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The secret of super giant black holes: How amazing is the mass of the black hole at the center of Phoenix A?
In the Phoenix constellation, which is more than 8.6 billion light-years away from the Earth, scientists have discovered a stunning celestial object: the Phoenix Cluster and the super-giant black hole in its center. This star cluster is known for its huge mass and astonishing X-ray emission, which has raised many questions in the scientific community about the formation of black holes and the process of their expansion.
The Phoenix Cluster has a mass of about 2×1015 solar masses, making it one of the heaviest galaxy clusters known.
The Phoenix Cluster was first discovered in 2010 during a survey by the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. The brightness of this star cluster ranks among the best in the X-ray category, and its X-ray radiation exceeds that of any other known galaxy cluster, making it a research object of great scientific value.
Discovery of the Phoenix Star Cluster
The Phoenix Cluster, identified by its numerical catalog number SPT-CL J2344-4243, was originally discovered as a result of an extensive survey. The discovery of this cluster revealed its unparalleled X-ray brightness and became the reference standard for other galaxy clusters. On the other hand, the central quasar-type galaxy, Phoenix A, is closely related to the discovery of this cluster and has become a key target for subsequent research.
Characteristics and composition
Due to the extreme characteristics of the Phoenix Cluster, this cluster has become the focus of research by many scholars. According to the latest observational research, the cooling flow rate of the Phoenix Cluster is approximately 3,280 solar masses per year, which is considered to be one of the highest cooling flow rates currently observed in galaxy clusters. Such findings challenge scientists' understanding of other galaxy clusters and raise unanswered questions, such as whether such cooling rates contribute to the formation or demise of galaxies.
In the Phoenix Cluster, the star formation rate of galaxy Phoenix A reaches 740 solar masses per year, which is much higher than that of our own Milky Way.
Master of the central black hole
Since the concept of black holes was proposed, scientists have been trying to understand these extreme objects in the universe. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Phoenix Cluster is thought to be a key driver of its activity, driving activity at the center of the galaxy. Through advanced simulation technology, the research team concluded that the mass of this black hole is 100 billion solar masses, and may even exceed this number, which makes it possible to become one of the heaviest black holes in the observable universe.
This mass makes the central black hole of Phoenix A 24,100 times as massive as the black hole at the center of the Milky Way (Sagittarius A*), and even twice as massive as the Triangulum Galaxy.
Exploring the future of science
The discovery of this super-giant black hole not only makes us rethink our understanding of the formation and evolution of black holes, but also allows scientists to begin to explore deeper mysteries of the universe. The significant influence of black holes, the existence of cooling flows and their connection with galaxy formation provide us with new research directions and questions.
As the study of the Phoenix Cluster continues, scientists are eager to further uncover the secrets of the intelligent universe. But does this mean our understanding of the universe is about to be drastically rewritten again?
