Artistic view of multiphase AGN-driven winds highlighting the different stages and scales that are included in the outflow. They are the ultra-fast outflows: area winds that emerge from the surroundings of supermassive black holes and blow at speeds close to that of light. The systems driving this mutual relationship are still inadequately understood, however amongst the crucial ingredients might be the ultra-fast winds emitted by active stellar nuclei.” Supermassive Black Hole Winds in X-rays: SUBWAYS– II. HST UV spectroscopy of winds at intermediate redshifts” by M. Mehdipour, G. A. Kriss, M. Brusa, G. A. Matzeu, M. Gaspari, S. B. Kraemer, S. Mathur, E. Behar, S. Bianchi, M. Cappi, G. Chartas, E. Costantini, G. Cresci, M. Dadina, B. De Marco, A. De Rosa, J. P. Dunn, V. E. Gianolli, M. Giustini, J. S. Kaastra, A. R. King, Y. Krongold, F. La Franca, G. Lanzuisi, A. L. Longinotti, A. Luminari, R. Middei, G. Miniutti, E. Nardini, M. Perna, P.-O.
” These outcomes enable us to develop with higher certainty that a considerable percentage of active stellar nuclei hosts ultra-fast winds called UFOs, ultra-fast outflows,” explains Marcella Brusa, professor at the University of Bologna and INAF partner, as well as organizer of the entire SUBWAYS task. “And we were able to confirm that the intensity of these gas flows suffices to substantially alter the ecosystem of their galaxies.”
In between a supermassive great void and the galaxy that surrounds it, there remains in fact a close relationship that reciprocally influences their development and advancement. The systems driving this mutual relationship are still improperly comprehended, but among the key active ingredients may be the ultra-fast winds given off by active stellar nuclei. These effective emissions develop when part of the gas in the accretion disk is ejected outwards, therefore moving a few of the matter and energy produced to interstellar space, a system that has crucial ramifications for regulating the procedure of star development.
In order to spot UFOs, spectra given off in the X-ray band are analyzed, looking for absorptions produced by the presence of highly ionized materials such as iron. This phenomenon is due to the severe temperatures– up to tens of millions of degrees– produced in the area of supermassive black holes.
” These observations have actually permitted us to get new independent evidence of the presence of extremely ionized matter that is ejected from the innermost regions of active stellar nuclei at speeds near to that of light,” says Gabriele Matzeu, a researcher at the University of Bologna, INAF partner and first author of the paper providing the results on UFOs stats. “These outcomes have actually allowed us to find out more about these ultrafast winds and to much better comprehend their role in forming the advancement procedure of galaxies.”
A buddy paper was likewise published in the journal Astronomy & & Astrophysics that provides a study of lower-velocity and lower-ionization gas streams noticeable in the ultraviolet band thanks to the HST satellite.
” Supermassive Black Hole Winds in X-rays: SUBWAYS– II. HST UV spectroscopy of winds at intermediate redshifts” by M. Mehdipour, G. A. Kriss, M. Brusa, G. A. Matzeu, M. Gaspari, S. B. Kraemer, S. Mathur, E. Behar, S. Bianchi, M. Cappi, G. Chartas, E. Costantini, G. Cresci, M. Dadina, B. De Marco, A. De Rosa, J. P. Dunn, V. E. Gianolli, M. Giustini, J. S. Kaastra, A. R. King, Y. Krongold, F. La Franca, G. Lanzuisi, A. L. Longinotti, A. Luminari, R. Middei, G. Miniutti, E. Nardini, M. Perna, P.-O.
Artistic view of multiphase AGN-driven winds highlighting the different phases and scales that are associated with the outflow. The wind propagates from the central engine (< < 1 pc; a), through the surrounding ISM (1 pc-- 1 kpc; b), out to the limits of the host galaxy (> > 10 kpc; c). SUBWAYS will examine the outflow in its introducing phase, when the gas is extremely ionized, and the presence of fast-moving product can be exposed in X-rays. (figure adjusted from Cicone et al. 2018, Nat. As. 2, 176). Credit: University of Bologna
They are called UFOs, but aliens have absolutely nothing to do with them. They are the ultra-fast outflows: space winds that emerge from the surroundings of supermassive great voids and blow at speeds near that of light. A worldwide research group has actually explored this still little-understood phenomenon, hunting for these gas emissions, which are essential to understanding the systems managing the behaviour of supermassive great voids in their active stage.
The research study project is called SUBWAYS (SUper massive Black hole Winds in the x-rAYS) and the very first outcomes have been published, in 2 documents, in Astronomy & & Astrophysics. The first of these, led by scholars from the University of Bologna and INAF, is mainly based on data gotten from ESAs XMM-Newton area telescope.
The scholars analyzed 22 active galactic nuclei (AGN), i.e. the areas surrounding supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies and emitting enormous amounts of radiations throughout the whole electro-magnetic spectrum when great voids remain in the active phase. The examination showed that in about 30% of the active galactic nuclei analyzed, there are space winds taking a trip at speeds between 10% and 30% of the speed of light.
