Spiral galaxy with quasar jet surprises astronomers

Quasars have long served as celestial beacons, guiding humanity’s exploration of the universe. These incredibly luminous objects are powered by supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies.

Surrounded by glowing discs of swirling gas, quasars emit immense light that can be seen across vast cosmic distances.

They also eject powerful jets of material, shaping their host galaxies and influencing the surrounding intergalactic environment, much like cosmic lighthouses illuminating the dark reaches of space.

The study of quasars has provided astronomers with crucial insights into the early universe, including the formation of galaxies and the behavior of matter under extreme gravitational forces.

The mysteries of quasars

In a breakthrough discovery in 2020, newborn jets were found in a number of quasars.

One particular quasar that captured the attention of scientists was Quasar J0742+2704. It is located in an unusual galaxy studied by aspiring naval officer Olivia Achenbach of the United States Naval Academy during an intensive research internship.

Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, Achenbach uncovered some surprising attributes of this quasar, including its rare spiral structure and the presence of young jets. These features shed light on the dynamic processes at play within its host galaxy.

“The biggest surprise was seeing the distinct spiral shape in the Hubble Space Telescope images. At first, I was worried I had made an error,” said Achenbach.

Rare and exciting discovery

Kristina Nyland is a renowned astronomer at the Naval Research Laboratory who served as Achenbach’s advisor.

“We typically see quasars as older galaxies that have grown very massive, along with their central black holes, after going through messy mergers and have come out with an elliptical shape,” explained Nyland.

“It’s extremely rare and exciting to find a quasar-hosting galaxy with spiral arms and a black hole that is more than 400 million times the mass of the Sun – which is pretty big – plus young jets that weren’t detectable 20 years ago.”

Quasar jets and galaxy evolution

Quasar jets have captivated researchers with their complexity and far-reaching implications. However, the triggers of quasar jets have long been debated within the astronomy community.

These jets, which can stretch for thousands of light-years, play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies as they can curtail star formation by expelling the gas and dust necessary for star creation.

Some theories suggest that major galaxy mergers – where two or more galaxies collide and their central black holes merge – lead to the inception of quasar jets, driven by the gravitational chaos of such interactions.

However, spiral galaxy quasars like J0742+2704 retain their organized structure. This indicates that other causes, such as gravitational interactions with nearby galaxies or internal instabilities, might also be responsible for triggering these extraordinary phenomena.

Secrets of a unique quasar

Although Quasar J0742+2704 has retained its spiral shape, intriguing signs of its potential interaction with other galaxies are evident.

“Clearly there is something interesting going on. While the quasar has not experienced a major disruptive merger, it may be interacting with another galaxy, which is gravitationally tugging at its spiral arm,” explained Nyland.

One nearby galaxy displayed a unique ring structure, which is thought to occur after a smaller galaxy breaches the center of a spiral galaxy. The unusual shape could provide a clue to the events unfolding in this system.

The journey of exploration continues

According to Achenbach and Nyland, this captivating discovery signifies a fresh juncture.

Additional multi-wavelength analysis of J0742+2704 will be conducted soon, using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.

Achenbach encourages us all to keep exploring. “If we looked at this galaxy 20 years, or maybe even a decade ago, we would have seen a fairly average quasar and never known it would eventually be home to newborn jets,” said Achenbach.

“It goes to show that if you keep searching, you can find something remarkable that you never expected, and it can send you in a whole new direction of discovery.”

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Kristina Nyland (U.S. Naval Research Laboratory); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

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