Guwahati (Assam) [India], A multi-institutional research team including Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, University of Mumbai and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research studied a newly discovered black hole binary system named Swift J1727 Is. .8-1613 using data from Astrosat.
The team has discovered interesting X-ray features that could potentially provide information about the nature of black holes.
Studying black holes directly is challenging because nothing escapes from the black hole to detect or measure.
"However, black hole binaries, where a black hole is paired with another object, such as a normal star, provide a unique opportunity for investigation.In these binary systems, the black hole's gravity pulls material from its companion star, forming an accretion disk. Gas and dust are expanding into the black hole, according to a press release from IIT Guwahati.
As material in the accretion disk is pulled closer to the black hole, it heats to extremely high temperatures, often millions of degrees, and emits X-rays.
These X-rays can be detected using space-based telescopes, providing valuable information about the black hole.
The research team recently studied the black hole binary system Swift J1727.8-1613 using AstroSat, India's first dedicated space astronomy observatory, which is in orbit around Earth.
AstroSat is equipped with instruments capable of observing the universe in multi-wavelengths, including X-rays, making it ideal for studying high-energy phenomena such as black hole binaries.Speaking about their research, Professor Santabrata Das, Department of Physics, IIT Guwahati, said, “QPOs are indispensable for investigating mysterious black hole systems. Investigation of periodic variations of X-ray photons at high energies (about 100 keV) "By doing this, QPOs help decode the footprints of black holes' strong gravity to understand their fundamental properties and the dynamics of how black holes attract matter from neighboring environments."
Researchers detected quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the X-ray light emitted by the accretion disk of Swift J1727.8-1613.
Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are flickering of X-ray light from an astronomical object around specific frequencies.
Remarkably, these QPOs changed their frequency in just seven days, from 1.4 to 2.6 times per second.This change of frequency is seen in extremely high-energy X-rays, which are incredibly hot, up to about a billion degrees.
"The implications of this discovery are profound. QPOs could help astronomers study the inner regions of accretion disks and determine the masses and spin periods of black holes. They could also test Einstein's theory of general relativity, which describes gravity as a geometric property of space and time,” IIT Guwahati said in the release.
According to this theory, massive objects like black holes and neutrons begin to distort the fabric of space-time around them, and this curvature determines the paths that matter will follow, what we know as gravitational attraction. Let's see in form.Highlighting the impact of this research finding, Dr. Anuj Nandy, UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO said, “The unique capabilities of AstroSat, namely high time resolution and large X-ray photon collection area have made it possible to develop QPO frequency in higher Searched." Energy X-rays are possible."
"These high-energy 8-1613 was in an accretion state dominated by Comptonized emission, resulting in the QPO features observed,” Nandy said.Details of this work have been published in the prestigious journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, in a paper co-authored by Professor Santabrata Das of IIT Guwahati, Dr Anuj Nandy of U R Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, Professor HM Antiya. Dr. Tilak Katoch and Parag Shah from Mumbai University, and TIFR, along with Sheshadri Majumdar, research scholar from IIT Guwahati.
The team has discovered interesting X-ray features that could potentially provide information about the nature of black holes.
Studying black holes directly is challenging because nothing escapes from the black hole to detect or measure.
"However, black hole binaries, where a black hole is paired with another object, such as a normal star, provide a unique opportunity for investigation.In these binary systems, the black hole's gravity pulls material from its companion star, forming an accretion disk. Gas and dust are expanding into the black hole, according to a press release from IIT Guwahati.
As material in the accretion disk is pulled closer to the black hole, it heats to extremely high temperatures, often millions of degrees, and emits X-rays.
These X-rays can be detected using space-based telescopes, providing valuable information about the black hole.
The research team recently studied the black hole binary system Swift J1727.8-1613 using AstroSat, India's first dedicated space astronomy observatory, which is in orbit around Earth.
AstroSat is equipped with instruments capable of observing the universe in multi-wavelengths, including X-rays, making it ideal for studying high-energy phenomena such as black hole binaries.Speaking about their research, Professor Santabrata Das, Department of Physics, IIT Guwahati, said, “QPOs are indispensable for investigating mysterious black hole systems. Investigation of periodic variations of X-ray photons at high energies (about 100 keV) "By doing this, QPOs help decode the footprints of black holes' strong gravity to understand their fundamental properties and the dynamics of how black holes attract matter from neighboring environments."
Researchers detected quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the X-ray light emitted by the accretion disk of Swift J1727.8-1613.
Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are flickering of X-ray light from an astronomical object around specific frequencies.
Remarkably, these QPOs changed their frequency in just seven days, from 1.4 to 2.6 times per second.This change of frequency is seen in extremely high-energy X-rays, which are incredibly hot, up to about a billion degrees.
"The implications of this discovery are profound. QPOs could help astronomers study the inner regions of accretion disks and determine the masses and spin periods of black holes. They could also test Einstein's theory of general relativity, which describes gravity as a geometric property of space and time,” IIT Guwahati said in the release.
According to this theory, massive objects like black holes and neutrons begin to distort the fabric of space-time around them, and this curvature determines the paths that matter will follow, what we know as gravitational attraction. Let's see in form.Highlighting the impact of this research finding, Dr. Anuj Nandy, UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO said, “The unique capabilities of AstroSat, namely high time resolution and large X-ray photon collection area have made it possible to develop QPO frequency in higher Searched." Energy X-rays are possible."
"These high-energy 8-1613 was in an accretion state dominated by Comptonized emission, resulting in the QPO features observed,” Nandy said.Details of this work have been published in the prestigious journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, in a paper co-authored by Professor Santabrata Das of IIT Guwahati, Dr Anuj Nandy of U R Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, Professor HM Antiya. Dr. Tilak Katoch and Parag Shah from Mumbai University, and TIFR, along with Sheshadri Majumdar, research scholar from IIT Guwahati.
