Starship Asterisk*

M87's Central Black Hole in Polarized Light

Explanation: To play on Carl Sagan's famous words "If you wish to make black hole jets, you must first create magnetic fields." The featured image represents the detected intrinsic spin direction (polarization) of radio waves. The polarization is produced by the powerful magnetic field surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of elliptical galaxy M87. The radio waves were detected by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), which combines data from radio telescopes distributed worldwide. The polarization structure, mapped using computer generated flow lines, is overlaid on EHT's famous black hole image, first published in 2019. The full 3-D magnetic field is complex. Preliminary analyses indicate that parts of the field circle around the black hole along with the accreting matter, as expected. However, another component seemingly veers vertically away from the black hole. This component could explain how matter resists falling in and is instead launched into M87's jet.

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Forgive me for being so imprecise here. I'm not much into black holes, but I have read something about the new measurements of the magnetism in the black hole of M87 that I'm too lazy to google.

This is what I think I can remember of what I read. The magnetism in the accretion disk of M87 is so strong that it functions a bit like electron and neutron degeneracy pressure in white dwarfs and neutron stars, i.e., it prevents further collapse.

The ultra-strong magnetism in the accretion disk in M87 may act as a "brake" that prevents matter from falling into the black hole. Some matter does fall in, but a lot more would have been swallowed much faster by the black hole if the ultra-strong magnetism hadn't been there.

Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:32 am Forgive me for being so imprecise here. I'm not much into black holes

That's alright, Ann. None of us here are into black holes. If we were, there'd be no way to communicate with any of you outside the hole!

By the way, this is just my thoughts that aren't based on any science article, but in the Unification theory there are 4 kinds of forces. Gravity which only pulls and 3 magnetic forces that can push and pull equally. A bar magnet is an example. One side pulls and the other side can equally push. I noticed in the picture that the yellow and red colors are divided in half just like a magnet. In the right side the radio waves are clearly being pulled in, while the other side of the yellow the radio waves are pushed away. Is that then proof of the magnetic field?

Ann...What if they were BLUE holes?

sillyworm 2 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:18 pm Ann...What if they were BLUE holes?

Hmm. That would be different.

I might even like them!

Ann

Great sense of humor, Ann

I don't like Black Holes! They're scary!

Ann wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:32 am
This is what I think I can remember of what I read. The magnetism in the accretion disk of M87 is so strong that it functions a bit like electron and neutron degeneracy pressure in white dwarfs and neutron stars, i.e., it prevents further collapse.

The ultra-strong magnetism in the accretion disk in M87 may act as a "brake" that prevents matter from falling into the black hole. Some matter does fall in, but a lot more would have been swallowed much faster by the black hole if the ultra-strong magnetism hadn't been there.

The ultra-strong radial magnetism observed in the outer edge of accretion disk in M87 acts as a "brake" that prevents matter from freely orbiting the black hole.

As the plasma & magnetic field falls closer in to the black hole (as aided by the observed radial magnetism) it will all get more twisted up so as to produce the jets going out of the poles.

The magnetic field acts as a traffic cop directing material in at the equator and out at the poles.

De58te wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:18 am

Ann wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:32 am Forgive me for being so imprecise here. I'm not much into black holes

That's alright, Ann. None of us here are into black holes. If we were, there'd be no way to communicate with any of you outside the hole!

Touché.

De58te wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:18 am By the way, this is just my thoughts that aren't based on any science article, but in the Unification theory there are 4 kinds of forces. Gravity which only pulls and 3 magnetic forces that can push and pull equally. A bar magnet is an example. One side pulls and the other side can equally push.

There is only one magnetic force, which is the electromagnetic force. The other two forces are the strong and weak nuclear forces. As far as I know, the strong force only pulls, and I don’t know what’s up with the weak force.

Cousin Ricky wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:03 pm

De58te wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:18 am

Ann wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 5:32 am Forgive me for being so imprecise here. I'm not much into black holes

That's alright, Ann. None of us here are into black holes. If we were, there'd be no way to communicate with any of you outside the hole!

Touché.

De58te wrote: ↑Wed Mar 31, 2021 10:18 am By the way, this is just my thoughts that aren't based on any science article, but in the Unification theory there are 4 kinds of forces. Gravity which only pulls and 3 magnetic forces that can push and pull equally. A bar magnet is an example. One side pulls and the other side can equally push.

There is only one magnetic force, which is the electromagnetic force. The other two forces are the strong and weak nuclear forces. As far as I know, the strong force only pulls, and I don’t know what’s up with the weak force.

I think the real distinction between the four interactions (a better, more modern term than "force") is that the electromagnetic, weak, and strong are all quantum in nature, mediated by specific particles. Gravity appears otherwise, and is mediated by the curvature of space, not by any particles (according to our current understanding).

Thanks, neufer, for pointing out that nice YouTube video. I have now linked it into the main NASA APOD.
- RJN

I like pecan pie.

The full 3-D magnetic field is complex.

Did no one see how complex the 3d is?


Learning how to post here. I love APOD!

Kimberley Smith

Well - I really enjoy APOD and have loved Boston Terriers for 50 years!
This was an APOD for the ages.