Researchers made magnetic fields very close to the black hole visible

The lines mark the direction of polarization

“This is very important for us. It enables us to better understand how the luminous structures in the vicinity of a black hole are created,” explained Anton Zensus, director at the institute.

Data again from EHT

The data once again come from the “Event Horizon Telescope” (EHT), for which scientists have interconnected various radio telescopes around the world. In 2019, the EHT provided the first image of a black hole – a scientific sensation. Since then, the analysis of the data has continued. Now the EHT observations show the first image of the magnetic field distribution in the bright ring around the so-called shadow of the black hole in the center of M87.

The key to this was provided by the observation that the radio radiation is polarized, i.e. has a non-random direction of oscillation. Polarized radiation is considered by astrophysicists to be a reliable indicator of the presence of magnetic fields.

Better understanding of the jets

Magnetic fields, in turn, play a crucial role in the formation of so-called jets. The reason for this is that black holes absorb large amounts of matter. However, some of this matter does not fall into the black hole, but is shot out into space as super-hot plasma. “If we map the immediate vicinity of the black hole and also understand the magnetic fields, we can ultimately begin to understand how these jets are created,” explained Anton Zensus. “We are measuring something that will be important for the interpretation of the jets.”

In black holes, the mass of a few to several billion suns is compressed into an extremely small region. Due to the immense gravity, not even light can escape from the direct environment, hence the name. Black holes can arise, for example, when burnt-out giant stars collapse under their own weight. The exact origin of supermassive holes like in M87 has not yet been clarified.

(APA / red, Photo: APA / APA (AFP / European Southern Obs.))