Revealing the Cosmic Structure of Black Holes: Polarized Light Unveils New Insights into Supermassive Black Holes

Researchers at the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) have made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the magnetic fields around the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at the center of the Milky Way. This discovery, captured in polarized light for the first time, reveals powerful and organized spirals of magnetic fields emanating from the black hole. The structure of these magnetic fields bears a striking resemblance to those observed around the black hole in the galaxy M87, hinting at the possibility of strong magnetic fields being common to all black holes.

The research involved over 300 researchers from various continents who had previously unveiled the first image of Sgr A* in 2022, which showed similarities between Sgr A* and M87. To further investigate these similarities, scientists decided to study Sgr A* in polarized light.

Observations suggest that the magnetic fields surrounding Sgr A* may be enabling the black hole to launch powerful jets of material, similar to what was observed in M87. This discovery sheds light on the structure and strength of the magnetic fields near black holes, providing valuable insights into their feeding and expulsion mechanisms.

While imaging black holes with polarized light presents challenges, data indicates that strong magnetic fields may be a universal characteristic of black holes. The presence of a jet around Sgr A* remains uncertain but is intriguing as it raises possibilities for further research and understanding of these cosmic phenomena. The collaboration of telescopes around the world, forming the EHT, played a pivotal role in these groundbreaking observations.

In conclusion, this discovery highlights how international cooperation can advance our knowledge of cosmic phenomena like black holes. It also emphasizes how studying objects that are far away using sophisticated technology can provide us with important insights into our universe’s mysteries.