Astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in the galaxy VV 340a launching a wobbling jet that expels star-forming gas at a rate of about 19 solar masses per year. This process, captured using multiple telescopes including the James Webb Space Telescope, demonstrates how black holes can regulate galaxy evolution by limiting new star formation. The jet's precession, resembling a spinning top, enhances its interaction with surrounding gas.
In the nearby active galaxy VV 340a, a supermassive black hole powers a restless jet that disrupts the galaxy's star-forming potential. Led by Justin Kader, researchers used observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, Keck-II telescope, Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to map the jet's path across infrared, optical, radio, and sub-millimeter wavelengths.
The jet, originating from the black hole actively feeding on surrounding matter, ionizes and heats gas as it propagates outward. Data indicate it expels gas at a rate of 19.4 ± 7.9 solar masses annually—equivalent to the mass of 19 suns lost each year. This outflow is substantial enough to deplete the cool gas reserves essential for birthing new stars.
Computer modeling revealed the jet's unusual motion: it precesses in a cone-shaped pattern, tracing a helical structure on kiloparsec scales. This marks the first such observation of a precessing radio jet in a disk galaxy, allowing the jet to engage more gas and amplify the expulsion effect.
The affected gas, classified as coronal line gas due to its high ionization and extreme temperatures, extends farther from the black hole than typical. Infrared views from Webb pierced the galaxy's dust veil to uncover this energized material, which becomes too hot and dispersed for star formation.
Such jets highlight black holes' role in galaxy evolution. While inactive in the Milky Way today, past activity may have shaped it similarly. The team aims to identify comparable systems to gauge the prevalence of these outflows in suppressing stellar growth across the universe.
The findings appear in Science (2026).