Black hole producing super winds, 20 million miles per hour winds

It appears the smallest black hole in the known universe also has some of the highest winds. This is the conclusion NASA scientists have made based on observations of black hole IGR J17091-3624 taken with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in space. 

PASADENA, CA (Catholic Online) - The name is esoteric, and so is the claim that it has "winds." Black holes cannot be seen directly because their immense gravitational pull prevents even particles of light from escaping their grasp. However, at greater distances, black holes stir up the matter around themselves, making indirect observation possible. This matter is what scientists observe as winds around the black hole. 

As scientists study the radiation and material surrounding a black hole, they can determine its mass, and other properties. In the case of IGR J17091-3624, scientists know it is very, very small, having only a mass equivalent to three Suns. 

However, IGR J17091-3624 is spewing jets of radiation at speeds at 20 million miles per hour, or nearly 3 percent the speed of light, which is amazingly fast. According to astronomers, such wind speeds are only observed near much larger black holes. Astronomers have warned that the results are preliminary and will require further study to verify, but that in any case, IGR J17091-3624 is producing unusually fast winds far in excess of what is typical for small black holes. 

The winds themselves are created by the interaction of the black hole's magnetic field with high-temperature ions, which moves the energized particles in different directions. The ionic gasses can move as either jets or winds with jets spewing from the poles of the black hole and winds spiraling around the accretion disk of the black hole. 

IGR J17091-3624 is part of a binary star system, so it has a companion star from which it regularly strips the outer layers of gasses and consumes. The companion star is roughly the mass of the Sun. 

Astronomers are learning more and more about black holes as they study these enigmatic objects. Astronomers have learned they are surprisingly common and believe they can provide a wealth of insight into the nature of the universe in which we live. 

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