附近活跃星系中的铁指纹

XRISM, a joint mission led by JAXA and NASA with contributions from ESA, has recently begun studying the supermassive black hole at the center of the spiral galaxy NGC 4151. The Resolve instrument on XRISM captured a detailed spectrum of the area around the black hole, providing insight into the elements present and the behavior of matter as it approaches the black hole.

The galaxy's active nature, characterized by its unusually bright and variable center, is a result of gas and dust swirling towards the black hole to form an accretion disk. This process creates twin jets of particles and a torus of material surrounding the disk. NGC 4151's proximity and brightness in X-rays make it an ideal target for XRISM's early observations.

Resolve's spectrum of NGC 4151 revealed iron emission lines and dips, indicating the presence of iron in both the accretion disk and the torus. The ability to detect various elements such as sulfur, calcium, and argon allows astrophysicists to gain insights into different cosmic phenomena across the X-ray sky.

XRISM's mission represents a collaborative effort between JAXA, NASA, and ESA, with NASA's contribution including science participation from the Canadian Space Agency. This international cooperation aims to further our understanding of the behavior of matter near black holes and the processes shaping the universe.