Black Holes Found Growing in Young Galaxies |
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Written by spacetravel.org
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Saturday, 23 July 2005 16:33 |
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A team of international astronomers has found direct observational evidence of the simultaneous growth of large galaxies and their black holes. Using the Chandra X-ray observatory, they found galaxies with hot gas swirling around supermassive black holes. They then used the 10-meter diameter Keck telescope to study the galaxies at optical wavelengths. They learned that the galaxies are 10 billion light years away. This means that they are being observed as they appeared when the Universe was only one fourth of its present age. Team member Dr. David Alexander of the University of Cambridges Institute of Astronomy says that the galaxies were forming their stars at a rapid rate, and that X-ray emissions show that their black holes were growing at the same time. Simulations suggest that this process is driven by galaxy collisions. Material is pushed into the galactic centers, which leads to the birth of stars and provides fuel for black holes to expand.
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