Mysterious radio signals detected from black hole 1.8 billion light-years away

Astronomers have detected unusually long-lasting radio signals originating from the supermassive black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy SDSS J110546.07+145202.4, located about 1.8 billion light-years from Earth. The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal, indicates that this black hole's radio emission has remained at a high state for more than eight years, a duration significantly longer than the few days or weeks typically observed.

This black hole belongs to a class known as Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies. These are active galactic nuclei characterized by relatively low-mass and rapidly accreting black holes. In this particular instance, the radio output has surged to more than 20 times its previous brightest state.

Researchers posit that an increase in the accretion rate of material onto the black hole may have triggered narrow jets. These jets expel a portion of the infalling matter along magnetic field lines at near-light speeds. The radio radiation corresponding to this jet is estimated to be approximately 10 quadrillion times more powerful than that of the Sun.

The study, led by Stefanie Komossa from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, combined new observations with archival data across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio to X-rays. This prolonged observation provides valuable insights into the behavior of black holes and their interaction with surrounding matter.