Violent Galaxy Collisions Power Mega Black Holes

摘要

Among the most luminous things in the universe are active galactic nuclei (AGN): gigantic black holes that can emit as much energy as 10 billion suns. Why these objects are so much brighter than ordinary supermassive black holes has long puzzled researchers. Now, with the aid of NASA's orbiting Swift x-ray observatory, astronomers have confirmed what theorists consider the likely explanation: AGN derive their stupendous power from the merger of two galaxies.