MIT-led team measures supermassive black hole spin using X-ray flashes from a tidal disruption event, finding it less than 25% speed of light.
Astronomers have measured the spin of a supermassive black hole for the first time by observing the wobble of stellar material after a tidal disruption event. The MIT-led team used X-ray flashes produced by the black hole to determine the speed of its spin, which was found to be less than 25% the speed of light. The method provides a new tool for understanding black hole spins and their evolution over time.
May 22, 2024
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