Active supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies absorb surrounding matter with their strong gravity to form an accretion disk, ejecting particles in a direction perpendicular to the disk, forming a ‘jet’ and shining brightly. Among them, the direction of the jet toward the Earth is called ‘Blazar’ because the light source overlaps and shines brighter.
However, how the high-energy particles in the jet are accelerated and shine brightly has been a mystery for the past 40 years. At the end of last year, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) co-produced with the Italian Space Agency (ISA) and deployed ‘X-ray polarization measurement’ in an orbit 600 km above the equator. I was able to take off the veil through the image probe’ (IXPE).
According to NASA and scientific media, an international research team led by Dr. Jannis Liodakis of the ‘Finland Astronomy Center’ published a study in the scientific journal ‘Nature’ ( published in Nature).
The research team observed the blazar of the ‘Markarian 501’ galaxy in the constellation of Hercules, about 457 million light years away from Earth.
Markarian 501 is a large elliptical galaxy with a central supermassive black hole 1 billion times the mass of the Sun and 200 times the mass of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole in our galaxy.
IXPE is the first space telescope capable of measuring X-ray polarization, and through this, the research team secured data that could not be obtained before, such as the direction of the electric field of X-ray light.
The research team observed Markarian 501’s blazar twice with IXPE in March, collecting and comparing information on other wavelengths of light using terrestrial and space radio, optical, and infrared telescopes.
Although other wavelength polarizations of blazars have been observed before, this is the first time that X-ray polarizations emitted in close proximity to the particle acceleration source have been observed.
Boston University astrophysicist Dr. Alan Macher, co-author of the paper, explained in this regard, “Adding X-ray polarization to radio, infrared, and optical polarization has become a game changer.”
Through this process, the research team confirmed that although X-ray light is more polarized than visible light or radio waves, the direction of polarization is the same for all light wavelengths and the same as the jet direction. It was found to be most consistent with the scenario.
These shockwaves are formed when an object moves faster than the speed of sound in the surrounding matter, just as a supersonic jet makes an explosion when it breaks through the speed of sound in the atmosphere. The research team explained that it was created when it collided with a slow cloud.
The research team analyzed that these shock waves create a magnetic field, which acts as a huge particle accelerator, accelerating electrons in a new direction and emitting X-ray light.
“What we’ve identified is a 40-year-old mystery,” said Dr. Liodakis. “Finally we have all the puzzle pieces and the picture that fits is clear.”
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