Aries Uttarakhand Scientists Unveil the Structure of Black Hole Jet Plasma

Scientists from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital have made a groundbreaking discovery that will help in understanding the intricate physical processes occurring between black hole and neutron stars.

Years-Long Mystery Solved

ARIES scientists, Dr. Indranil Chattopadhyay and research student Rajkishore Joshi from Masmoli village, have successfully unraveled a long-standing mystery, setting a new benchmark in scientific achievement. Their research has been published in the international scientific journal, The Astrophysical Journal. For the first time, the structure of jet plasma emitted from black holes has been identified.

Previous Research Couldn’t Crack the Code

Outreach in-charge Dr. Virendra Yadav of ARIES explained that jets are emitted as extended rays from dense celestial bodies like black holes, neutron stars, and pulsars. Despite years of research, scientists had not been able to determine the composition of these celestial jets. It was unclear whether they were made of electrons and protons, adding to the significance of this discovery.

Shedding Light on Black Hole Mysteries

The theoretical relationships between the thermal speed, mass density, energy density, and pressure of jets were previously not clear. During his research, Dr. Chattopadhyay improved existing numerical simulations. He then studied the dynamics of astrophysical jets composed of a mixture of electrons, positrons (positively charged electrons), and protons, which revealed the structure of jet plasma. According to Dr. Indranil Chattopadhyay and Rajkishore Joshi, this discovery will play a crucial role in understanding the physical processes occurring between black holes and neutron stars. Rajkishore Joshi’s achievement has brought joy to his hometown of Masmoli.

This discovery marks a significant milestone in astrophysics, contributing to the deeper understanding of the cosmos and the phenomena involving black holes and neutron stars.