Astronomers previously thought that powerful winds from supermassive black holes only affected their own galaxies. However, a new study reveals these winds are far more powerful. They can reach surrounding galaxies, extending about 300,000 light-years.
This energy is about 100 times greater than earlier estimates. It challenges the idea that these winds stay mostly within their host galaxies.
Satoshi Yamada, an assistant professor at Tohoku University, explained that black holes are known for pulling matter in, but they also shoot out gas as strong winds. He noted that these winds were thought to stay within the galaxy. However, their study showed the force is much stronger than previously believed.
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Start Your News DetoxTracing Black Hole Winds
Yamada and his team used the XRISM X-ray astronomy satellite to study the quasar H1821+643. This quasar is about 3.4 billion light-years away in the constellation Draco. It is a very bright object powered by a supermassive black hole that actively consumes gas.
The black hole is growing fast at the center of a galaxy cluster. It stirs up the hot, X-ray-emitting gas around it. To see how this gas was moving, the researchers looked at emission lines from iron ions.
Powerful Turbulence
XRISM's precise measurements showed that the hot gas around the black hole is not still. Instead, strong turbulence violently spreads the gas over a huge area. This flow goes beyond the host galaxy, reaching distances of about 300,000 light-years.
The energy from this turbulence was about 100 times more than earlier estimates. It was equal to the energy from several billion supernova explosions. Supernovas happen when stars die.
Yamada added that for the first time, they have shown black holes affect the wider cosmic environment through an incredibly powerful shock wave. He noted that black holes are key drivers of gas flows and motion in space, moving vast amounts of energy to different parts of the cosmos.
Future observations should help scientists better understand how black holes impact their surroundings. They also hope to learn more about how matter and elements move throughout the universe.
Deep Dive & References
Vigorous turbulence driven by quasar-mode feedback in a cluster core - Nature Astronomy, 2026
