JWST detects heavy elements near black hole at Milky Way’s center — Live Science

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected a concentration of heavy elements in gas near Sagittarius A* — the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Observations also showed that the composition of this gas is similar to that of several nearby stars, Live Science reports.

Gas after supernova explosions

In astronomy, metals are all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, including oxygen, carbon, iron and gold. They are formed through nuclear fusion in stars toward the end of their lives, then enter space and can become part of new generations of stars.

Scientists suggest that the material detected by James Webb was likely ejected into the region around Sagittarius A* during supernova explosions. The similarity between the composition of the gas and nearby stars indicates that they may have formed at the same time.

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What this means for black hole research

The telescope recorded thermal signatures of individual gas clouds near the black hole and determined their metal content. James Webb operates at the L2 Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction opposite the Sun.

The study’s first author, McGill University astrophysics doctoral student Nicole Ford, noted that Sagittarius A* consumes less matter and more slowly than other supermassive black holes. According to her, explaining this requires studying the properties of the gas, dust and stars available for the black hole to consume.

The presence of metals affects how quickly gas cools and, consequently, how easily it can be captured by the black hole. The results were published on October 19 in The Astronomical Journal as a continuation of work published in May in The Astrophysical Journal.