The Black Hole That Kills Galaxies - Quasars

TL;DR

Quasars are extremely powerful objects in the universe that emit immense amounts of energy, formed from the feeding of supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies, ultimately reshaping the structure of the universe.

Transcript

The universe looks like a vast empty ocean  sprinkled with the rare islands of galaxies..   But this is an illusion. Just a small  fraction of all atoms are found in galaxies,   while the rest is thought to be drifting  in between, in the intergalactic medium.   Like the roots of some massive tree,  gas spreads out from each galaxy,   gravity funne... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤩 The intergalactic medium contains the raw materials, such as hydrogen and helium, necessary for galaxy and star formation.
• 🈷️ Quasars are among the most powerful objects in the universe, emitting vast amounts of energy and reshaping their surrounding cosmos.
• 🖤 Quasars are formed by the feeding of supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies, with their energy coming from the space surrounding the black holes.
• 🤩 Quasars can heat up their galaxies and prevent star formation, pushing out gas and ultimately changing the structure of the galaxy.
• 🖤 The Milky Way's history regarding quasars is uncertain, while the future merger with Andromeda could potentially turn our supermassive black hole into a quasar.
• ❓ Understanding distant quasars can provide insights into the history and evolution of galaxies.
• 🤩 Quasars have the potential to create new stars through compression of gas or shockwave interactions.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are quasars, and why are they so powerful?

Quasars are the active cores of galaxies located billions of lightyears away. They are formed from supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies, and their immense power comes from the space surrounding the black holes called "accretion disks."

Q: How do quasars shape the structure of the universe?

Quasars emit enormous amounts of energy that can heat up and stop star formation in their galaxies. They push gas out of their galaxies, starving them of raw materials for new stars. The interaction between quasars, shockwaves, and gas compression can also lead to the creation of new stars for a short time.

Q: Could the Milky Way have had a quasar in the past?

It's uncertain if the Milky Way went through a quasar phase. However, studying distant quasars may provide clues to the history of our galaxy. In the future, when the Milky Way merges with the Andromeda galaxy, there is a possibility that our supermassive black hole could turn into a quasar.

Q: How do quasars ultimately affect their galaxies?

While galaxies survive after quasars turn off, they are forever changed. Quasars heat up their galaxies too much, inhibiting star formation. They also push gas out of the galaxies, depriving them of the raw materials needed for new stars.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The intergalactic medium is filled with raw materials like hydrogen and helium, which flow into galaxies and create stars.

• Quasars, the most powerful objects in existence, reside in the centers of galaxies and emit enormous amounts of energy, reshaping the cosmos around them.

• Quasars are formed by the feeding of supermassive black holes in galaxies, and their energy comes from the space surrounding them, not from inside the black holes themselves.