists suspect they may have seen direct signs of collapsed black holes. Usually, when a star runs out of fuel and collapses under its own gravity, black holes form, but there is an alternative formation phenomenon Discussed in astrophysics– Black holes form through the collapse of giant gas clouds where no stars are formed. This possibility is theorized, but no black holes of this type have been observed yet.
The biggest black hole found in the universe, the super-large black hole, is identified in a galaxy formed just hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang. However, what enabled them to form is not yet fully understood. Many super-large black holes are thought to have been the result of the fusion of smaller black holes. However, in a very old, super-large black hole, the first star in the universe evolved and collapsed into a black hole of star mass, and then there appears to have been no longer enough time. merge To a huge, ultra-high Massive size.
Therefore, some astronomers have proposed an alternative origin for the universe’s first ultra-large black hole. According to this hypothesis, black holes do not need to be formed from stars or arise from mergers. Instead, the theory could have been compressed directly into a giant black hole, densely packed with material that gave rise to the galaxy in other instances. Scientists are currently investigating this scenario, but there is still a lack of conclusive evidence that this happened.
The Infinity Galaxy could provide clear clues about this second formation pathway. “During the collision, these two gases in the galaxy impact the impact and compression. This compression may be enough to form a dense knot. It collapsed into a black hole.” papersaid in his post University website. “Although these collisions are rare events, similarly extreme gas density is considered to be very common in the earliest universe epochs when galaxies begin to form,” added Van Dockham.
Scientists are also considering other, less epic alternatives for what’s going on in the Infinity Galaxy. Rather than being created by the direct collapse of gas, its potential extra black holes (the green spot in the image above) could instead be a sign of a black hole that was driven out of another galaxy as “infinity” passes. Another possible scenario is that this image actually shows a collision between three galaxies, with the third galaxy covered by another large galaxy.
For now, the team says the preliminary results are exciting. “We cannot say that we have found a direct collapsed black hole. However, these new data reinforce the case of newborn black holes, eliminating some of the competing explanations.” For NASA.
This story originally appeared Wired In Spanish Translated from Spanish.