In the great spectacle of the universe Blazers They are real fireworks, because They emit light across the entire electromagnetic spectrumFrom radio waves to high-energy gamma rays. They are capable of production Photons are a billion times more powerful than X-rays Used in X-rays in hospitals.
Of about 7000 Gamma ray sources Already found, more than half correspond to Blazers. You Blazers They are therefore central pieces for studying the universe at high energies, and can be used as laboratories to explore the most extreme phenomena in nature.
But after all, What is the origin of this phenomenon? Very surprising?
A rare phenomenon and a window into the past
In the universe there is black holes They have a mass greater than a billion suns, and they live in the centers of the largest known galaxies. These are called black holes “supermassive”They are real cosmic factories. While absorbing gas and dust inside galaxies, A A disk of material subjected to intense frictionwhich becomes Extremely hotAnd reaching the plasma state. In fact, this mechanism Converts gravitational energy into light emissionleading to the creation of extremely bright astrophysical objects, quasars.
some Quasars fire jets of particles from regions very close to the black hole. In extreme cases, particles have so much energy that they move at speeds approaching the speed of light. The physical mechanisms that produce these powerful jets remain a mystery. A mystery to modern physicsBut it is thought that they may be related to the intense twisting of the magnetic field caused by the rapid rotation of the plasma around the black hole.
This image, in pink, represents the radio wave emission associated with the Hercules A galaxy, overlaid on a visible light image from the same area of the sky. Two jets of material, diametrically opposite each other and facing Earth, are projected from the center of the galaxy. Jets can have dimensions much larger than the dimensions of the galaxy they generate.
Sometimes, these flows are directly aligned with the Earth, resulting in a strange and wonderful phenomenon we know as Blazers. You Blazers they Rare phenomenaBecause it is unlikely that the jets will be perfectly aligned with the Earth. for every Jacket Observed here from Earth, there are thousands of other supermassive black holes producing jets directed in other directions. You Blazers match Only for those planes that hit usAnd it is produced in our skies An amazing astrophysical spectacle.
Some quasars fire jets of particles from very close to the black hole. In extreme cases, particles have so much energy that they move at speeds approaching the speed of light.
One of the rare ones Blazers It is marked here with a yellow arrow, and is located in a giant elliptical galaxy, visible in the constellation Ursa Major. The two bright light sources in the image are stars in our galaxy.
High gloss Blazers Allow See them from long distances. Studying them is like opening a window into the distant past of the universe. They help us understand how galaxies have evolved throughout the history of the universe, and allow us to investigate the role black holes play as they devour matter at the centers of galaxies. (Learn more about this topic: Active galaxies: where matter encounters cosmic monsters)
The key to the secrets of modern physics
You Blazers It may also be the key to solving some of the greatest mysteries of modern physics, e.g The origin of ultra-energy particles found in so-called cosmic rays, which reaches the ground. The possibility that Blazers Whether they are the source of these mysterious particles is the subject of intense research. One of the most recent developments concerns the neutrino observatoryice Cubelocated in Antarctica, in Antarctica.
IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
The universe is permeated by a constant rain of Subatomic particles known as NeutrinosWhich are particularly difficult to detect because they interact little with matter. Using IceCube, we were able to detect high-energy neutrinos. One of the questions we are trying to answer through this observatory is: “What powerful cosmic processes could produce it?” You Blazers They appear as natural candidates to answer this question. Thanks to its powerful, high-energy jet directed directly at us Blazers It has the ability to produce particles that reach incredible energy levels.
Recent work published in the journal Sciences Created The relationship between neutrinos and Jacket TX0506+056This is a fact that has had a major impact on the community of scientists in the field of particle physics, or more specifically, in the field of physics. Astronomical particles. This relationship suggests that jets of particles launched by black holes at extreme velocities may also contain… Protons, in addition to electronswhich was already taken for granted in these aircraft.
This discovery is considered historic. It saves First evidence of a concrete origin for high-energy neutrinos,It also strengthens the connection, which was previously assumed ,between Blazers And very high-energy stellar particles.
Headlights in the dark…and how they get us home
Quasars and Blazers They are the true titans of the universe, with a show Energy and lightWhich tests our ability to imagine, beyond our everyday experience.
Its scientific importance goes beyond mere observation. As we have seen, their high-energy emissions shed light on the most mysterious and powerful processes in the universe, thus shaping… Central topics of study in modern physics.
A diagram showing how only when the disk of matter surrounding a black hole is oriented “facing” Earth is intense light from the plasma at its center visible like a quasar.
How important Blazers And quasars for life on Earth? In reality It affects us directly. Its extremely remote location and precise luminosity make it an absolute reference in space, and it is used in various applications such as Measuring the movements of Earth's tectonic platesIt is useful for future earthquake predictions and GPS satellite navigation.
You Satellites Which makes up the Global Geolocation Network, or so-called Global Positioning SystemIt uses quasars to determine its location in space relative to the Earth. Thus, the light that was emitted billions of years ago helps us travel and find our paths.
Indeed, these sources bring us home, providing a humbling reminder of how deeply connected we, as modern technological beings, are to the universe around us.
Its extremely remote location and precise brightness make it an absolute reference in space, where it is used in applications as diverse as measuring tectonic movements or satellite navigation.
About the author
Bruno Arseoli, researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (Amnesty International(Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon)Science ULisboa). His research involves analyzing emissions in different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum to reveal the physical processes occurring in the most energetic objects in the universe.
“Wannabe internet buff. Future teen idol. Hardcore zombie guru. Gamer. Avid creator. Entrepreneur. Bacon ninja.”
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