Supermassive black holes launch jets in two phases, researchers report

The short version

• The Guardian reports that Adelle Goodwin and Andrew Mummery used radio telescopes to study 20 tidal disruption events, publishing their research in Nature Astronomy.[The Guardian]
• The researchers identified two jet-launching phases in supermassive black holes, with the first occurring during very rapid feeding.[The Guardian]
• The second phase occurs hundreds to thousands of days after a star is torn apart, when feeding drops to about 2% of the maximum rate.[The Guardian]

Key facts

• Goodwin and co-author Mummery studied 20 tidal disruption events using radio telescopes; the research appeared in Nature Astronomy.[The Guardian]
• The researchers found two jet-launching phases in supermassive black holes, the first during very high feeding rates.[The Guardian]
• The study places the second phase hundreds to thousands of days after stellar disruption, when feeding falls to about 2% of the maximum rate at which a black hole can swallow material.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

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