NASA's James Webb unveils black hole starving its host galaxy; see pic

A team of astronomers, utilising the James Webb Space Telescope, has revealed concrete proof indicating that massive black holes can deprive their host galaxies of material needed for star formation. Led by a global research group with the University of Cambridge at the helm, the scientists examined a distant galaxy known as "Pablo's Galaxy" in the early universe, approximately two billion years post the Big Bang.

The scientists, utilising Webb's high sensitivity, detected gas being pushed out of the galaxy at speeds of approximately 1,000 kilometers per second. This rapid ejection allows the gas to break free from the galaxy's gravitational grasp. The amount of gas expelled exceeds what the galaxy requires to sustain star formation, essentially leaving it devoid of the necessary fuel.

The research also tells a previously unseen wind element undetectable by older telescopes. Dense, cold gas clouds, which do not emit light, were obstructing the light from the galaxy positioned behind them.

Dr. Francesco D'Eugenio, from the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at Cambridge, clarified, "The black hole is essentially starving this galaxy, depriving it of the necessary 'fuel' essential for forming stars."

Although theories had anticipated this conduct, this represents the initial direct validation of the occurrence. Interestingly, even with the disturbance, the stars within the galaxy's disk persist in moving in a structured fashion.

Professor Roberto Maiolino, also affiliated with Cambridge, emphasized the crucial contribution of Webb's advanced features in this breakthrough, stating, "While we were aware of black holes influencing galaxies, Webb has provided us with tangible evidence."

The research, detailed in Nature Astronomy, illuminates the connection between galaxies and supermassive black holes. Subsequent observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter-Submillimeter Array (ALMA) will investigate the presence of any remaining resources for star formation and evaluate the black hole's overall influence on its environment. These discoveries play a pivotal role in comprehending the evolution of galaxies and their impact on shaping the cosmos.