Alexander

Stas and Benjamin Liu

December 12, 2011
Due: Monday, December 19, 2011
Astronomy 105
Professor Sherman

Learning More About Black Holes Through the Use of X-Ray Telescopes
Recently, astronomers have noticed a gas cloud heading towards the center of our
galaxy with a mass, in astronomical terms, that is fairly small. Although astronomers are
almost certain that there is a black hole at the center of the Milky Way, this new
development will affirm their suspicions that a super-massive black hole does exist there.
Not only does the rapid acceleration of this gas cloud help confirm this theory, but if the
gas emits extreme amounts of X-rays, black holes will be an almost certain phenomenon
and there will be a very good reason to believe that there is one at the center of every
galaxy. In 2013, this gas cloud is going to be heading right at the black hole and we
propose that the Chandra X-ray Observatory should be focused entirely on capturing this
event to find if there is another way of detecting black holes, such as through gas cloud
interactions. (BBC 1)
Black holes, lacking both size and light, are almost impossible to detect in the
vastness of space. As of now, the only way to find these galactic vacuums is to find high-
gravity binary star systems or sources of extremely intense X-ray radiation. Even with these
two methods of detection, the question still lingers: Do black holes even exist? To

further prove the existence of these massive celestial objects, scientists are studying this
gas cloud, which will fall into the super-massive black hole in question. The accretion disk
that forms around the black hole is extremely important in astronomy. As of now, almost
nothing is known about this disk and the recent news hopes to shed light on this idea that
has escaped our understanding. If scientists were able to construct an exact view of what
the interactions between a gas cloud and a black hole look like, they would be able to
extrapolate this to other galaxies. For example, if each phase of the interactions between
the cloud and the black hole could be determined, astronomers would be able to look for
distinctive patterns or stages in the reaction. Also, because of Earths close in proximity to
this black hole and our ability to witness the beginning of the collision, we have the
opportunity to get a very high-resolution picture of what happens to matter that
approaches the Schwarzschild Radius of a super-massive black hole. (Black Holes 1)

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is perfect for observing the collision between the

gas cloud and the black hole, Sagittarius A*. So far we can only detect black holes by the X-
ray signature they leave, when particles get extremely energetic as they fall into the black
hole, releasing x-ray radiation. Once the gas collides with the black hole, the gas releases
the attained kinetic energy in the form of X-ray radiation. This phenomenon is best seen by
the Chandra Observatory, having already been used to study the eating behaviors of the
black hole at the center of our galaxy. The telescope has an angular resolution of 0.5 arc
seconds, which is phenomenal. In this case there can be no overkill in uses of this
telescope, as we need to collect as much data from this unique event, as possible. Also
because the Chandra Observatory is in very high earth orbit, it can observe for a long

period of its 65-hour orbit around the Earth. This allows it to provide us with immense
amounts of data regarding the interaction as the gas cloud approaches and enters the
Schwarzschild Radius. And in conclusion, the impending event of the gas clouds collision
with Sagittarius A*, must be observed with great detail; detail that the Chandra
Observatory is primed to provide. (Chandra 1)

Diagrams

The optics system of the Chandra Observatory. (BBC 1)

A simulation of the gas cloud being ripped apart and partially consumed by the black hole
Sagittarius A*. (Chandra 1)

Works Cited
"BBC News - Supermassive Black Hole Will 'eat' Gas Cloud." BBC - Homepage. Web.
15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-
16178112>.
"Black Holes." Imagine The Universe! Home Page. Web. 13 Dec. 2011.
<http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/black_holes.html>.
"Chandra :: About Chandra :: Science Instruments." Chandra X-ray Observatory -
NASA's Flagship X-ray Telescope. Web. 18 Dec. 2011.
<http://chandra.harvard.edu/about/science_instruments.html>.