Paul M. Sutter is a research professor in astrophysics at SUNY Stony Brook University and the Flatiron Institute in New York City. He regularly appears on TV and podcasts, including 'Ask a Spaceman.' He is the author of two books, 'Your Place in the Universe' and 'How to Die in Space,' and is a regular contributor to Space.
Black holes aren't alive, but it turns out that they can have a heartbeat — if they're consuming enormous amounts of gas. And new research has discovered just how that heartbeat works.
In the midst of this feeding frenzy, which can last for thousands to even millions of years, there can occasionally be a tremendous outburst. This is a sudden flare of X-rays caused by the quick consumption of an enormous amount of material at once. The flare they studied originated from IGR J17091-3624, a black hole sitting 28,000 light-years from Earth. Using X-ray data taken with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer and Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array in 2022, the team found clear evidence of a heartbeat-like signal in the flare. By studying the detailed properties of the heartbeat, they concluded that these kinds of pulses are due to interactions and instabilities within the material surrounding the black hole.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.As material falls into a black hole, it not only compresses, but it forms a thin, rapidly rotating disk. The inner edge of this disk slants down towards the event horizon of the black hole, while the remainder of the disk glows in X-ray radiation. This creates a highly unstable situation as radiation from the disk competes with the gravitational pull of the black hole.
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