A ring-like accretion structure in M87 connecting its black hole and jet
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 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.

Författare

R.S. Lu

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Chinese Academy of Sciences

K. Asada

Academia Sinica

T.P. Krichbaum

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

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-Gesellschaft

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-Gesellschaft

Kyungpook National University

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

Ivan Marti-Vidal

Universitat de Valencia

José L. Gómez

Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucía (IAA)

Tomohisa Kawashima

University of Tokyo

Feng Yuan

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Eduardo Ros

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Walter Alef

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Silke Britzen

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

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

Universita di 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

Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrońica

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, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium

Jun Liu

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

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-Gesellschaft

T. Savolainen

Aalto-Yliopisto

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Karl Friedrich Schuster

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Zhi Qiang Shen

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Chinese Academy of Sciences

P. de Vicente

Observatorio de Yebes (IGN)

R. Craig Walker

National Radio Astronomy Observatory Socorro

Hai Yang

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Chinese Academy of Sciences

A.J. Zensus

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Juan-Carlos Algaba

University of Malaya

Alexander Allardi

University of Vermont

U. Bach

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

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

Panepistimio Kritis

Idryma Technologias kai Erevnas (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, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium

G. Crew

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Jessica T. Dempsey

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

East Asian Observatory

S. Dornbusch

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Aaron Faber

Western University

Per Friberg

East Asian Observatory

Javier González García

Observatorio de Yebes (IGN)

Miguel Gómez Garrido

Observatorio de Yebes (IGN)

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

Universiteit Leiden

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-Yliopisto

Petri Kirves

Aalto-Yliopisto

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-Gesellschaft

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-Gesellschaft

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

Universidad de Concepción

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 686-690

Onsala rymdobservatorium infrastruktur

Vetenskapsrådet (VR) (2017-00648), 2018-01-01 -- 2021-12-31.

Ämneskategorier

Meteorologi och atmosfärforskning

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

Medicinsk bildbehandling

DOI

10.1038/s41586-023-05843-w

PubMed

37100940

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2023-06-22