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First M87 Event Horizon Telescope Results. V. Physical Origin of the Asymmetric Ring

The Astrophysical Journal Letters · 2019 · Vol. 875(1) · pp. L5–L5

Kazunori Akiyama✉(Woodwell Climate Research Center)A. Alberdi(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía)W. Alef(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Keiichi Asada(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Rebecca Azulay(Universitat de València)Anne-Kathrin Baczko(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)David Ball(University of Arizona)Mislav Baloković(Woodwell Climate Research Center)John Barrett(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Dan Bintley(East Asian Observatory)Lindy Blackburn(Woodwell Climate Research Center)W. Boland(Nederlandse Onderzoekschool Voor Astronomie)Katherine L. Bouman(California Institute of Technology)Geoffrey C. BowerMichael Bremer(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)Christiaan D. Brinkerink(Radboud University Nijmegen)Roger Brissenden(Woodwell Climate Research Center)S. Britzen(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Avery E. Broderick(University of Waterloo)Dominique Broguière(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)Thomas Bronzwaer(Radboud University Nijmegen)Do‐Young Byun(Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)J. E. Carlstrom(Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory)Andrew Chael(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Chi‐kwan Chan(University of Arizona)Shami Chatterjee(Cornell University)Koushik Chatterjee(University of Amsterdam)Ming‐Tang ChenXiaopeng ChengIlje Cho(Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)Pierre Christian(University of Arizona)J. E. Conway(Chalmers University of Technology)J. M. Cordes(Cornell University)G. Crew(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Yuzhu Cui(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)Jordy Davelaar(Radboud University Nijmegen)Mariafelicia De Laurentis(Goethe University Frankfurt)Roger Deane(Rhodes University)Jessica Dempsey(East Asian Observatory)G. Desvignes(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Jason Dexter(Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)Sheperd S. Doeleman(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Ralph P. Eatough(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)H. Falcke(Radboud University Nijmegen)Vincent L. Fish(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Ed Fomalont(National Radio Astronomy Observatory)Raquel Fraga-Encinas(Radboud University Nijmegen)Per Friberg(East Asian Observatory)Christian M. Fromm(Goethe University Frankfurt)José L. Gómez(Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía)Peter Galison(Harvard University)Charles F. Gammie(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)Roberto García(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)Olivier Gentaz(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)Boris Georgiev(University of Waterloo)C. Goddi(Leiden University)Roman Gold(Goethe University Frankfurt)Minfeng GuMark Gurwell(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian)Kazuhiro Hada(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)M. H. Hecht(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Ronald Hesper(University of Groningen)Luis C. HoPaul T. P. Ho(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Mareki Honma(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)Chih-Wei L. Huang(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Lei 磊 Huang 黄D. H. Hughes(National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics)Shiro Ikeda(Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe)Makoto Inoue(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Sara Issaoun(Radboud University Nijmegen)D. J. James(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Buell T. Jannuzi(University of Arizona)Michaël Janssen(Radboud University Nijmegen)Britton Jeter(University of Waterloo)Wu JiangMichael D. Johnson(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Svetlana G. Jorstad(Boston University)Taehyun Jung(Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)Mansour Karami(University of Waterloo)R. Karuppusamy(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Tomohisa Kawashima(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)Garrett K. Keating(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian)Mark Kettenis(Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC)Jae-Young Kim(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Junhan Kim(University of Arizona)Jongsoo Kim(Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)Motoki Kino(Kogakuin University)Jun Yi Koay(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Patrick M. Koch(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Shoko Koyama(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)M. Krämer(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)C. Krämer(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)T. P. Krichbaum(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Cheng‐Yu Kuo(National Sun Yat-sen University)Tod R. Lauer(Kitt Peak National Observatory)Sang-Sung Lee(Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)Yan-Rong LiZhiyuan 志远 Li 李M. Lindqvist(Chalmers University of Technology)Kuo Liu(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Elisabetta Liuzzo(Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna)Wen-Ping Lo(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)A. P. Lobanov(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Laurent Loinard(Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)C. J. Lonsdale(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Ru-Sen LuNicholas R. MacDonald(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Jirong 基荣 Mao 毛Sera Markoff(University of Amsterdam)Daniel P. Marrone(University of Arizona)Alan P. Marscher(Boston University)I. Martí‐Vidal(Yebes Observatory)Satoki Matsushita(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Lynn D. Matthews(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Lia Medeiros(University of Arizona)K. M. Menten(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Yosuke Mizuno(Goethe University Frankfurt)Izumi Mizuno(East Asian Observatory)J. M. Moran(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Kotaro Moriyama(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)Monika Mościbrodzka(Radboud University Nijmegen)Cornelia Müller(Radboud University Nijmegen)Hiroshi Nagai(The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI)Neil M. Nagar(University of Concepción)Masanori Nakamura(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Ramesh Narayan(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Gopal Narayanan(University of Massachusetts Amherst)Iniyan Natarajan(Rhodes University)R. Neri(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)Chunchong Ni(University of Waterloo)A. Noutsos(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Hiroki Okino(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)Héctor Olivares(Goethe University Frankfurt)Tomoaki Oyama(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)Feryal Özel(University of Arizona)Daniel C. M. Palumbo(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Nimesh Patel(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian)Ue‐Li Pen(Canadian Institute for Advanced Research)Dominic W. Pesce(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Vincent Piétu(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)R. L. Plambeck(University of California, Berkeley)Aleksandar PopStefanija(University of Massachusetts Amherst)Oliver Porth(Goethe University Frankfurt)Ben Prather(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)Jorge A. Preciado-López(Perimeter Institute)Dimitrios Psaltis(University of Arizona)Hung-Yi Pu(Perimeter Institute)Venkatessh Ramakrishnan(University of Concepción)Ramprasad RaoMark G. Rawlings(East Asian Observatory)Alexander W. Raymond(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Luciano Rezzolla(Goethe University Frankfurt)Bart Ripperda(Goethe University Frankfurt)Freek Roelofs(Radboud University Nijmegen)A. E. E. Rogers(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)E. Ros(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Mel Rose(University of Arizona)Arash Roshanineshat(University of Arizona)Helge Rottmann(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)A. L. Roy(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Chet Ruszczyk(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Benjamin R. Ryan(Los Alamos National Laboratory)K. L. J. Rygl(Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna)Salvador Sánchez(Instituto de Radioastronomía Milimétrica)David Sánchez-Argüelles(National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics)Mahito Sasada(Hiroshima University)T. Savolainen(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)F. Peter Schloerb(University of Massachusetts Amherst)K. Schüster(Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique)Lijing Shao(Peking University)Zhi-Qiang ShenDes Small(Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC)Bong Won Sohn(Yonsei University)Jason Soohoo(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Fumie Tazaki(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)Paul Tiede(University of Waterloo)R. P. J. Tilanus(Leiden University)Michael S. Titus(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)Kenji Toma(Tohoku University)Pablo Torné(Instituto de Radioastronomía Milimétrica)Tyler Trent(University of Arizona)Sascha Trippe(Seoul National University)Shuichiro Tsuda(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)Ilse van Bemmel(Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC)Huib Jan van Langevelde(Leiden University)Daniel R. van Rossum(Radboud University Nijmegen)Jan Wagner(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)J. F. C. Wardle(Brandeis University)Jonathan Weintroub(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Norbert Wex(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Robert Wharton(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Maciek Wielgus(Woodwell Climate Research Center)George N. Wong(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)Qingwen 庆文 Wu 吴André Young(Radboud University Nijmegen)Ken Young(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian)Ziri Younsi(Goethe University Frankfurt)Feng 峰 Yuan 袁Ye-Fei 业飞 Yuan 袁J. A. Zensus(Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy)Guang-Yao Zhao(Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute)Shan-Shan Zhao(Radboud University Nijmegen)Ziyan Zhu(Harvard University)J. Anczarski(Villanova University)Frederick K. Baganoff(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)A. Eckart(University of Cologne)Joseph Farah(Woodwell Climate Research Center)Daryl Haggard(Canadian Institute for Advanced Research)Zheng Meyer-Zhao(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Daniel Michalik(University of Chicago)Andrew Nadolski(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)Joey Neilsen(Villanova University)Hiroaki Nishioka(Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica)Michael A. Nowak(Washington University in St. Louis)Nicolas Pradel(University of Chicago)Rurik A. Primiani(Systems and Technology Research (United States))Kamal Souccar(University of Massachusetts Amherst)Laura Vertatschitsch(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian)Paul Yamaguchi(Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian)Shuo Zhang(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

