PKS 2131-021

Last updated
PKS 2131-021
Image of PKS 2131-021 taken by DESI Legacy Surveys.png
PKS 2131-021 as seen with DESI Legacy Surveys
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
Constellation Aquarius
Right ascension 21h 34m 10.31s
Declination -01d 53m 17.24s
Redshift 1.285000
Heliocentric radial velocity 385,233 km/s
Apparent magnitude  (V)0.54
Apparent magnitude  (B)0.43
Surface brightness 18.67
Characteristics
Type FRSQ;BLLAC, HPQ
Other designations
4C -02.81, MRC 2131-021, PGC 2818139, OX -053, IRCF J213410.3-015317, 2FGL J2133.8-0154

PKS 2131-021 is a quasar and a BL Lacerate object, [1] producing an astrophysical jet. [2] lt is located in the constellation Aquarius and classified as a blazar, a type of active galactic nucleus whose relativistic jet points in the direction towards Earth.

Contents

Redshift estimation for PKS 2131-021

The redshift of PKS 2131-021 is 1.285, estimating the quasar to be located about 8.5 billion light-years away. [3] For more consistency according to researchers, they applied a cosmological parameters of H0 = 71 km s−1 Mpc−1, Ωm = 0.27, ΩΛ = 0.73. [4] On this model, the comoving coordinate distance of PKS 2131−021 is 3.97 Gpc, with an angular diameter distance of 1.74 Gpc, and luminosity distance of 9.08 Gpc. [5]

Black hole observation

Observations of its radio emission spanning a 45-year duration show epochs of periodic brightness variations. These nearly sinusoidal brightness changes have been interpreted as evidence of orbital motion of a binary black hole. [5] The orbital separation of the two black holes is inferred to be 200 to 2000 AU. [6] [7] The periodic variability in the light curve indicates that the pair orbit each other about every two years, at a distance so close that they will merge in about 10,000 years (as viewed from the Earth). [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. The emission from an AGN is powered by a supermassive black hole with a mass ranging from millions to tens of billions of solar masses, surrounded by a gaseous accretion disc. Gas in the disc falling towards the black hole heats up and releases energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The radiant energy of quasars is enormous; the most powerful quasars have luminosities thousands of times greater than that of a galaxy such as the Milky Way. Quasars are usually categorized as a subclass of the more general category of AGN. The redshifts of quasars are of cosmological origin.

An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a compact region at the center of a galaxy that emits a significant amount of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, with characteristics indicating that this luminosity is not produced by the stars. Such excess, non-stellar emissions have been observed in the radio, microwave, infrared, optical, ultra-violet, X-ray and gamma ray wavebands. A galaxy hosting an AGN is called an active galaxy. The non-stellar radiation from an AGN is theorized to result from the accretion of matter by a supermassive black hole at the center of its host galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supermassive black hole</span> Largest type of black hole

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blazar</span> Very compact quasi-stellar radio source

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">3C 345</span> Quasar in the Hercules constellation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">4C +71.07</span> Quasar in the constellation Ursa Major

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 0537-286</span> Quasar in the constellation Columba

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 0438-436</span> Quasar in the constellation Caelum

PKS 0438-436, also known as PKS J0440-4333, is a quasar located in constellation Caelum. With a high redshift of 2.86, the object is located 11.2 billion light-years from Earth and is classified as a blazar due to its flat-spectrum radio source, (in terms of the flux density as with α < 0.5 and its optical polarization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 2215+020</span> Quasar in the constellation Aquarius

PKS 2215+020, known as PMN J2217+0220, is a quasar located in the Aquarius constellation. Its redshift is 3.570000, meaning the object is located 11.6 billion light-years away from Earth. It is classified as a flat spectrum radio source quasar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 2126-158</span> Quasar in the constellation Capricornus

