Unique Chemical Composition Surrounding Supermassive Black Hole

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) successfully captured a detailed image of high density molecular gas around an active galactic nucleus harboring a supermassive black hole.

The observations at the highest ever achieved reveal a unique chemical composition characterized by enhancement of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) around the black hole.

An research team thought a high temperature affected by the black hole caused this peculiar chemical properties.

The team expect that this unique chemical properties can be used to find black holes hidden behind dust.

The research findings are presented in the article "Submillimeter ALMA Observation of the Dense Gas in the Low-Luminosity Type-1 Active Nucleus of NGC 1097" published in the Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japan, Vol. 65, of October 25, 2013.