APOD: The Center of Centaurus A (2010 Nov 07)

[APOD Robot]

The Center of Centaurus A

Explanation: A fantastic jumble of young blue star clusters, gigantic glowing gas clouds, and imposing dark dust lanes surrounds the central region of the active galaxy Centaurus A. This mosaic of Hubble Space Telescope images taken in blue, green, and red light has been processed to present a natural color picture of this cosmic maelstrom. Infrared images from the Hubble have also shown that hidden at the center of this activity are what seem to be disks of matter spiraling into a black hole with a billion times the mass of the Sun! Centaurus A itself is apparently the result of a collision of two galaxies and the left over debris is steadily being consumed by the black hole. Astronomers believe that such black hole central engines generate the radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray energy radiated by Centaurus A and other active galaxies. But for an active galaxy Centaurus A is close, a mere 10 million light-years away, and is a relatively convenient laboratory for exploring these powerful sources of energy.

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[neufer]

The heavily-obscured inner (barred?) spiral disk at 24 μm as shown by the Spitzer IR telescope

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This image of the central parts of Centaurus A reveals the parallelogram-shaped remains of a smaller galaxy that was gulped down about 450 million years ago. The image was made with the SOFI instrument on ESO’s New Technology Telescope at La Silla. By observing in the near-infrared through three different filters (J, H & K) was processed to look through the dust, providing a clear view of the centre.

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Chandra X-Ray view of Cen A showing one relativistic jet from the central black hole

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Centaurus A in submillimeter light by APEX showing the giant radio lobes, powered by the jets. Credit ESO

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[León]

It discussed the shape of the galaxy, the dust is pierced by the jet emitted by the hole, which is certainly a curiosity

[neufer]

It discussed the shape of the galaxy, the dust is pierced by the jet emitted by the hole, which is certainly a curiosity

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Hi León,

You should try to use the img2 or img3 buttons for images wider than 500 pixels.

It takes the same time to load and full resolution just requires one (left) mouse tap.

[orin stepanek]

what can I say! Wow!!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[novapowell@hotmail.com]

has anyone investigated the possibility that the energy that enters into black holes is the selfsame energy described as "dark energy" which is fueling the acceleration of the expansion of the cosmos?

[nstahl]

Thanks for the additional shots and the movie!

Any comments on the prospects for life in a galaxy like that, which I presume is somewhat highly irradiated throughout?

Intuitively this seems to be the result of two galaxies' black holes colliding. Odds are, I guess, we and Andromeda won't meet that end in a few billion years when we collide.

[neufer]

has anyone investigated the possibility that the energy that enters into black holes is the selfsame energy described as "dark energy" which is fueling the acceleration of the expansion of the cosmos?

"Dark matter" is probably swallowed up by black holes.

I wouldn't try to contemplate dark energy/black hole interactions
until I more fully understood dark matter/black hole interactions.

[León]

Hi León,
You should try to use the img2 or img3 buttons for images wider than 500 pixels.
It takes the same time to load and full resolution just requires one (left) mouse tap.

Thanks Neuendorff, in future I will do so.

[León]

has anyone investigated the possibility that the energy that enters into black holes is the selfsame energy described as "dark energy" which is fueling the acceleration of the expansion of the cosmos?

Dr. Eric Verlinde, 48, a respected theoretical physicist and string theory physics professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of Amsterdam, proposed a new theory of gravity, according to the July 12 newspaper New York Times. In the recent report entitled "On the origin of gravity and Newton's Laws," argues that gravity is a consequence of the laws of thermodynamics.
Verlinde's article led to immediate follow-up work in cosmology, the dark energy hypothesis, cosmological acceleration, cosmological inflation, and loop quantum gravity.


I personally think that the dark matter remains trapped in galaxies giving rise to black holes

[Chris Peterson]

has anyone investigated the possibility that the energy that enters into black holes is the selfsame energy described as "dark energy" which is fueling the acceleration of the expansion of the cosmos?

Dark energy is better thought of as a property of space than as a "thing" that can move around. And it works over cosmological distances. Over the tiny scale of a black hole, its density is so small as to be practically non-existent.

There is no reason to think that black holes don't simply increase in mass by absorbing ordinary matter that happens to fall in on them, or which gets trapped in an accretion disc and then falls inwards due to drag. Black holes might also capture some dark matter, but probably not a significant amount compared with ordinary matter.

[novapowelll]

has anyone investigated the possibility that the energy that enters into black holes is the selfsame energy described as "dark energy" which is fueling the acceleration of the expansion of the cosmos?

Dark energy is better thought of as a property of space than as a "thing" that can move around. And it works over cosmological distances. Over the tiny scale of a black hole, its density is so small as to be practically non-existent.

There is no reason to think that black holes don't simply increase in mass by absorbing ordinary matter that happens to fall in on them, or which gets trapped in an accretion disc and then falls inwards due to drag. Black holes might also capture some dark matter, but probably not a significant amount compared with ordinary matter.

evidently i was not lucid enough in the question i have proposed.
what i am asking is, in accordance with the precept that energy/mass is never destroyed, only altered in it's state, when matter/energy falls INTO a collapsing body which eventually becomes a black hole, could it be possible that that "mass/energy" component by translating THROUGH the "hole" into another plane of the cosmos, is actually providing the impetus which we identify as "dark energy" for the expansion acceleration witnessed. The observed "acceleration of expansion" which apppears to have begun approximately 5 billion yrs ago would have been initiated when the cumulative number of collapsed "black holes" having occurred provided sufficient imputus by their energy to overcome the efforts of gravitation to slow the big bangs residual expansion rate.

[Chris Peterson]

evidently i was not lucid enough in the question i have proposed.
what i am asking is, in accordance with the precept that energy/mass is never destroyed, only altered in it's state, when matter/energy falls INTO a collapsing body which eventually becomes a black hole, could it be possible that that "mass/energy" component by translating THROUGH the "hole" into another plane of the cosmos, is actually providing the impetus which we identify as "dark energy" for the expansion acceleration witnessed. The observed "acceleration of expansion" which apppears to have begun approximately 5 billion yrs ago would have been initiated when the cumulative number of collapsed "black holes" having occurred provided sufficient imputus by their energy to overcome the efforts of gravitation to slow the big bangs residual expansion rate.

I'd argue that the idea you suggest is too vaguely stated to be meaningful. It's simply too "what if" to be useful. It needs to be formulated as a proper theory, complete with details of how it fits into existing theory, how it better explains observations than current theory, and what predictions it makes that could be tested. As it is, I don't see how this can be discussed seriously.