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Animations of RX J1242-11
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Animation of Star Ripped Apart
by Giant Black Hole
QuickTime
MPEG
This animation shows a yellow star that travels too close to a giant black
hole in the center of the galaxy RX J1242-11. As it nears, the star is
stretched by tidal forces from the black hole and is quickly torn apart.
Most of the yellow gaseous debris from the star escapes the black hole in
parabolic orbits. However, a small amount of material is captured by the
black hole and then forms a rotating disk of gas. X-rays are emitted as
the gas in the disk is heated (as shown by the blue color) and is gradually
swallowed by the black hole, eventually emptying the disk.
[Run Time: 0:43]
Animation:ESA
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Comparison of X-ray to Optical Data
of RX J1242-11
QuickTime
MPEG
This image sequence begins with an earlier X-ray (ROSAT satellite) image
of the source RX J1242-11 when astronomers saw it in its brightest
state. Next, the sequence zooms into a smaller region at the center,
before merging to a Chandra image of RX J1242-11. Obtained 9 years
later, the Chandra image shows that the source is 200 times fainter, a
characteristic of a torn apart star near a black hole. The sequence
then dissolves to an optical image of the same field. The white circle
shows the position of the Chandra source on the visible-light image,
proving this event occurred in the center of RX J1242-11.
[Run Time: 0:10]
ROSAT image: MPE
Optical: MPE/S.Komossa
Chandra: NASA/CXC/MPE/S.Komossa et al.
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Illustrations Explaining Tidal Disruption
QuickTime
MPEG
The first illustration in this sequence shows a doomed star (orange circle)
that wanders so close to a giant black hole that the black hole's enormous
gravity stretches the star until it is torn apart. Some of the disrupted
star's mass (indicated by the white stream) is swallowed by the black hole,
while the rest is flung away into the surrounding galaxy. The second
illustration shows how the gas that was pulled towards the black hole forms
a disk and is heated before being swallowed by the black hole. The third
illustration shows a much fainter disk, after about ten years have elapsed,
when most of the gas has been swallowed by the black hole.
[Run Time: 0:12]
Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
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Comparison of Obscured AGN Spectrum and XMM Spectrum
QuickTime
MPEG
This sequence of illustrations begins by showing an active galactic nucleus
(AGN), a supermassive black hole that is swallowing large amounts of gas
via a disk. In the type of AGN shown here the central black hole is
obscured by a thick donut-shaped cloud of dust and gas. A representation of the X-ray
spectrum, or X-ray energy signature, of a typical obscured AGN is then
shown in yellow, followed by the XMM spectrum of the event in RX J1242-11
(shown in blue). The clear difference between the obscured AGN spectrum and
the XMM spectrum shows that RX J1242-11 is not an obscured AGN. An optical
spectrum obtained earlier with HST rules out the possibility that RX
J1242-11 is a "normal" AGN, where the nucleus containing the black hole is
not obscured by dust and gas.
[Run Time: 0:14]
Spectrum: ESA/XMM-Newton/S.Komossa et al.
Illustration: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss
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Return to RX J1242-11
(18 Feb 04)
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