Using millimeter-wavelength observations, scientists have created a groundbreaking image that simultaneously depicts both the ring structure of matter falling into the supermassive black hole at the center of the Messier 87 galaxy and its powerful relativistic jet. The collaborative effort involved multiple telescopes, enhancing imaging capabilities to illustrate the relationship between the black hole’s accretion flow and the jet’s emergence. This discovery reveals that the accretion ring is 50% larger than previously captured in shorter radio wavelengths, indicating a more extensive view of the material falling toward the black hole. With advancements from the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA), complemented by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array and the Greenland Telescope, scientists measured the ring’s diameter to be 64 microarcseconds, providing new insights into the black hole’s environment.
Furthermore, the observations uncovered broader radiation signals near the black hole, suggesting additional activity possibly due to turbulent winds. Ongoing observations aim to explore the temporal dynamics of Messier 87, with researchers anticipating advancements in capturing a wider range of wavelengths for improved imaging. These findings enrich our understanding of black hole behavior and the processes occurring in their vicinity.
