Supermassive Black Hole emits rare double flash: Scientists revealed the mystery
This rare event has opened up new avenues for studying the mechanics of black holes, offering insights into their interactions with binary star systems.
by Written By: Saumya Nigam · India TVAs per the recent discovery of astronomers, it was witnessed that the extraordinary cosmic event involves a supermassive black hole which is approximately 408 million light-years away. This black hole is situated in the galaxy WISEA J122045.05+493304.7 and consumed one star from a binary star system, which has caused a rare double-flash tidal disruption event (TDE). Unlike most TDEs, which exhibit a single flare, this event, which is named ASASSN-22ci—produced two distinct flashes, which is captivating the scientific community.
What is a Double-Flare Tidal Disruption event?
- The rare double-flare TDE was detected in February 2022 first, as a typical flare.
- However, a second flare, which was observed 720 days later (2+ years), set it apart as an exceptional event.
- Scientists propose that this phenomenon likely resulted from a process called Hills capture, where a supermassive black hole disrupts a binary star system.
In Hills capture events, one star is ejected at high velocity, while the other becomes gravitationally bound in an elongated orbit around the black hole. As a result, the bound star can undergo repeated tidal disruptions, causing multiple flares.
Insights into the Supermassive Black Hole and the Star
Ultraviolet and X-ray data revealed the black hole's mass to be approximately three million times that of the Sun. The disrupted star, likely similar in mass to our Sun, might have narrowly survived its interaction with the black hole. The striking similarity between the two flares suggests that the same star may have been affected twice during its orbital journey.
A third flash predicted in 2026
Astronomers predict that a third flare could occur in early 2026, provided the star endures another close encounter with the black hole. If this prediction holds, it will give researchers a rare chance to study the initial phases of a tidal disruption event (TDE) in unprecedented detail, enhancing our understanding of black hole interactions with stars.
Black hole research: Implications
Scientists are eager to observe the potential 2026 flare, which could provide valuable data to refine existing models of black hole behaviour and tidal disruption phenomena.
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