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Supermassive Black Holes in the Distant Universe

Supermassive Black Holes in the Distant Universe

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"Supermassive Black Holes in the Distant Universe" by A.J. Barger is a astronomy book and space science reference focused on Deep Sky & Solar System. Best for students, researchers, and serious astronomy enthusiasts.

Quasars, and the menagerie of other galaxies with "unusual nuclei", now collectively known as Active Galactic Nuclei or AGN, have, in one form or another, sparked the interest of astronomers for over 60 years. The only known mechanism that can explain the staggering amounts of energy emitted by the innermost regions of these systems is gravitational energy release by matter falling towards a supermassive black hole --- a black hole whose mass is millions to billions of times the mass of our Sun. AGN emit radiation at all wavelengths. X-rays originating at a distance of a few times the event horizon of the black hole are the emissions closest to the black hole that we can detect; thus, X-rays directly reveal the presence of active supermassive black holes. Oftentimes, however, the supermassive black holes that lie at the centers of AGN are cocooned in gas and dust that absorb the emitted low energy X-rays and the optical and ultraviolet light, hiding the black hole from view at these wavelengths. Until recently, this low-energy absorption presented a major obstacle in observational efforts to map the accretion history of the universe. In 1999 and 2000, the launches of the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Observatories finally broke the impasse. The impact of these observatories on X-ray astronomy is similar to the impact that the Hubble Space Telescope had on optical astronomy. The astounding new data from these observatories have enabled astronomers to make enormous advances in their understanding of when accretion occurs.

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Best For: Researchers and students interested in cosmology, relativity, gravity, and astronomy focusing on active galactic nuclei.
Focus: Explains the energy mechanisms of quasars and active galactic nuclei through gravitational energy release by matter accreting onto supermassive black holes.
Covers: The nature and behavior of supermassive black holes in distant galaxies and their role in emitting large amounts of energy.
Why It Matters: Understanding these black holes helps explain the powerful phenomena observed in the centers of galaxies, contributing to knowledge of galaxy evolution and high-energy astrophysics.

"Supermassive Black Holes in the Distant Universe" by A.J. Barger is a astronomy book and space science reference focused on Deep Sky & Solar System. Best for students, researchers, and serious astronomy enthusiasts.

Topic: Deep Sky & Solar System

Author: A.J. Barger

Who this is for:

  • Astronomy students
  • Researchers and advanced hobbyists
  • Readers exploring space science topics

Why this book matters: It matters because it helps readers build a stronger understanding of astronomy concepts, observations, and scientific ideas related to space.

Quasars, and the menagerie of other galaxies with "unusual nuclei", now collectively known as Active Galactic Nuclei or AGN, have, in one form or another, sparked the interest of astronomers for over 60 years. The only known mechanism that can explain the staggering amounts of energy emitted by the innermost regions of these systems is gravitational energy release by matter falling towards a supermassive black hole --- a black hole whose mass is millions to billions of times the mass of our Sun. AGN emit radiation at all wavelengths. X-rays originating at a distance of a few times the event horizon of the black hole are the emissions closest to the black hole that we can detect; thus, X-rays directly reveal the presence of active supermassive black holes. Oftentimes, however, the supermassive black holes that lie at the centers of AGN are cocooned in gas and dust that absorb the emitted low energy X-rays and the optical and ultraviolet light, hiding the black hole from view at these wavelengths. Until recently, this low-energy absorption presented a major obstacle in observational efforts to map the accretion history of the universe. In 1999 and 2000, the launches of the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray Observatories finally broke the impasse. The impact of these observatories on X-ray astronomy is similar to the impact that the Hubble Space Telescope had on optical astronomy. The astounding new data from these observatories have enabled astronomers to make enormous advances in their understanding of when accretion occurs.

AuthorA.J. Barger
PublisherSpringer
Published2010-10-22
ISBN-139789048166626
BindingPaperback
LanguageEnglish
SubjectsScience
TopicDeep Sky & Solar System
SeriesAstrophysics and Space Science Library

Format: Paperback

Language: English

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