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A researcher at Michigan State University has detected flickering X-ray emissions from a supermassive black hole in the Andromeda galaxy, using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory—a discovery that offers new insights into the dynamic nature of black holes and their role in galactic evolution.
“Every large galaxy has a supermassive black hole, but how the two are connected remains a puzzle,” said Stephen DiKerby, a physics and astronomy research associate in the College of Natural Science. “While analyzing Chandra data, I was struck by the realization that I was witnessing X-rays from a supermassive black hole switch on and off.”
Black holes, long shrouded in mystery, are not just cosmic threats—they are key to unlocking the secrets of the universe. These massive objects, with millions or billions of times the mass of the sun, compress matter into an incredibly dense space where not even light can escape. As material falls toward them, it heats up dramatically and emits high-energy X-rays, which can be observed by specialized space telescopes like Chandra.
DiKerby, who is also affiliated with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and his collaborators examined 15 years of Chandra data to track the X-ray activity of M31*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Andromeda galaxy. Their findings, recently published in The Astrophysical Journal, shed light on the intricate relationship between galaxies and their central black holes—an essential piece of the puzzle in understanding the universe’s evolution over the last 14 billion years.
The research actually began with neutrinos—tiny, nearly massless particles that travel through space and may originate from extreme cosmic environments like those near black holes. DiKerby and the IceCube team follow these particles across the universe to better understand such systems. The recent Chandra observations revealed that M31* has been in a heightened state since 2006, marked by a major X-ray flare. A second flare in 2013 provided further clues to its behavior.
Using Chandra’s sharp resolution, the team was able to isolate X-ray signals from M31* despite the crowded core of Andromeda, which contains multiple overlapping X-ray sources. DiKerby likened the process to digitally enhancing a forensic image, zooming in to separate the signals from four key sources—S1, SSS, N1, and P2—and ultimately identifying P2 as the precise location of the black hole.
These findings support a recent discovery by IceCube that links neutrino-related flares in distant galaxies to activity from their supermassive black holes. Observing nearby examples like M31* may help researchers identify likely timeframes when neutrinos are produced, improving our understanding of their cosmic origins.
However, the future of this kind of research is uncertain. While Chandra continues to operate effectively, its funding is at risk. The next-generation AXIS telescope is still in development and unlikely to launch before the 2030s.
“If Chandra is shut down, we lose the ability to make these high-resolution observations forever,” DiKerby warned. “It’s crucial that we maintain this capability while preparing for future missions.”
He hopes this new study encourages further exploration of M31* and inspires continued investment in both current and upcoming space telescopes, ensuring the tools needed to probe the mysteries of the universe remain available.
“Every large galaxy has a supermassive black hole, but how the two are connected remains a puzzle,” said Stephen DiKerby, a physics and astronomy research associate in the College of Natural Science. “While analyzing Chandra data, I was struck by the realization that I was witnessing X-rays from a supermassive black hole switch on and off.”
Black holes, long shrouded in mystery, are not just cosmic threats—they are key to unlocking the secrets of the universe. These massive objects, with millions or billions of times the mass of the sun, compress matter into an incredibly dense space where not even light can escape. As material falls toward them, it heats up dramatically and emits high-energy X-rays, which can be observed by specialized space telescopes like Chandra.
DiKerby, who is also affiliated with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and his collaborators examined 15 years of Chandra data to track the X-ray activity of M31*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Andromeda galaxy. Their findings, recently published in The Astrophysical Journal, shed light on the intricate relationship between galaxies and their central black holes—an essential piece of the puzzle in understanding the universe’s evolution over the last 14 billion years.
The research actually began with neutrinos—tiny, nearly massless particles that travel through space and may originate from extreme cosmic environments like those near black holes. DiKerby and the IceCube team follow these particles across the universe to better understand such systems. The recent Chandra observations revealed that M31* has been in a heightened state since 2006, marked by a major X-ray flare. A second flare in 2013 provided further clues to its behavior.
Using Chandra’s sharp resolution, the team was able to isolate X-ray signals from M31* despite the crowded core of Andromeda, which contains multiple overlapping X-ray sources. DiKerby likened the process to digitally enhancing a forensic image, zooming in to separate the signals from four key sources—S1, SSS, N1, and P2—and ultimately identifying P2 as the precise location of the black hole.
These findings support a recent discovery by IceCube that links neutrino-related flares in distant galaxies to activity from their supermassive black holes. Observing nearby examples like M31* may help researchers identify likely timeframes when neutrinos are produced, improving our understanding of their cosmic origins.
However, the future of this kind of research is uncertain. While Chandra continues to operate effectively, its funding is at risk. The next-generation AXIS telescope is still in development and unlikely to launch before the 2030s.
“If Chandra is shut down, we lose the ability to make these high-resolution observations forever,” DiKerby warned. “It’s crucial that we maintain this capability while preparing for future missions.”
He hopes this new study encourages further exploration of M31* and inspires continued investment in both current and upcoming space telescopes, ensuring the tools needed to probe the mysteries of the universe remain available.