Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
For the first time, a mid-infrared flare from Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, was detected by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Sgr A*, a 4.3 million solar mass black hole, creates a chaotic space with a torus of swirling dust, making it a prime candidate for studying small-scale black hole activity.
Simulations suggest Sgr A*’s flares may result from interactions between magnetic field lines in the accretion disk, releasing energy visible as synchrotron radiation.
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Astrophysicist Joseph Michail explained that mid-infrared observations unlock secrets about cooling electrons, helping confirm theoretical models of flare formation.
The JWST recorded a 40-minute mid-infrared flare, while the Submillimeter Array detected a delayed radio wave flare, supporting synchrotron emission theories.
Despite simultaneous observations, no X- or gamma-rays were detected, likely due to insufficient electron acceleration, emphasizing the need for more data.
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Led by Sebastiano von Fellenberg from the Max Planck Institute, this marks the first mid-infrared detection of Sgr A*’s flares, filling a critical gap in understanding black hole behavior.
Data from JWST, the Submillimeter Array, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and NuSTAR reveal synchrotron radiation from electrons as the likely cause of Sgr A*’s flares.
While mid-infrared findings support magnetic reconnection and turbulence theories, researchers highlight the need for further exploration into Sgr A*’s accretion disk.
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