In a remarkable development, scientists have discovered a distant quasar dating back 12.9 billion years, exhibiting unprecedented flickering. This discovery opens new horizons for understanding how massive black holes grew in the early universe.
What is a Quasar?
Quasars are the centers of galaxies containing supermassive black holes and are among the brightest celestial objects due to intense activity within them. These black holes feed on surrounding gas, increasing their mass over time. The movement of gas around the event horizon heats it, causing it to shine brightly.
Fluctuations and Luminosity
Scientists have found that the newly discovered quasar changes its brightness by 2 trillion times compared to the sun, an unprecedented rate. These fluctuations suggest changes in how the black hole is fed by gas, providing insight into the structure of the surrounding accretion disk.
Challenges in Observation
Despite its immense brightness, the quasar is so distant that observing it requires advanced techniques. The light from it has undergone redshift due to the universe’s expansion, making its discovery a significant challenge. Data from the NEOWISE mission, which surveyed the sky for 14 years, was crucial in this discovery.
Implications of the Discovery
This quasar reflects an advanced growth stage of a black hole in the early universe. Typically, the gases around modern quasars are dense and chaotic, but this quasar appears more mature than scientists expected. This discovery supports the theory that supermassive black holes formed and grew rapidly in the early universe.
Conclusion
The discovery of this quasar is a significant step toward a better understanding of how supermassive black holes formed and grew in the early universe. In the future, scientists hope to discover even older quasars using advanced telescopes like James Webb, potentially unveiling more secrets about the universe’s history.