Scientists in Scotland will create the first 3D movies of black holes

The project, called ‘TomoGrav’, will be led from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and has the scientific direction of astronomer Kazunori Akiyama, known for his role in obtaining the first images of a black hole in 2019 and 2022 with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT).

“The photographs were just fragments of what is really happening. What we are looking for now is to see the dynamics: how the plasma ‘dances’ around the black hole and how extreme gravity shapes everything around it“Akiyama explained to EFE.

From still images to 3D cinema of the extreme universe TomoGrav will create artificial intelligence algorithms capable of transforming huge volumes of telescope data into high-resolution three-dimensional movies.

“The objective is to develop the most advanced algorithms possible, capable of converting incomplete data into precise reconstructions of the environment of a black hole,” Yves Wiaux, head of the Heriot-Watt Biomedical and Astronomical Processing laboratory, told EFE.

As he explained, the AI ​​will first be trained with simulations to learn the physics that governs these regions. You can then reconstruct images and time sequences very quickly.

The advance coincides with a crucial moment: In 2026, the EHT will carry out its first campaign specifically designed to obtain a video of the M87* black hole, whose mass is equivalent to 6.5 billion suns.

“If we observe every three or four days for several months, we can obtain the frames necessary to film the first real movie of a black hole,” said Akiyama.

Two black holes, two behaviors

The team will also analyze Sagittarius A*, located in the center of the Milky Way, much smaller and less active than M87*.

“Understanding why some black holes launch powerful jets of plasma and others do not is one of the fundamental questions in astrophysics,” Akiyama explained. “With 3D images we will be able to directly study how and where these jets are generated.” The technology developed will have direct applications in medicine, especially in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

“From a mathematical point of view, reconstructing a 3D movie of a black hole is not so different from reconstructing an image of the heart with an MRI.””explained Wiaux.

“Scanners, like telescopes, only capture incomplete information. Our algorithms will allow us to obtain more precise images from faster scans: better diagnosis with less time in the scanner,” he added.

The first prototypes have already been validated in both astronomical and medical images, although for now only in 2D.

Akiyama will move from MIT to Edinburgh to lead the project. Heriot-Watt is a world leader in image algorithms and advanced artificial intelligence.

“This collaboration unites two leading communities: black hole astronomy and computational processing,” he noted.

Funded with four million pounds (more than four and a half million euros) from the Royal Society, TomoGrav will have three main objectives: create the first 3D movies of plasma around black holes; designing technologies for future space telescopes, and establishing a global hub at the intersection of AI and astrophysics in the UK.

“It is no longer just about seeing a black hole,” but “about understanding how it works,” Akiyama highlighted.