| PKS 2131-021 | |
|---|---|
 PKS 2131-021 as seen with DESI Legacy Surveys | |
| Observation data (J2000.0 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Right ascension | 21 34 10.31 |
| Declination | −01° 53′ 17.24″ |
| Redshift | 1.285 |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 385,233 km/s |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 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, producing an astrophysical jet. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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. The orbital separation of the two black holes is inferred to be 200 to 2000 AU. 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).
See also
References
- ^ "Your NED Search Results". ned.ipac.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- ^ 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.
- 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.
- "These Two Black Hole Behemoths Will Merge in 10,000 Years". Sky & Telescope. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- "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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