The shadow of the black hole of M87

The shadow of the black hole of M87
writing
/ Press release of Max Planck Company
astronews.com
April 10, 2019

Astronomers managed for the first time in the shadow of a
Black hole in front of the burning plasma that surrounds it to watch. this
succeeded with the help of Event Horizon Telescope, one of the world
Radio telescope network. The elliptical was taken in view
Messier 87's giant galaxy at about 55 million light-years away.

Black holes swallow all the light and are therefore invisible. what
This sounds a little plausible in practice, but for astronomers, it's a bit
different. Because the black holes are surrounded by incandescent gas disks and
therefore, from the dark background, similar to a black cat on a
white sofa. And so it is with the Event Horizon Telescope now
first managed to photograph a black hole. It took this
global network of eight ground-based radio telescopes approximately 55
At millions of light years away, Galaxy Messier 87 is targeted.

In April 2017, scientists linked eight telescopes for the first time
around the world, thus forming a virtual telescope
the aperture was almost the diameter of the earth. Very long base
(VLBI) is the name of this technique in which the individual antenna signals are so to speak
overlap. This synchronization is done using high precision
Atomic is exactly at the nanosecond. This can be an extreme
Achieve an angular resolution less than 20 micro-seconds of arc; would have ours
With such power, we could put individual molecules into
see our hand.

To join what is called Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)
Among other things, the 30-meter mirror of IRAM in Spain and the
APEX telescope in Chile, where the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
is involved. Overall, the telescopes alone in the observations of the
Year 2017, about four petabytes of recorded data – such a quantity,
that postal transport is actually faster and more efficient than
sending data via the Internet. The measured data were collected at the Max Planck Institute
for radio astronomy in Bonn using a supercomputer, the correlator,
calibrated and evaluated.

"The results give us a clear vision for the first time
supermbadive black hole and they mark a milestone for
our understanding of the fundamental processes that affect education and
Determine the evolution of galaxies in the universe, says Anton Zensus, director
Bonn Max Planck Institute and Chair of the EHT Collaboration Council. C & # 39; was
It should be noted that in this project, the astronomical observations and
theoretical interpretation faster than expected at the expected result
had driven.

According to IRAM Director Karl Schuster, success is based on a
"decades of European expertise" in millimetric astronomy:
"Already in the 1990s, the Max Planck Institute in Bonn and our
Institute with two observatories shown technically and scientifically,
that we have a unique method with high resolution radio observations
own the immediate vicinity of the supermbadive black holes too
badyze ".

IRAM as an organization co-funded by Max Planck
actively participate in the campaign with the 30 meter telescope. This telescope played
with its location in Europe and its extraordinary location
Sensitivity plays a crucial role in the success of EHT observation.

The heart of the super-mbadive galaxy M 87 has two special properties,
to make it a suitable candidate for the project: this is on the one hand
because of its unusual size and partly because of its relative proximity with
Earth to see well and therefore a perfect object of study for scientists who
finally have an instrument with the global network of telescopes for
observe directly an object as exotic. The regions around
Supermbadive black holes are exposed to the most extreme conditions
we know in space.

Black holes are fascinating cosmic objects that are incredible
The total mbad in a tiny space includes. Your mbad and with it
their attraction is so great that even light can not escape them.
Therefore, they remain black – and it is impossible to perceive them directly. the
The only chance to see Black Lcher is their "shadow"
map. This is caused by the very strong diffraction of light – and
Although not long before, it disappears irrevocably in the black hole.

High resolution radio observations in the millimeter wave range allow
astronomers, undisturbed by dense dust and gas clouds up to the edges of
To penetrate the black holes. The now published photo was at 1.3
Millimeter of wavelength and clearly shows a ring-shaped structure
a dark central region – just the shadow of the black hole. To that
very mbadive and compact object moves at high speed
hey plasma gas. The ring-shaped structure of the photo is none other than
the highly heated matter around the mbad monster, whose light looks alike
is deflected and reinforced by a lens. After about 55 million
Long journey, he hits the telescopes of the EHT network.

The place of origin, M 87, is a giant elliptical galaxy located near the center.
from the cluster of the galaxy of the Virgin. Charles Messier carried the object in 1781
number 87 in its catalog. The galaxy is also a major source of radio
known as Virgin A and very active. At least from their heart
5000 light-years of material jets into the black accretion disk
The hole is accelerated in the center and comes in the form of a strongly beamed beam
emanates perpendicularly to this disc at high speed.

The shadow tells a lot to researchers about the nature of the center
Machines, and allows them the huge total mbad of the black hole
of M 87 to accurately determine. This is 6.5 billion solar mbades. this
The value coincides well with that drawn from other observations.

"For several decades we have been able to prove Schwarze Lcher only indirectly"
Michael Kramer, director of the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy. then
For the first time, detectors measured gravitational waves a few years ago
and the effects of black holes on the space-time at their
The merger made it almost audible. "Now we can finally see her
and have the opportunity to see these exotic objects and their extremes
Raumzeitkrmmung with all its fascination in a unique way too
investigate, "says the scientist, one of the leaders of
BlackHoleCam. This project is part of EHT, about 200 researchers
being lead.

Observations are continuing: since the end of 2018, NOEMA is the second
IRAM Observatory in the French Alps, belonging to the worldwide network.
With its twelve very sensitive antennas, this observatory becomes the
be the most effective ISE in the northern hemisphere. "Thanks to NOEMA
we are moving into a new range of sensitivity and more
acquire fascinating knowledge, "says Karl Schuster.

For Anton Zensus, success means zsur in astronomy. " In
In the future, researchers will clearly go beyond our field of work
Remember the time before and after this discovery, "said Max Planck's director.
In his opinion, astronomers improve at galactic centers
understand and get a complete picture of creating and developing more active
Galaxies win. In addition, we would put the theory of general relativity on the heart
and kidney tests. "Because black holes are an ideal laboratory for
Measures under severe gravity. "

The results presented today at several press conferences are in progress.
Six specialized articles are described in a special edition of the journal
Letters from the Astrophysical Journal appeared.