MIT Astronomers Uncover Earliest Known Flickering Quasar from Cosmic Dawn
MIT astronomers discover the earliest known flickering quasar
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
Image: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
MIT astronomers have identified the earliest known flickering quasar, dating back to 850 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery challenges existing theories about the formation of supermassive black holes by revealing a flat accretion disk, suggesting these black holes matured rapidly in the early universe.
- 01The detected quasar is as bright as 12 trillion suns and flickers by about 20%, fluctuating in brightness by 2 trillion suns.
- 02This quasar's flat accretion disk resembles those of more mature black holes, which is unexpected for such an early cosmic period.
- 03The research was published in Nature Astronomy and involved data from NASA’s NEOWISE mission, which scanned the sky for 14 years.
- 04The findings suggest that supermassive black holes may have undergone rapid growth phases much earlier than previously thought.
- 05The study enhances understanding of how black holes influence galaxy formation and evolution.
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Astronomers from MIT have discovered the earliest known flickering quasar, tracing its light back to just 850 million years after the Big Bang. This quasar, which shines as brightly as 12 trillion suns, exhibits a flickering pattern that provides insights into the structure of its accretion disk, which is unexpectedly flat, similar to those found around older black holes. This finding raises questions about the rapid maturation of supermassive black holes in the early universe, challenging existing theories that suggest they should appear more chaotic at this stage. The research utilized data from NASA’s NEOWISE mission, which monitored the sky for 14 years. The flickering quasar's light fluctuates by about 20%, indicating significant activity around the black hole. The results, published in Nature Astronomy, suggest that the processes that shape black holes were already in place much earlier than previously believed, hinting at a complex early cosmic environment that allowed for the formation of these massive entities.
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