Supermassive black holes, which lie at the centers of galaxies, are voracious. They periodically “sip” or “gulp” from the swirling disks of gas and dust that orbit them, which can result in massive outflows that affect star formation locally and farther afield.
When NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope begins observing galaxies’ cores, its infrared instruments will pierce through the dust to deliver images and incredibly high-resolution data that allow researchers to learn precisely how one process sets off another, and how they create an enormous feedback loop.
Walk through the full process to learn how supermassive black holes convert fuel to produce bipolar jets, discover when star formation starts and stops, and examine a diagram of the processes at work.
This large-scale infographic files are available (at left) to print and post on your wall! All sections of this infographic ("Converting Fuel," "Pinpointing the Flows," "Conditions for Star Formation," and "The Feedback Loop") are also available for download in our resource gallery.
Credits
Image
NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)
