Friday, December 14, 2012

Study Reveals a Remarkable Symmetry in Black Hole Jets


Astronomers examining the properties of black hole jets compared 54 gamma-ray bursts with 234 active galaxies classified as blazars and quasars. Surprisingly, the power and brightness of the jets share striking similarities despite a wide range of black hole mass, age and environment. Regardless of these differences, the jets produce light by tapping into similar percentages of the kinetic energy of particles moving along the jet, suggesting a common underlying physical cause. 
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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