Awakened black hole in J1007+3540 reignites cosmic jets after 100 million years
Awakened black hole in J1007+3540 reignites cosmic jets after 100 million years
Awakened black hole in J1007+3540 reignites cosmic jets after 100 million years
Astronomers have uncovered a rare cosmic event in galaxy J1007+3540. A supermassive black hole at its centre has awakened after nearly 100 million years of silence, reigniting its powerful jets. New radio images reveal a bright, compact jet clashing with the remnants of much older eruptions.
The discovery, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, relied on data from the LOFAR and uGMRT radio telescopes. This system offers a unique chance to study how black holes cycle between active and dormant states over vast timescales.
The black hole's newly activated jets are locked in a turbulent battle with the surrounding galaxy cluster. Dense intracluster gas compresses and bends the jets, forcing them into shorter, wider shapes. Unlike the older, freely expanding plasma, these fresh jets distribute energy more violently through shocks and particle re-acceleration.
A long, faint tail of diffuse emission stretches to the southwest, marking the galaxy's motion through its environment. This wispy trail, millions of years old, shows how past eruptions were sculpted by the cluster's immense pressure. The contrast between the bright inner jet and the distorted older plasma highlights the black hole's intermittent activity.
J1007+3540 stands out because it displays clear signs of multiple eruptions. Its central engine has switched on and off repeatedly, leaving behind layers of radio plasma. Studying this system helps scientists piece together how galaxies grow, shut down, and revive—while also revealing how cosmic environments reshape black hole jets.
The research team now plans to use even more sensitive, high-resolution observations. Their goal is to track how the restarted jets push through the chaotic cluster environment, offering deeper insights into these explosive processes.
This discovery provides concrete evidence of a black hole's long-term behaviour, from dormancy to violent reactivation. By analysing J1007+3540, astronomers can better understand how old radio plasma interacts with hot cluster gas and how jets evolve under extreme cosmic pressures. Further observations will refine models of galaxy evolution and black hole dynamics.