They detect the oldest and most distant blazar in the Universe

Madrid. A groundbreaking discovery has revealed the blazar; that is, the most distant supermassive black hole with a jet pointed at Earth, ever identified.

The object, designated J0410-0139, provides a rare glimpse into the epoch of reionization when the universe was less than 800 million years old. This discovery challenges existing models of galaxy and black hole formation in the early cosmos.

The element is powered by a black hole with a mass 700 million times that of the Sun. Multi-wavelength observations show that its radio variability, compact structure and X-ray properties identify it as a blazar with a jet aligned towards the Earth. Blazars are rare and represent only a small fraction of all quasars.

The discovery implies the existence of a much larger population of similar thrown sources in the early universe. These jets are likely to enhance the growth of black holes and affect their host galaxies.

Observations indicate that the object exhibits radio emission amplified by relativistic emission, a hallmark of blazars. Its spectrum also confirms stable regions of accretion and emission typical of active black holes.

black holes

This discovery raises questions about how supermassive black holes grow so rapidly in the universe’s infancy. Models may need to account for jet-enhanced accretion or obscured growth of Super-Eddington to reconcile this finding with the known population of black holes at such high redshifts.

This blazar offers a unique laboratory to study the interaction between jets, black holes and their environments during one of the most transformative times in the universeEmmanuel Momjian of NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory, co-leader of the study, said in a statement. Aligning J0410-0139’s jet with our line of sight allows astronomers to peer directly into the heart of this cosmic powerhouse..