Rare Double Quasar Discovered in Merging Galaxies from Early Universe

Double quasars in merging galaxies discovered—shedding light on the early universe’s evolution.

Key Takeaways

  1. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope found a rare double quasar in merging galaxies 10 billion light-years away.
  2. This discovery provides insights into the early universe and the formation of supermassive black holes.
  3. The find was confirmed using Hubble, Keck, Gaia, and other advanced observatories worldwide.
  4. Gaia’s innovative technique pinpointed the subtle “jiggle” in brightness that hinted at the double quasar.
  5. Upcoming missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will revolutionize binary quasar research.

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A Rare Double Quasar in the Early Universe

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and other cutting-edge observatories have discovered a rare double quasar in merging galaxies from the universe’s infancy, about 3 billion years after the Big Bang. Quasars are among the brightest objects in the cosmos, fueled by supermassive black holes devouring surrounding material. Identifying a pair of these light beacons in close proximity highlights the dynamic environment of the early universe, where galaxy mergers were frequent.

Graduate student Yu-Ching Chen of the University of Illinois led the study, emphasizing that double quasars are rare and their discovery is vital for understanding the evolution of supermassive black holes. Xin Liu, also from the University of Illinois, described the study as unveiling “the tip of the iceberg” of early binary quasar populations.

Technology and Techniques Behind the Discovery

The double quasar was located using a combination of space and ground-based observatories. ESA’s Gaia space observatory initially identified candidates by detecting subtle “jiggles” in light caused by alternating brightness patterns from the quasar pair. These variations mimic the movement of nearby stars, enabling researchers to distinguish binary systems.

Hubble’s sharp resolution confirmed the existence of two quasars and revealed tidal features from merging galaxies. Observations from the Keck Observatory ruled out gravitational lensing, ensuring the double quasar was not a single quasar distorted by a foreground galaxy.

Multi-wavelength contributions from the Gemini Observatory, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and others enriched understanding of this binary system. However, the double quasar no longer exists today. Over billions of years, the merging galaxies likely formed a giant elliptical galaxy with a massive central black hole, similar to M87’s supermassive black hole weighing 6.5 billion Suns.

Future Prospects in Quasar Research

The discovery opens new possibilities for studying binary quasars and the early universe’s cosmic evolution. NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to enhance research in this area, offering a field of view 200 times larger than Hubble’s. Its capabilities will enable astronomers to identify more binary quasars across vast cosmic distances, shedding further light on galaxy mergers and black hole growth in the early universe.

The results is published in journal Nature.

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