Astronomers Use Destroyed Stars to Measure the Spin of a Supermassive Black Hole

Researchers have developed a new way to probe supermassive black holes and their evolution across the universe.

Scientists at MIT, NASA, and elsewhere have developed a method to measure black hole spins using the wobbling of accretion disks resulting from tidal disruption events. The technique, involving tracking X-ray flashes from these events, has revealed the spin of a nearby supermassive black hole to be less than 25% the speed of light. This new approach could help understand the evolutionary history of black holes across the universe.

New Method to Measure Black Hole Spins
Astronomers have a new way to measure how fast a black hole spins, by using the wobbly aftermath from its stellar feasting.