NASA’s IXPE mission has made a significant breakthrough by revealing the source of X-rays in a supermassive black hole’s jet. This discovery, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by the American Astronomical Society on Nov. 11, has been a long-standing question in X-ray astronomy.
The team of astronomers conducted the longest observation to date using the IXPE mission, spending over 600 hours studying the Perseus Cluster, the brightest galaxy cluster observable in X-rays. This observation took place over a 60-day period from January to March and marked the first time IXPE observed a galaxy cluster.
In particular, the scientists focused on studying the polarization properties of 3C 84, a massive active galaxy at the center of the Perseus Cluster. Known for its brightness and proximity to Earth, 3C 84 is a common target for X-ray astronomers seeking to understand the dynamics of supermassive black holes and their jets.
Original Source: NASA – IXPE’s Longest Observation Solves Black Hole Jets Mystery