Scientists Measure Power and Speed of Black Hole Jets for First Time
An international research team has achieved a significant scientific milestone by measuring the instantaneous power and speed of jets emanating from a black hole for the first time. The study focuses on Cygnus X-1, a black hole-star system located approximately 7,200 light-years away, which was the first black hole ever identified more than fifty years ago. The findings reveal that the jet power is equivalent to that of 10,000 suns, demonstrating immense energy output. Additionally, the researchers tracked the speed of these jets, recording velocities of roughly 540 million kilometers per hour (355 million miles per hour), which is approximately half the speed of light. This breakthrough provides crucial insights into the behavior of black holes and the extreme physical conditions surrounding them. The results were reported by the team on Thursday, marking a major advancement in astrophysics and our understanding of high-energy cosmic phenomena. The discovery highlights the capabilities of modern observational techniques in capturing real-time data from distant celestial objects.
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Scientists Measure Power and Speed of Black Hole Jets for First Time
An international research team has achieved a significant scientific milestone by measuring the instantaneous power and speed of jets emanating from a black hole for the first time. The study focuses on Cygnus X-1, a black hole-star system located approximately 7,200 light-years away, which was the first black hole ever identified more than fifty years ago. The findings reveal that the jet power is equivalent to that of 10,000 suns, demonstrating immense energy output. Additionally, the researchers tracked the speed of these jets, recording velocities of roughly 540 million kilometers per hour (355 million miles per hour), which is approximately half the speed of light. This breakthrough provides crucial insights into the behavior of black holes and the extreme physical conditions surrounding them. The results were reported by the team on Thursday, marking a major advancement in astrophysics and our understanding of high-energy cosmic phenomena. The discovery highlights the capabilities of modern observational techniques in capturing real-time data from distant celestial objects.
News - South China Morning Post