science
Scientists Quantify Energy Output of Black Hole Cygnus X-1 Jets Traveling at Half Light Speed
A new study published in Nature Astronomy has measured the energy produced by the black hole Cygnus X-1, revealing jets that travel at half the speed of light and shine as bright as 10,000 suns. The research combined global radio telescope data to analyze the black hole’s plasma jets.
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Scientists have quantified the energy produced by the black hole Cygnus X-1, according to a study published in Nature Astronomy. The research found that the black hole emits jets traveling at 335 million miles per hour, which is half the speed of light, and these jets shine as bright as 10,000 suns.
Researchers stated that about 10 percent of the energy released as matter falls toward the black hole is carried away by these jets.
Researchers measured the jet streams by combining images captured by radio telescopes around the world. Cygnus X-1, first spotted 60 years ago, is located approximately 7,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. The black hole has a mass roughly 21 times that of the sun and is in a binary orbit with a companion star named HDE 226868, which is nearly twice as large as the sun.
The pair twirl about each other every 5.6 days.
The jets emitted by Cygnus X-1 consist of plasma generated by its accretion disc.
“About 10 per cent of the energy released as matter that falls in towards the black hole is carried away by the jets.”
“We combined images captured by radio telescopes across the world to measure the jet-streams of Cygnus X-1.”
