An international team of astronomers, led by Dr Efthalia Traianou of Heidelberg University, has captured the most detailed image yet of the galaxy OJ 287, located five billion light years away. The groundbreaking observation reveals a sharply curved, ribbon-like plasma jet emerging from the galaxy’s core – a phenomenon never before seen in OJ 287.
For over 150 years, OJ 287 has intrigued scientists due to its unusual brightness variations, thought to be caused by two supermassive black holes merging at its center. The new image, made possible through a space-based radio telescope and 27 ground observatories worldwide, provides fresh insight into the extreme physics near such black holes.
Some regions of the jet reach temperatures exceeding ten trillion degrees Kelvin, pointing to enormous energy release and dynamic motion. Researchers also traced the formation and collision of a shock wave along the jet, potentially linked to an unusual gamma-ray burst observed in 2017.
The image supports the theory of a binary supermassive black hole system in OJ 287 and offers crucial data on how their motion shapes plasma jet structure and orientation. “Its unique properties make OJ 287 an ideal laboratory for studying black hole mergers and their gravitational wave signals,” said Dr Traianou.
The results, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, were achieved through collaboration between institutions in Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, South Korea, and the United States, with support from multiple research and funding agencies. Read more here.
Image: A new image of galaxy OJ 287 reveals for the first time the sharply curved, ribbon-like structure of the plasma jet emitted from its center. | © Dr Efthalia Traianou, Heidelberg University, IWR