Source of Gamma Rays Coming from the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy Found

Gamma bursts were coming to our planet every 76 minutes from the supermassive black hole located at the center of our galaxy and previously named Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). According to a new study, the source of these explosions may not be the black hole itself, but a mass of matter traveling around it at very high speed.

Mass of gas around black hole may be source of gamma rays

According to a study on arXiv that has not yet been examined by other researchers, the source of the gamma pulses is not Sgr A*, but a giant mass of gas orbiting the black hole at a speed of 100 thousand kilometers per second. In a study conducted by two researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, a new theory was put forward about the center of gamma beats, which was first discovered in 2021. In the first study, it was stated that the source of these pulses may not be the black hole itself.

Black holes have an event horizon. Beyond this event horizon, not even light can escape the black hole’s gravity. Therefore, it was thought that the gamma radiation came not from Sgr A* but from the surrounding structures. Supermassive black holes form an accretion disk as they attract matter around them. Radiation and particle ejection can occur from these accretion disks.

Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope was used in the study

The two researchers conducted their studies using data from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Detecting the harmony between X-ray and gamma pulses of the structures around Sgt A*, the researchers said, “The multi-wave periodicity between X-rays and gamma rays indicated the existence of a single physical mechanism that reveals them.” he said.

It was revealed by comparing the oscillation data with the gas cloud that the giant gas cloud, which scientists described as a “unique oscillatory physical mechanism”, was the source of both oscillations. This gas cloud orbits the black hole at one-third the speed of light.

With the new discovery, scientists will be able to better understand the structures around black holes.