Cosmic death rays? Black holes firing power beams that make suns go boom

The jet in question originates from a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center, which has a mass 6.5 billion times that of our Sun.

In Short

• This unexpected phenomenon has left researchers puzzled
• This plasma jet extends for 3,000 light-years
• It travels at nearly the speed of light

Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has made a surprising discovery that challenges our understanding of how supermassive black holes interact with their surroundings.

Astronomers have found that the powerful jet emanating from the core of a massive galaxy appears to be triggering an increased number of stellar explosions called novae along its path.

The study, led by Alec Lessing of Stanford University, revealed twice as many novae occurring near the jet compared to other regions of the galaxy during the observation period. This unexpected phenomenon has left researchers puzzled and searching for explanations.

Novae are explosive events that occur in binary star systems where a white dwarf accumulates hydrogen from its companion star. When enough hydrogen builds up, it triggers a thermonuclear explosion on the white dwarf's surface.

The jet in question originates from a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center, which has a mass 6.5 billion times that of our Sun. This plasma jet extends for 3,000 light-years and travels at nearly the speed of light.

Researchers are considering various hypotheses to explain the increased nova activity near the jet. One possibility is that the jet somehow pushes more hydrogen onto the white dwarfs, causing more frequent eruptions.

Another theory suggests that the jet's light pressure might be influencing the mass transfer rate in these binary systems.

This discovery was made possible by Hubble's unique capabilities, as ground-based telescopes lack the resolution to detect novae in the bright core region of the galaxy.

The finding builds on earlier observations made shortly after Hubble's launch in 1990, which hinted at unusual activity around the black hole.

The study's results, based on a nine-month observing campaign, provide compelling evidence for the jet's influence on the host galaxy's stars. This unexpected interaction between black hole jets and nearby stars opens up new avenues for research and challenges our current understanding of galactic dynamics.