After conducting a comprehensive survey of the Milky Way, astronomers have made a remarkable discovery of numerous enigmatic cosmic threads that originate from the supermassive black hole situated at the galactic center. These peculiar filaments, spanning a distance of five to 10 light years, bear a resemblance to morse code symbols on a grand scale. Radiating outwards from the galactic core, which lies 25,000 light years away from Earth, they resemble fragmented spokes resembling an immense wheel.
Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, an astronomer at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, expressed astonishment upon encountering these structures while analyzing data obtained by the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa’s Northern Cape. Being the most sensitive radio telescope globally, MeerKAT captured images of these threads during an unprecedented 200-hour exploration of the galaxy’s central region. Yusef-Zadeh revealed to The Guardian, “All of these threads appear to have a connection to the black hole. They provide us with insights into the activities occurring around the black hole itself.”
Forty years ago, Yusef-Zadeh discovered much larger vertical filaments encircling Sagittarius A*, the black hole residing at the heart of the Milky Way, using data collected by another telescope called the Very Large Array in New Mexico. These structures, positioned perpendicular to the Milky Way’s disk, extend an impressive 150 light years from top to bottom.
The origin of the more abundant vertical filaments remains uncertain; however, research indicates that they possess robust magnetic fields and emit radio waves while accelerating particles within cosmic rays to nearly the speed of light.
According to Yusef-Zadeh, scientists, including himself, have been preoccupied with comprehending the nature of the immense vertical threads to such an extent that they nearly overlooked the existence of the shorter, horizontal filaments that trace back to the core of the Milky Way.
“The focus has primarily been on understanding the vertical filaments. The presence of the horizontal structures somehow escaped notice,” remarked Yusef-Zadeh. “It came as a surprise to suddenly discover a new population of structures that appear to be directed towards the black hole. I was genuinely astonished when I observed them.”
He further added, “If it weren’t for MeerKAT, these structures would have gone undetected. We have never been able to allocate such a significant amount of time to studying the galactic center.”
The presence of the shorter, horizontal threads, which emanate from the core of the Milky Way, became apparent when the scientists meticulously eliminated background interference and filtered out noise from the MeerKAT images. Yusef-Zadeh believes that these structures, described in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, formed through a distinct process compared to the larger, vertical filaments.
Yusef-Zadeh hypothesizes that approximately 6 million years ago, a surge of material emitted from the black hole collided with neighboring stars and gas clouds, resulting in streaks of heated plasma that align with the black hole. This phenomenon can be likened to propelling blobs of paint across a canvas using a hairdryer.
“The outflow originating from the black hole interacts with surrounding objects, causing them to distort in shape,” explained Yusef-Zadeh. “This force is potent enough to propel everything in the same direction.”
Through the study of these cosmic threads, astronomers aspire to gain insights into the rotational dynamics of the central black hole of the Milky Way and the accretion disc comprising infalling material that revolves around it.
“These images of the galactic center are just the beginning,” Yusef-Zadeh asserted. “Our galaxy is replete with unexplained structures. There is still much to uncover and comprehend.”
