X-ray space telescopes measure spin rate of black hole
Posted: Thu, Feb 28, 2013, 7:14 AM ET (1214 GMT)
European and American space telescopes have, for the first time, measured the spin rate of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, finding evidence to support one model of how such black holes accrete matter. ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft observed the galaxy NGC 1365, looking for x-ray emission from iron atoms near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's heart. The joint observations found that the black hole is spinning nearly as rapidly as the theory of gravity will allow. The joint observations support a model where matter flows into the black hole in a uniform matter, causing the black hole's spin rate to increase; if the matter came in irregularly and from different directions, it would rotate more slowly.
European and American space telescopes have, for the first time, measured the spin rate of a supermassive black hole in the center of a galaxy, finding evidence to support one model of how such black holes accrete matter. ESA's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft observed the galaxy NGC 1365, looking for x-ray emission from iron atoms near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's heart. The joint observations found that the black hole is spinning nearly as rapidly as the theory of gravity will allow. The joint observations support a model where matter flows into the black hole in a uniform matter, causing the black hole's spin rate to increase; if the matter came in irregularly and from different directions, it would rotate more slowly.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA astronauts moved from Starliner flights because of delays
Posted: Sun, Oct 10 11:58 AM ET (1558 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, October 15
Jury finds former NASA executive guilty in shooting death of Springfield neighbor
WTOP-FM Washington — 8:23 am ET (1223 GMT) NASA Leadership Visits JPL, Discusses Climate Change and Mars
NASA — 8:23 am ET (1223 GMT) SpaceX rapidly tests, ships Falcon 9 second stage for next NASA astronaut launch
Teslarati — 8:22 am ET (1222 GMT) NASA's Lucy mission will spend 12 years examining Jupiter asteroids with clues to solar system
Houston Chronicle — 8:22 am ET (1222 GMT) NASA Advisor Lucianne Walkowicz Quits Over James Webb Space Telescope
Business Insider — 8:21 am ET (1221 GMT) |
