A colossal jet from the early universe measuring 200,000 light-years across.

      This artist’s depiction illustrates the largest radio jet discovered in the early Universe. The jet was initially detected using the international Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Telescope, which consists of a network of radio telescopes spread across Europe. Additional observations were made in the near-infrared with the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) and in the optical spectrum with the Hobby Eberly Telescope to create a comprehensive view of the radio jet and the quasar that produced it.

      Astronomers have uncovered an ancient giant: a radio jet measuring 200,000 light-years in width that dates back to a time when the universe was less than 10% of its present age. Utilizing the Gemini North and Hubble telescopes, astronomers are investigating the jet to understand how enormous black holes emit vast amounts of energy and how they formed in the early universe. This jet, designated J1601+3102, consists of two lobes extending from a central point, spanning a width twice that of our entire galaxy. This makes it the largest radio jet detected from the early universe, with a quasar at its center—the exceptionally bright core of a galaxy, also referred to as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), which harbors a supermassive black hole.

      Lead researcher Anniek Gloudemans from the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab explained, “We were looking for quasars with powerful radio jets in the early universe, which aids in understanding the formation and impact of the first jets on galaxy evolution.”

      The researchers determined that the jet originated when the universe was under 1.2 billion years old—while the universe is currently approximately 13.8 billion years old. Interestingly, contrary to the expectation that a large black hole is needed to produce a massive jet, the black hole at the center of this jet is relatively small in comparison to other quasars. According to Gloudemans, “The quasar fueling this enormous radio jet does not possess an extreme black hole mass when compared to other quasars. This suggests that an exceptionally massive black hole or a high accretion rate is not necessarily required to generate such powerful jets in the early universe.”

      Researchers are uncertain why this comparatively small black hole could generate such a massive jet, or why other similar black holes do not produce large jets. Additionally, since it's unusual to observe very large jets in the early universe, they aim to gather more data on when the earliest jets were formed. Despite its enormous size, the newly discovered jet is extremely distant, prompting researchers to utilize both ground-based and space-based telescopes for their studies. Gloudemans stated, “It is only because this object is so extraordinary that we can observe it from Earth, despite its great distance. This case exemplifies what can be achieved by combining the capabilities of multiple telescopes operating at various wavelengths.” The research findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

      Georgina has spent six years as the space writer at Digital Trends, covering topics related to human space exploration and planetary science.

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