An optical image of the spiral galaxy NGC 1068 (Messier 77) overlaid with an insert with the image obtained by the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) at thermal infrared wavelengths (8.7 micrometres). The false-colour image depicts the brightness variation of mostly warm dust surrounding the supermassive black hole in the centre of that galaxy. By comparing the image with previous observations at various wavelengths, the researchers identified the hot and bright disk of gas and dust and the collimated gas jet as their heat sources. The components identified in the image confirm the unified model of active galactic nuclei. © ESO / J. Isbell (UofA, MPIA) / MPIA
A team of astronomers, including Marko Stalevski from the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade, has made a significant breakthrough in understanding active galactic nuclei (AGN) thanks to new observations of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy NGC 1068. Using the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), researchers have obtained the sharpest infrared images of an AGN to date, allowing for a detailed study of the processes occurring near supermassive black holes.
The international research team was led by Dr. Jacob Isbell, a former student at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona. Dr. Marko Stalevski from the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade was also part of the study.
Stalevski led the award-winning BOWIE project, which aims to understand the phenomena occurring in the immediate surroundings of supermassive black holes. The extremely intense processes in these environments can shape the galaxies they inhabit and influence their formation and evolution.
Stalevski contributed to this international research by applying numerical simulations of radiation transfer using the Monte Carlo method, a technique he has extensively worked on within the BOWIE project.
"Even with the world's most advanced telescopes today, images of the gas and dust surrounding supermassive black holes remain insufficiently clear. To understand the processes and physical conditions in these regions, we must compare these images with the results of numerical simulations. Only then can we confidently determine the mechanisms shaping active galactic nuclei," Stalevski said about the study.
Active galactic nuclei are regions at the centers of certain galaxies where supermassive black holes accrete material, emitting enormous amounts of energy. NGC 1068, also known as M77, is one of the closest galaxies with an active nucleus, located about 47 million light-years from Earth.
Observations using the LBT interferometer revealed that light from the accretion disk around the black hole heats the surrounding dust, generating an outward-flowing wind. This process, known as radiation pressure, pushes dust particles away from the galaxy’s center. Additionally, the team identified regions significantly brighter than expected from the accretion disk alone, suggesting the presence of additional heating mechanisms, such as shocks caused by material jets emerging from the black hole’s vicinity.
These findings support the so-called unified model of active galactic nuclei, which proposes that different types of AGN are fundamentally similar structures observed from different angles or with varying levels of activity.
This research represents a step forward in our understanding of the dynamics of material around supermassive black holes and the mechanisms driving energy emission in AGN. Further observations and analyses will help to shed more light on these processes and their impact on galaxy evolution.
The Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade continues to play a crucial role in international space research, contributing to significant discoveries and advancing our understanding of the universe.
The research can be find here:
