New X-ray eruptions suggest orbiting objects may trigger galactic bursts
In short: Astronomers conducting a systematic search of half the X-ray sky discovered quasi-periodic eruptions in two previously quiet galaxies. These events are high-amplitude bursts of X-ray radiation that recur every few hours near the centers of galaxies. Unlike previous examples, these galaxies showed no signs of active black hole activity, suggesting that these eruptions do not require a standard, pre-existing accretion flow to occur.
The researchers found that the timing and intensity of these bursts do not match current models involving instabilities in an accretion disk. Instead, the data suggests the eruptions might be caused by a smaller compact object orbiting a supermassive black hole. While this study identifies a new class of events, it is limited by the fact that the specific nature of the orbiting objects remains to be confirmed by future observations.
Why it matters: These celestial bursts could be the first electromagnetic signs of objects spiraling into supermassive black holes.
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Sources
- Source: Research: Arcodia et al. (2021). X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions from two previously quiescent galaxies. Nature. · cc-by
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