3-D Observations of the Outflow from an Active Galactic Nucleus

 Astrophysics, Cosmology
feb 192013
 
3-D Observations of the Outflow from an Active Galactic Nucleus

  A Japanese team of astronomers, led by Toru Misawa (Shinshu University), has used the Subaru Telescope to observe a distant gravitationally-lensed quasar (Note 1) and probed an active galactic nucleus in its central region. Looking through multiple sight lines, the astronomers obtained a 3-D view of the quasar and discovered complex small structures inside [continue reading]

Supermassive Black Holes Grow Faster Than Expected

 Astrophysics, Cosmology
feb 132013
 
Supermassive Black Holes Grow Faster Than Expected

  Lurking at the centers of most galaxies are supermassive black holes that can weigh anywhere from one million to one billion times as much as the Sun. New research, published today in the Astrophysical Journal, shows that these black holes are growing at much larger rates than had previously been thought possible. Even the black hole [continue reading]