Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Recent observations have revealed that a supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy is spinning rapidly, warping spacetime into an oval shape reminiscent of a football, according to a report by Space.com.
Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicted that massive spinning objects can drag spacetime around them, a phenomenon known as "frame dragging."
Determining the spin rate of the 4.1-million-solar-mass black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), has been challenging, but a new method called the "outflow method" has provided valuable insights.
The outflow method measures the flow of material away from the black hole, including magnetically collimated jets of matter and hot clumps of plasma, to gauge the black hole's angular velocity.
Using archival observations from Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array of radio telescopes and NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have determined that Sgr A* is spinning at 60% of the maximum possible velocity.
The rapid spin of Sgr A* suggests that it is capable of emitting powerful collimated jets of radiation, which could have significant implications for its past and potential future activity.
Structures like the Fermi Bubbles, believed to be remnants of past powerful jets emitted by Sgr A*, provide evidence of the black hole's activity and its impact on galactic gas supply.
Measuring the spin of Sgr A* is crucial for understanding its role in shaping the galaxy's gas dynamics and influencing star formation rates.
The study of Sgr A*'s spin offers valuable insights into the interplay between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, shedding light on the broader evolution of cosmic structures.