A ring-like accretion structure in M87 connecting its black hole and jet
Journal article, 2023
The nearby radio galaxy M87 is a prime target for studying black hole accretion and jet formation1,2. Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87 in 2017, at a wavelength of 1.3 mm, revealed a ring-like structure, which was interpreted as gravitationally lensed emission around a central black hole3. Here we report images of M87 obtained in 2018, at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, showing that the compact radio core is spatially resolved. High-resolution imaging shows a ring-like structure of [Formula: see text] Schwarzschild radii in diameter, approximately 50% larger than that seen at 1.3 mm. The outer edge at 3.5 mm is also larger than that at 1.3 mm. This larger and thicker ring indicates a substantial contribution from the accretion flow with absorption effects, in addition to the gravitationally lensed ring-like emission. The images show that the edge-brightened jet connects to the accretion flow of the black hole. Close to the black hole, the emission profile of the jet-launching region is wider than the expected profile of a black-hole-driven jet, suggesting the possible presence of a wind associated with the accretion flow.
Author
R.S. Lu
Max Planck Society
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Chinese Academy of Sciences
K. Asada
Academia Sinica
T.P. Krichbaum
Max Planck Society
Jongho Park
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Academia Sinica
Fumie Tazaki
Oshu
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Hung Yi Pu
National Taiwan Normal University
Academia Sinica
Masanori Nakamura
National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College
Academia Sinica
A. P. Lobanov
Max Planck Society
K. Hada
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Kazunori Akiyama
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Harvard University
Jae-Young Kim
Max Planck Society
Kyungpook National University
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Ivan Marti-Vidal
Universitat de Valencia
José L. Gómez
Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA)
Tomohisa Kawashima
University of Tokyo
Feng Yuan
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Eduardo Ros
Max Planck Society
Walter Alef
Max Planck Society
Silke Britzen
Max Planck Society
Michael Bremer
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Avery E. Broderick
University of Waterloo
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Akihiro Doi
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
G. Giovannini
University of Bologna
Istituto di Radioastronomia
M. Giroletti
Istituto di Radioastronomia
Paul T.P. Ho
Academia Sinica
Mareki Honma
University of Tokyo
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
David H. Hughes
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Makoto Inoue
Academia Sinica
Wu Jiang
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
M. Kino
Kogakuin University of Technology and Engineering
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Shoko Koyama
Niigata University
Academia Sinica
Michael Lindqvist
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Jun Liu
Max Planck Society
A. Marscher
Boston University
Satoki Matsushita
Academia Sinica
Hiroshi Nagai
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
H. Rottmann
Max Planck Society
T. Savolainen
Aalto University
Max Planck Society
Karl Friedrich Schuster
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Zhi Qiang Shen
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Chinese Academy of Sciences
P. de Vicente
Yebes Observatory
R. Craig Walker
National Radio Astronomy Observatory Socorro
Hai Yang
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Chinese Academy of Sciences
A.J. Zensus
Max Planck Society
Juan-Carlos Algaba
University of Malaya
Alexander Allardi
University of Vermont
U. Bach
Max Planck Society
Ryan Berthold
East Asian Observatory
Dan Bintley
East Asian Observatory
Do Young Byun
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
University of Science and Technology (UST)
C. Casadio
University of Crete
Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH)
Shu Hao Chang
Academia Sinica
Chih-Cheng Chang
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Song-Chu Chang
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Chung-Chen Chen
Academia Sinica
Ming Tang Chen
Academia Sinica
R. Chilson
Academia Sinica
Tim C. Chuter
East Asian Observatory
John Conway
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
G. Crew
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Jessica T. Dempsey
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
East Asian Observatory
S. Dornbusch
Max Planck Society
Aaron Faber
Western University
Per Friberg
East Asian Observatory
Javier González García
Yebes Observatory
Miguel Gómez Garrido
Yebes Observatory
Chih Chiang Han
Academia Sinica
Kuo-Chang Han
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Yutaka Hasegawa
Osaka Metropolitan University
R. Herrero-Illana
European Southern Observatory Santiago
Yau De Huang
Academia Sinica
Chih Wei L. Huang
Academia Sinica
C. M. V. Impellizzeri
Leiden University
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Homin Jiang
Academia Sinica
Hao Jinchi
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Taehyun Jung
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
J. Kallunki
Aalto University
Petri Kirves
Aalto University
Kimihiro Kimura
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Jun Yi Koay
Academia Sinica
Patrick M. Koch
Academia Sinica
Carsten Kramer
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Alex Kraus
Max Planck Society
Derek Kubo
Academia Sinica
Cheng-Yu Kuo
National Sun Yat-Sen University
Chao Te Li
Academia Sinica
Lupin Chun Che Lin
National Cheng Kung University
Ching-Tang Liu
Academia Sinica
Kuan-Yu Liu
Academia Sinica
Wen-Ping Lo
National Taiwan University
Academia Sinica
Li-Ming Lu
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
N. R. Macdonald
Max Planck Society
Pierre L. Martin-Cocher
Academia Sinica
H. Messias
European Southern Observatory Santiago
Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA)
Z. Meyer-Zhao
Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
Academia Sinica
Anthony H. Minter
Green Bank Observatory
Dhanya G. Nair
University of Concepcion
Hiroaki Nishioka
Academia Sinica
Timothy Norton
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
George Nystrom
Academia Sinica
Hideo Ogawa
Osaka Metropolitan University
Nature
0028-0836 (ISSN) 1476-4687 (eISSN)
Vol. 616 7958 686-690Onsala space observatory infrastructure
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2017-00648), 2018-01-01 -- 2021-12-31.
Subject Categories
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Medical Image Processing
DOI
10.1038/s41586-023-05843-w
PubMed
37100940