The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a shocking discovery near a supermassive black hole in a distant galaxy. Astronomers used the telescope to image the structure of dust and gas around the black hole in the galaxy ESO 428-G14, located about 70 million light-years from Earth. The findings showed that the energy heating the swirling cloud of gas and dust comes from collisions with jets of gas traveling at nearly the speed of light, known as “shocks.” This goes against previous theories that suggested the energy came from the black hole itself.
The discovery was made by the Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS) collaboration. They used dedicated JWST observations to study the hearts of nearby galaxies. David Rosario, a Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University and a GATOS team member, expressed surprise at the damage caused by the radio jets.
ESO 428-G14 is an “active galaxy” with an active galactic nucleus (AGN) at its center. The AGN emits intense light across the electromagnetic spectrum as the supermassive black hole consumes nearby matter.
Dust structure revealed near black hole
Supermassive black holes are thought to exist at the centers of all large galaxies, but not all are within AGNs. The JWST’s infrared vision allows it to see into the center of AGNs by penetrating the dust that normally blocks visible light. When looking at ESO 428-G14, the GATOS team found that the dust near the supermassive black hole spreads out along its jets.
This suggests the powerful outflows may be responsible for both heating and shaping the dust. Houda Haidar, a PhD student at Newcastle University and a GATOS team member, expressed excitement about working with the exclusive JWST data. “Having the opportunity to work with stunning images before anyone else is beyond thrilling.
I feel incredibly lucky to be part of the GATOS team,” she said. The team’s research, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, represents an important step in understanding how supermassive black hole jets impact their surroundings. It provides new insights into the complex relationship between these powerful cosmic entities and the galaxies they reside in.