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Abstract

Abstract The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has mapped the central compact radio source of the elliptical galaxy M87 at 1.3 mm with unprecedented angular resolution. Here we consider the physical implications of the asymmetric ring seen in the 2017 EHT data. To this end, we construct a large library of models based on general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations and synthetic images produced by general relativistic ray tracing. We compare the observed visibilities with this library and confirm that the asymmetric ring is consistent with earlier predictions of strong gravitational lensing of synchrotron emission from a hot plasma orbiting near the black hole event horizon. The ring radius and ring asymmetry depend on black hole mass and spin, respectively, and both are therefore expected to be stable when observed in future EHT campaigns. Overall, the observed image is consistent with expectations for the shadow of a spinning Kerr black hole as predicted by general relativity. If the black hole spin and M87’s large scale jet are aligned, then the black hole spin vector is pointed away from Earth. Models in our library of non-spinning black holes are inconsistent with the observations as they do not produce sufficiently powerful jets. At the same time, in those models that produce a sufficiently powerful jet, the latter is powered by extraction of black hole spin energy through mechanisms akin to the Blandford-Znajek process. We briefly consider alternatives to a black hole for the central compact object. Analysis of existing EHT polarization data and data taken simultaneously at other wavelengths will soon enable new tests of the GRMHD models, as will future EHT campaigns at 230 and 345 GHz.

Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations Astrophysics and Cosmic PhenomenaPhysicsEvent horizonBlack hole (networking)Supermassive black holeAstrophysicsSchwarzschild radiusKerr metricRotating black holeBinary black holeSpin-flip

Funding

National Science Foundation
Smithsonian Institution
U.S. Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
John Templeton Foundation
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Kavli Foundation
Harvard University
University of Chicago
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
University of Arizona
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Compute Canada
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Associated Universities
International Max Planck Research School for Environmental, Cellular and Molecular Microbiology
Joint Institute for Computational Fundamental Science
Government of Canada
Leverhulme Trust
European Commission
National Research Foundation
Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Academia Sinica
Academy of Finland
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
Generalitat Valenciana
Nuclear Safety and Security Commission
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
National Research Foundation of Korea
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Vetenskapsrådet
China Scholarship Council
European Southern Observatory
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Russian Science Foundation
Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
Recruitment Program of Global Experts
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
Institut Périmètre de physique théorique
Toray Science Foundation
National Nuclear Security Administration
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica
Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies
Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
National Institutes of Natural Sciences
National Key Research and Development Program of China
Office of International Science and Engineering
Los Alamos National Laboratory