combat-ready black holes are surrounded by disks of material and can spewpowerful jets . These jets , in number , can liberate powerful X - rays . And some of those XTC - rays will shine downwards towards the black hole and disk . In the disk they can get reflected , create anechothat uranologist call X - ray reverberation . Such a signal can be used to do some pretty astonishing science .
Basically , astronomers are looking at the direct photon give off by the super C and then looking at how the same light is reflected off the disc . This reverberation does n’t happen all at the same time because the focal ratio of brightness level is finite . So the reflexion will start in the inmost part of the disk , and the signal will ripple outwards as the tenner - rays from the jet need more prison term to reach the outer parts of theaccretion saucer .
“ imagine of it as a lamppost suspended some distance above the black hollow . This lamppost flash and sends photons out in all direction . Those directly emitted ace will reach us before the ones that spring off the disc to get through us . This is just due to a unlike way of life distance , ” research worker Dr Patrick O’Neill , from the University of Newcastle , distinguish IFLScience .
The X-rays from the jet can reach us directly or be reflected off the disk on paths of different lengths.Image credit: Patrick O’Neill. Background image: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“ But the record is not itself a undivided point , it ’s in reality get some width to it . So not only is this signal lagging behind the direct photons , they are lagging behind as a function of how far it needs to move to the disk to be ponder . ”
The attack is a manner to independently measure out the mass and the aloofness of the contraband hole and it is not affected by the dusty regions in the centre of attention of galaxies , as X - irradiation wing right through them without being absorb . The technique was tested successfully onCygnus X-1 , the first ex - ray source to be recognise as a sinister cakehole .
There are two exciting things that this can be used for . A circumstances of astronomical disastrous hole are get hold above the planets of the Milky Way , as it is easy to spot them where it is not crowded , standardised to the oldest stars . But the pitch-black holes that are there are the lighter ones , those that were given a rush by companion star go supernova . Heavier black trap are to be regain around the center of the Milky Way and by front at theseechoes , the team hopes to recover them .
And stellar - sized black holes do not only exist in the Milky Way . The power to measure distance and mass , without having to vex about the detritus in the room , is also appealing for the field of supermassive black maw at the center of distant galaxies .
“ This can be applied to supermassive pitch-dark kettle of fish really , really far away and we can apply that to probe the elaboration of the universe in a unlike way , ” Dr O’Neill continued .
There is currently amajor tensionin the estimate for the expansion rate of the creation . If you use the cosmic microwave oven background knowledge ( CMB ) , the utmost light that can be keep in the universe , you get one number . If you practice supernovae as standard candles to mensurate the distance of much close – but still aloof – galaxies , you get another bit .
“ This is a new set of standard taper that we can use to probe the Hubble constant that does n’t rely on supernovae or temperature wavering from the CMB , ” Dr O’Neill told IFLScience .
The research was present at theNational Astronomical Meeting 2023 .
