Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have identified a unique interaction between a black hole's jet and an unidentified object in the galaxy Centaurus A (Cen A), located 12 million light-years away.
Centaurus A hosts a supermassive black hole at its center, which ejects powerful jets of high-energy particles. These jets, influenced by strong gravitational and magnetic fields, extend across the galaxy, making Cen A a prime target for astronomical research.
Deep X-ray imaging revealed a V-shaped X-ray emission, designated C4, near the jet's path. This feature, associated with a bright X-ray source, extends approximately 700 light-years, significantly surpassing the 4 light-years separating Earth from its nearest star.
The object interacting with the jet remains unidentified but is hypothesized to be a massive star or a binary star system. The observed X-rays may result from the collision between the jet's particles and gas from the star's wind, potentially increasing gas density and igniting emissions captured by Chandra.
The distinctive V shape of C4 adds complexity to the findings. One arm aligns with the jet's direction, consistent with turbulence-caused emission, while the other arm's large angle to the jet remains unexplained.
Previous jet-object collisions in Cen A typically appear as elliptical blobs in X-rays, making the V-shaped feature of C4 particularly noteworthy. This unique shape may be influenced by the nature of the object struck or the angle of impact.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, includes contributions from an international team of scientists, including David Bogensberger and Jon M. Miller from the University of Michigan. Their research provides new insights into black hole jets and their effects on cosmic environments.