PKS 2126-158, also known as PKS 2126-15, is a quasar located in Capricornus. It has a redshift of 3.268000, which corresponds to the distance of 11.5 billion light years. It is classified as a gigahertz peaked-spectrum quasar (GPS) with a flat-spectrum radio source and a blazar, a type of active galaxy shooting an astrophysical jet towards Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QSO J0100-2708</span> Quasar in the constellation Sculptor

QSO J0100-2708 is a quasar located in the constellation Sculptor. With a redshift of 3.520000, the object is located 11.5 billion light-years away from Earth and contains a flat-spectrum radio source found brighter compared to S4.8 GHz=65 mJy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 0226-559</span>

PKS 0226-559 known as PMN J0228-5546 is a quasar located in the constellation Horologium. At the redshift of 2.464, the object is roughly 10.6 billion light-years from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 0451-28</span> Quasar in the constellation Caelum

PKS 0451-28, also known as MRC 0451-282, is a quasar located in the constellation of Caelum. Its redshift is 2.55, estimating the object to be located nearly 10.8 billion light-years away from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 1144-379</span> Quasar in the constellation Centaurus

PKS 1144-379 also known as PKS B1144-379, is a quasar located in the constellation of Centaurus. At the redshift of 1.048, the object is located nearly 8 billion light-years from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 1402-012</span> Quasar in the constellation of Virgo

PKS 1402-012, also known as UM 632, is a quasar located in the constellation of Virgo. With a redshift of 2.51, the object is located 10.7 billion light-years from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 1402+044</span> Quasar in the constellation of Virgo

PKS 1402+044 is a quasar located in the constellation of Virgo. It has a redshift of 3.207, estimating the object to be located 11.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PKS 0805-07</span> Quasar in the constellation of Monoceros

PKS 0805-07 also known as PMN J0808-0751 and 4FGL J0808.2-0751, is a quasar located in the constellation of Monoceros. With a redshift of 1.83, light has taken at least 10 billion light-years to reach Earth.

References

  1. ↑ Sbarufatti, B.; Treves, A.; Falomo, R.; Heidt, J.; Kotilainen, J.; Scarpa, R. (2006-07-01). "ESO Very Large Telescope Optical Spectroscopy of BL Lacertae Objects. II. New Redshifts, Featureless Objects, and Classification Assessments". The Astronomical Journal. 132 (1): 1–19. arXiv: astro-ph/0601506 . Bibcode:2006AJ....132....1S. doi:10.1086/503031. ISSN   0004-6256.
  2. ↑ Liu, F. K.; Zhang, Y. H. (2002-01-01). "A new list of extra-galactic radio jets". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 381 (3): 757–760. arXiv: astro-ph/0212477 . Bibcode:2002A&A...381..757L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20011572. ISSN   0004-6361.
  3. ↑ "Your NED Search Results". ned.ipac.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  4. ↑ Komatsu, E.; Dunkley, J.; Nolta, M. R.; Bennett, C. L.; Gold, B.; Hinshaw, G.; Jarosik, N.; Larson, D.; Limon, M.; Page, L.; Spergel, D. N.; Halpern, M.; Hill, R. S.; Kogut, A.; Meyer, S. S. (2009-02-01). "Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Observations: Cosmological Interpretation". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 180 (2): 330–376. arXiv: 0803.0547 . Bibcode:2009ApJS..180..330K. doi:10.1088/0067-0049/180/2/330. ISSN   0067-0049.
  5. 1 2 O'Neill, S.; et al. (2022). "The Unanticipated Phenomenology of the Blazar PKS 2131–021: A Unique Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidate". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 926 (2): 2. arXiv: 2111.02436 . Bibcode:2022ApJ...926L..35O. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac504b . S2CID   242757503.
  6. ↑ DiCenza, Shawn (2022-03-24). "Astronomers Discover two Supermassive Black Holes Orbiting Each Other, Doomed to Collide in the Future". Universe Today. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  7. ↑ "These Two Black Hole Behemoths Will Merge in 10,000 Years". Sky & Telescope. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  8. ↑ "Colossal Black Holes Locked in Dance at Heart of Galaxy". California Institute of Technology. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-03-29.


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