Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals that Sagittarius A* – the “monster heart” of the galaxy containing Earth – has a peculiar gas vent.
Sagittarius A* is the dormant central black hole of the Milky Way galaxy, which is the galaxy that contains Earth.
The peculiar hole recently discovered is located about 26,000 light-years from Earth and is connected to a chimney-like structure previously identified, which is perpendicular to the galactic plane.
According to Sci-News, this finding reveals how Sagittarius A* can consume and expel matter.
Gas Vent – with an enlarged image on the left – discovered on the “chimney” structure of the central black hole of the galaxy containing Earth – (Photo: NASA)
Previously, radio emissions recorded by the MeerKAT radio telescope system located in South Africa indicated the influence of the magnetic field surrounding the gas in the “chimney.”
Using Chandra to take a closer look at this structure, a research team led by Dr. Scott Mackey from the University of Chicago (USA) discovered several X-ray patterns that are nearly perpendicular to the galactic plane.
“We suspect that the magnetic field is acting like the walls of the ‘chimney’, and hot gas is moving through them, much like smoke,” Dr. Mackey said.
Ultimately, they found that this “chimney” structure has a hole at its top.
They believe that the gas vent formed when hot gas rising through the “chimney” encountered cooler gas along its path. The brightness of the gas vent in X-rays is due to shock waves created by this collision.
Researchers suggest that the hot gas likely originates from a series of events involving matter falling into Sagittarius A* and then being ejected from the black hole, moving up along the chimney and escaping through the gas vent.
In other words, this is what is released from the “burp” of the heart of the galaxy containing Earth after meals.
Although in a dormant state, Sagittarius A* still tears apart and devours a star approximately every 20,000 years or more.
Such events lead to the release of powerful energy bursts, most of which will rise through this gas vent and potentially through other holes in the “chimney.”
The particles and energy in this gas vent promise to provide clues about the origins of two mysterious and much larger structures surrounding the galaxy known as Fermi Bubbles and eROSITA Bubble.
“The origins of the Fermi Bubble and eROSITA Bubble are among the greatest mysteries faced by studies of high-energy radiation from the galaxy. We have discovered a small structure that could play a significant role in creating these gigantic bubbles,” Dr. Mackey stated.
Additionally, these peculiar gas vents provide crucial information about explosive activity in the past near the center of the Milky Way, enhancing our understanding of the vast galaxy we inhabit.
