Title: 3D Model Unveils Explanation for Quasars’ Bizarre Feeding Behavior
Subtitle: Astrophysicists use computer simulation to unlock the mystery behind quasars’ disappearing act
Date: [Current Date]
Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the enigmatic behavior of changing-look quasars, thanks to a groundbreaking 3D computer model revealing the erratic feeding patterns of black holes. These findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, shed light on the mesmerizing ability of quasars to rapidly switch their jets of radiation on and off within a matter of months or years.
Quasars, short for quasi-stellar radio sources, are celestial objects situated at the cores of infant galaxies. Typically, these quasars burn an astounding 27 trillion times brighter than our own Sun. The dynamic nature of quasars arises from the interaction between a supermassive black hole and the swirling mass of gas and dust known as the accretion disc.
The conventional understanding among astrophysicists assumed a slow, orderly process of matter crossing the event horizon, much like water spiraling down a drain over a timescale of millennia. However, lead author Nick Kaaz, an astrophysicist at Northwestern University, notes that this assumption was based on the assumption that accretion disks align with the rotation of the black hole. According to Kaaz, “the gas that feeds these black holes doesn’t necessarily know which way the black hole is rotating, so why would they automatically be aligned? Changing the alignment drastically changes the picture.”
Using the 3D computer model, the research team introduced a rotating black hole that was misaligned with its accretion disc. This deviation from alignment triggered a cascade of unique phenomena. Rather than behaving like a spinning pizza base, the accretion disc began to warp and fracture, separating into an inner sub-disc and an outer disc, each tilted at different angles resembling a gyroscope.
The cause behind this disc split lies in the distortion of spacetime due to the black hole’s rotation, a phenomenon known as frame-dragging. As the black hole rotates, it drags the surrounding space and compels it to rotate as well. This frame-dragging effect varies in strength, exerting a more substantial pull on material closer to the black hole and a weaker pull on material farther away, causing the inner disc to rotate faster than the outer disc.
Over time, the twisting of spacetime leads to the inner disc autonomously detaching and forming a separate, smaller disc, which is more susceptible to movement. The “tearing region” where the black hole exerts its dominance becomes a cause for shocks, as the two disks come into contact. Consequently, the outer disk streams down onto the inner sub-disc, accelerating the feeding process into the black hole.
The influx of additional mass propels the inner disk closer to be consumed by the black hole, while the black hole’s gravitational force draws gas from the outer regions, replenishing the inner region. This intricate dynamic might explain the abruptness with which quasars switch their emission on and off, a phenomenon that classical accretion disk theories had failed to elucidate. As Kaaz explains, “the quick brightening and dimming are consistent with the inner regions of the disk being destroyed.”
These findings provide valuable insights into the puzzling nature of quasars and their ability to display such rapid changes in behavior. By defying conventional wisdom and utilizing advanced 3D models, astrophysicists have taken an important step towards unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos.
As scientists delve deeper into the mysteries of the universe, their discoveries continue to astonish and captivate our collective imagination.
Sources:
– The Astrophysical Journal
– Northwestern University