Origin of supermassive black hole flares identified: Largest-ever simulations suggest flickering powered by magnetic ‘reconnection’
Astrophysicists have identified the mechanism that powers black hole flares. By employing computer simulations of unparalleled power and resolution, the researchers found that energy released near a black hole’s event horizon during the reconnection of magnetic field lines powers the flares. The findings hint at exciting new possibilities for observing the region just outside a black hole’s event horizon. …read more
