Astronomers’ Discovery of Magnetic Fields at Milky Way’s Central Black Hole
A recent image released by astronomers unveils strong magnetic fields spiralling at the edge of the Milky Way’s central black hole. This breakthrough comes from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, showcasing the organised magnetic fields surrounding the supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*).
Similarity to Black Hole in M87 Galaxy
Researchers note that this new perspective of the colossal entity residing at the core of the Milky Way galaxy exhibits a structure remarkably akin to the black hole located in the center of the M87 galaxy. These findings imply that robust magnetic fields could be a common feature among all black holes.
Insights from University College London’s Dr Ziri Younsi
Dr Ziri Younsi from University College London, a co-author and member of the EHT collaboration, expresses excitement about the polarised images of the black hole within our galaxy. The observations shed light on the magnetic fields enveloping the black hole, enhancing our capacity to model accreting black holes in the future.
“The polarisation structure of Sgr A* closely resembles that of the M87 black hole, known for its relativistic jet. This study hints at the potential presence of a jet concealed near the event horizon of Sgr A*,” Dr Younsi explains.
Revealing the Image in Polarised Light
For the first time, the image captured in polarised light displays orange swirls encircling the black hole, reminiscent of the Eye of Sauron from JRR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings. Polarised light, in contrast to normal light, involves electric and magnetic fields vibrating in a single plane, enabling astronomers to discern intricate details within black hole regions.
Global Effort and Collaborative Research
The EHT collaboration comprises over 300 researchers from various continents, striving to attain the most detailed black hole images ever assembled through a virtual Earth-sized telescope. By connecting eight telescopes worldwide, including the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) in northern Chile, the collaboration observed Sgr A* in 2017.