科学家在三重星系并合中发现隐蔽黑洞

星系并合是宇宙演化的重要过程，常导致星系中心超大质量黑洞相互靠近。三重星系并合事件在宇宙中较为罕见，为研究星系与黑洞的协同演化提供了独特样本。

Recently, a team from the Xinjiang Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered direct observational evidence of active galactic nuclei in the UGC 2369S triple merger galaxy. The research team used very long baseline interferometry technology to conduct high-resolution imaging of the UGC 2369S system, which is about 450 million light-years away from Earth. Observation results show that there is a supermassive black hole accreting matter deep in the core of the galaxy on the north side of the system, and the relativistic jet it produces feeds back energy to the surrounding galaxy environment.

UGC 2369S is a bright infrared galaxy rich in interstellar gas and dust. The thick dust obscures the core region of the galaxy, making it difficult to detect its internal structure with traditional optical observations. By calling observation data from the European VLBI network and the American Very Long Baseline Array, the research team detected the dense radio source in the northern core of the galaxy in both the L-band and C-band. Analyzing historical observation data from 1996 and 2003, the researchers confirmed that the radio source was not a star-forming region, but a supermassive black hole with the characteristics of an active galactic nucleus. Although the black hole has a low material accretion rate, it can still produce strong radio radiation and jets.

This discovery provides important observational basis for understanding active galactic nuclei in dust-obscured environments. Research shows that even in galactic nuclei that are heavily obscured by dust, active black holes may be hidden, and radio band observations can effectively penetrate the dust obscuration. This result highlights the unique advantages of very long baseline interferometry technology in searching and studying hidden celestial objects.

Relevant research results were published in Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astronomy and Astrophysics)superior. The research work has been supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, the China Scholarship Council, etc.

Paper link

Scientists discover hidden black hole in triple galaxy merger