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20h ago

EHT Spots Polarization Flip and Jet-Base Signal at M87*, With Ring Size Unchanged

Researchers say the evolving polarization demands denser time‑resolved campaigns to pin down jet‑launching physics.

Image
Image
As shown in these EHT images, while M87*’s magnetic fields appeared to spiral in one direction in 2017, they settled in 2018 and reversed direction in 2021. Image credit: EHT Collaboration.

Overview

  • The Event Horizon Telescope reports that M87*’s polarization pattern reversed between 2017 and 2021 after a quieter 2018 epoch.
  • The apparent ring size remained consistent across all epochs, reinforcing general relativity’s black‑hole shadow prediction.
  • 2021 observations yielded the first EHT signatures of faint extended emission at the jet base where it connects to the ring.
  • Added stations at Kitt Peak and NOEMA plus improved calibration and short baselines boosted sensitivity to polarization and jet‑base structure.
  • The peer‑reviewed study in Astronomy & Astrophysics attributes the changes to dynamic magnetized plasma near the event horizon and outlines plans for more frequent monitoring.