July 6, 2016

Lost Satellite Revealed Black Hole Stirring Cosmic Brew, Thwarting Star Formation

Before Hitomi died, it sent back X-ray data that explain how turbulent motions may prevent cooling of hot gas.

This image illustrates how supermassive black holes at the center of galaxy clusters could heat intergalactic gas, preventing it from cooling and forming stars. The black hole inflates bubbles (dark areas) of ultrahot, ionized gas, or plasma. The bubbles, which reach tens of thousands of light-years into space, drag gas (blue clouds) from the cluster center, explaining long streaks of gas, or filaments, seen in optical images. In the outer regions, the bubbles cause turbulence, which heats the gas. The hot gas emits bright X-rays detected by X-ray satellites. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

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