J0313-1806

Definition

J0313-1806 is a quasar, which is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus powered by a supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy. It is one of the most distant known quasars, with a redshift indicating it existed when the universe was only about 800 million years old.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. J0313-1806 is one of the most distant known quasars, with a redshift of 7.642, indicating it existed when the universe was only about 800 million years old.
2. The supermassive black hole at the center of J0313-1806 has a mass estimated to be over 1 billion times the mass of the Sun.
3. J0313-1806 is extremely luminous, with a bolometric luminosity (total energy output) estimated to be over 3 trillion times the luminosity of the Sun.
4. The discovery of J0313-1806 helps shed light on the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies in the early universe.
5. Studying quasars like J0313-1806 provides insights into the physical processes that occur in the most extreme environments in the universe.

Review Questions

• Explain the significance of the redshift of J0313-1806 and what it reveals about the early universe.
  • The redshift of 7.642 for J0313-1806 indicates that it existed when the universe was only about 800 million years old, just a small fraction of its current age of 13.8 billion years. This extremely high redshift means the light from J0313-1806 has been significantly stretched by the expansion of the universe, providing a glimpse into the early universe when galaxies and supermassive black holes were first forming. The discovery of such a distant, luminous quasar like J0313-1806 helps shed light on the rapid growth and evolution of the first supermassive black holes and their host galaxies in the early cosmos.
• Describe the key features of quasars that make J0313-1806 an important object of study for astronomers.
  • Quasars like J0313-1806 are the most luminous persistent sources of electromagnetic radiation in the universe, with their immense energy output believed to be powered by the accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies. The extreme properties of J0313-1806, including its record-breaking redshift, supermassive black hole mass, and extraordinary luminosity, make it a crucial object for studying the formation and evolution of the earliest supermassive black holes and their host galaxies in the early universe. Analyzing the physical processes occurring in quasars like J0313-1806 provides valuable insights into the most extreme environments in the cosmos.
• Evaluate the importance of discoveries like J0313-1806 for our understanding of the early universe and the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes.
  • The discovery of quasars like J0313-1806, which existed when the universe was only a small fraction of its current age, is crucial for our understanding of the formation and early evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes. These distant, luminous objects provide a unique window into the physical processes that were shaping the universe in its infancy. By studying the properties of J0313-1806, such as its extreme redshift, supermassive black hole mass, and immense luminosity, astronomers can piece together a more comprehensive picture of how the first galaxies and their central black holes co-evolved in the early cosmos. This knowledge is fundamental for advancing our theories of structure formation and the emergence of the first luminous objects in the universe, which in turn has broader implications for our overall understanding of cosmic history and evolution.

Related terms

Quasar: A quasar is a supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy that is accreting matter, emitting enormous amounts of electromagnetic radiation, particularly in the ultraviolet and x-ray portions of the spectrum.

Redshift: Redshift is the shift of the spectrum of light or other electromagnetic radiation to longer, redder wavelengths due to the Doppler effect, which occurs when the source is moving away from the observer.

Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN): An active galactic nucleus (AGN) is a compact region at the center of a galaxy that has a much higher than normal luminosity, believed to be powered by matter falling into a supermassive black hole.