Daily Current Affairs : 23-January-2025

LID-568 is a fascinating discovery in the field of astronomy, providing a new understanding of black hole formation and growth. It is a low-mass supermassive black hole that existed just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. This discovery challenges existing theories about black holes and opens up new possibilities for research into how these cosmic giants evolve over time.

What is LID-568?

LID-568 is a supermassive black hole located in a distant galaxy. It was discovered using X-ray and infrared observations, revealing new insights into the behavior of black holes in the early universe. The galaxy in which LID-568 resides shows minimal star formation, which is likely influenced by the black hole’s powerful outflows. These outflows are strong enough to hinder the formation of new stars in the galaxy, suggesting the black hole has a significant impact on its surroundings.

Discovery of LID-568: A Revolutionary Insight into Black Hole Formation
Courtesy : NOIRLab
Key Features of LID-568
  • Super-Eddington Accretion: LID-568 is feeding on surrounding matter at a rate that exceeds the Eddington limit by 40 times. The Eddington limit is the maximum rate at which a black hole or star can accrete matter without its outward radiation pressure counteracting the gravitational pull.
    • If this limit is surpassed, the infalling matter is pushed away, stopping further accretion.
    • LID-568’s ability to exceed this limit challenges current understandings of black hole feeding processes.
  • Distance and Extreme Behavior: LID-568 is one of the most distant black holes known to exhibit such extreme feeding behavior. This makes it an important subject of study for understanding black holes in the early universe.
  • Impact on Galaxy Formation: The powerful outflows from LID-568 prevent the accumulation of matter needed for new star formation in its host galaxy. This suggests that the black hole has a profound effect on the galaxy’s evolution.
Significance of the Discovery
  • Challenges Current Models: The discovery of LID-568 contradicts previous theories that supermassive black holes need hundreds of millions of years to grow through sustained feeding. The rapid growth of LID-568 suggests that black holes can grow much more quickly than previously thought.
  • Insights into the Early Universe: The rapid accretion of matter by LID-568 provides new insights into how massive black holes could have formed in the young universe, possibly in short bursts of intense feeding rather than slow and steady growth.
  • Future Research: This discovery lays the foundation for future studies into the mechanics of black hole accretion and their impact on galaxy evolution. Understanding how LID-568 and similar black holes formed could lead to important breakthroughs in cosmology.
Important Points:
  • LID-568 is a low-mass supermassive black hole that existed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
  • Discovered using X-ray and infrared observations, LID-568 resides in a galaxy with minimal star formation, likely due to the black hole’s outflows.
  • Super-Eddington Accretion: LID-568 feeds at a rate 40 times the Eddington limit, challenging current theories of black hole feeding.
    • The Eddington limit is the maximum rate of accretion before radiation pressure prevents further matter from falling into the black hole.
  • Distance and Extreme Feeding Behavior: LID-568 is one of the most distant black holes known to exhibit such extreme feeding.
  • Impact on Galaxy: The black hole’s powerful outflows prevent new star formation in its host galaxy.
  • Challenges Current Models: LID-568’s rapid growth contradicts theories that supermassive black holes need long periods of feeding to grow.
  • Insights into Early Universe: The discovery suggests that black holes could have grown quickly in the early universe through short bursts of intense feeding.
  • Foundation for Future Research: The discovery provides a basis for further studies into black hole accretion and their role in galaxy evolution.
Why In News

The discovery of LID-568, a low-mass supermassive black hole feeding at an unprecedented rate, has opened new avenues in understanding black hole formation and growth, offering crucial insights into the rapid accretion processes that may have shaped early cosmic structures.

MCQs about Discovery of LID-568
  1. What is the significance of LID-568’s feeding rate?
    A. It feeds at the Eddington limit.
    B. It feeds at 40 times the Eddington limit.
    C. It feeds at a rate slower than the Eddington limit.
    D. It doesn’t feed at all.
    Correct Answer: B. It feeds at 40 times the Eddington limit.
    Explanation: LID-568 is feeding at a rate 40 times the Eddington limit, which is the maximum rate at which a black hole can accrete matter without radiation pressure pushing matter away.
  2. How does the discovery of LID-568 challenge existing theories about black holes?
    A. It confirms that black holes grow through slow and steady accretion.
    B. It shows that black holes grow through bursts of intense feeding.
    C. It suggests that black holes do not affect star formation in galaxies.
    D. It proves that black holes cannot exceed the Eddington limit.
    Correct Answer: B. It shows that black holes grow through bursts of intense feeding.
    Explanation: The rapid growth of LID-568 contradicts the theory that black holes need sustained feeding over hundreds of millions of years to grow, suggesting instead that short bursts of intense feeding can lead to rapid growth.
  3. What effect do LID-568’s outflows have on its host galaxy?
    A. They promote new star formation.
    B. They prevent the formation of new stars.
    C. They increase the mass of the galaxy.
    D. They have no effect on the galaxy.
    Correct Answer: B. They prevent the formation of new stars.
    Explanation: The powerful outflows from LID-568 prevent the accumulation of matter required for new star formation in its host galaxy, influencing the galaxy’s evolution.
  4. How was LID-568 discovered?
    A. Through radio wave observations.
    B. Using X-ray and infrared observations.
    C. Through gravitational wave detections.
    D. By direct imaging from a space telescope.
    Correct Answer: B. Using X-ray and infrared observations.
    Explanation: LID-568 was discovered using X-ray and infrared observations, which provided crucial insights into the behavior of this distant black hole.

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