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| Quasar J0742+2704, discovered in 2020 to have a newborn jet, caught astronomers' attention due to its surprising spiral shape, as quasars with jets are typically elliptical. This suggests that quasar jets may not require major galaxy mergers to form, as previously thought, and could instead be triggered by less dramatic galaxy interactions. |
The night sky has always been a vital tool for navigation, from ancient ocean voyages to today’s reliance on GPS. Now, beyond the stars, the United States Navy is turning to quasars as celestial beacons. These distant galaxies, which host supermassive black holes surrounded by fiery gas disks and powerful material jets, offer potential for navigation in deep space.
A new discovery by aspiring naval officer Olivia Achenbach of the United States Naval Academy is shedding light on the quasar J0742+2704, revealing unexpected features that challenge current astronomical understanding. Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope during a four-week internship, Achenbach stumbled upon something no one anticipated: a spiral-shaped quasar, which is unlike the traditional elliptical formations typically seen in older, massive quasars.
"The biggest surprise was seeing the distinct spiral shape in the Hubble images. At first I was worried I had made an error," said Achenbach, who was working under the guidance of astronomer Kristina Nyland at the Naval Research Laboratory.
Astronomers have long understood quasars to be remnants of galactic mergers, often forming elliptical shapes after massive galaxies collide. However, quasar J0742+2704 defies these expectations. With a central black hole more than 400 million times the mass of the Sun and newly detected jets that were previously undetectable, the discovery is “extremely rare and exciting,” Nyland said.
This anomaly plays into ongoing debates within the astronomy community about the origins of quasar jets, which are believed to suppress star formation within their host galaxies. While some astronomers think quasar jets are a result of galaxy mergers, J0742+2704 challenges that hypothesis. The spiral shape of the host galaxy hints at an alternative pathway for the formation of quasar jets.
Intriguingly, the Hubble images also suggest that J0742+2704 may be interacting with another galaxy. One of its spiral arms shows signs of distortion, possibly a tidal tail, indicating gravitational interaction. Additionally, a nearby galaxy with a ring structure may provide clues about the possible interaction that triggered the quasar's young jets.
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| Hubble's observations suggest potential galaxy interactions around quasar J0742+2704, including a distorted tidal tail and a nearby ring galaxy, indicating that gravitational forces may be at play. Further analysis and follow-up with other telescopes will help confirm the galaxies' distances and their impact on each other. |
"This discovery is just the beginning," said Nyland. "We are looking forward to more detailed analysis using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and ALMA in Chile to uncover more about this quasar."
Achenbach is optimistic that future research will continue to reveal groundbreaking insights. "If we had looked at this galaxy just a decade ago, we would have seen a fairly average quasar," she said. "This just goes to show that with continuous observation, unexpected discoveries can lead us down entirely new paths."
This discovery underscores the enduring power of space telescopes like Hubble, which continues to reshape our understanding of the cosmos after over three decades of operation. A collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, Hubble remains at the forefront of astronomical research, with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center managing the mission.
As Achenbach and Nyland's research progresses, the Hubble Space Telescope’s findings are poised to offer more insights into the dynamic and ever-changing universe.
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