20 Years Studying Messier 87: Confirmation of Rotating Supermassive Black Hole
For over two decades, researchers have studied the supermassive black hole in Messier 87, revealing its rotation dynamics. A recent study led by Yuzhu Cui and published in Nature confirms that the plasma jet emitted from the black hole oscillates by about 10 degrees, indicating that M87 rotates with a precession cycle of approximately eleven years, consistent with Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.
The findings were based on data from the Event Horizon Telescope, which captured the first image of the black hole in 2019. The research suggests a misalignment between the rotation axis of the black hole's accretion disk and its spin, contributing to the observed jet dynamics.
While this study enhances our understanding of supermassive black holes, many questions remain unanswered regarding the precise structure of the accretion disk and M87's rotation. Ongoing research promises further discoveries in this intriguing field.