Stanford team detects light echoes behind a black hole

Astrophysicists led by Dan Wilkins from Stanford University recorded light echoes originating from the far side of a supermassive black hole located at the center of the galaxy I Zwicky 1, approximately 800 million light-years from Earth, according to Scienze Notizie. The observations were conducted using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and NASA's NuSTAR space telescopes while monitoring X-ray emissions from the accretion disk scienzenotizie.it.

During the monitoring of high-energy radiation, the detectors captured a sequence of short X-ray flashes followed by fainter secondary pulses. These delayed signals exhibited a specific spectral shift, which data analysis identified as the initial X-ray flashes reflected off the rear portion of the accretion disk scienzenotizie.it.

Gravitational bending of photons

The extreme gravitational field surrounding the event horizon bent the trajectory of the photons, curving them around the central mass before directing them toward space-based detectors scienzenotizie.it. This effect matches the predictions of Albert Einstein's General Relativity theory regarding the curvature of spacetime around high-density objects, observed directly in high-energy X-ray frequencies scienzenotizie.it.

Mapping accretion structures

The phenomenon functions as a gravitational mirror, demonstrating that the region adjacent to the event horizon leaves visual traces from areas hidden from direct line of sight scienzenotizie.it. Researchers note that recording these light echoes enables detailed mapping of the plasma corona and the internal geometry of accretion disks around supermassive black holes scienzenotizie.it.

Stanford astrophysicists detect light echoes behind a black hole

Gravitational bending of photons

Mapping accretion structures

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