“This is not suitable for any known category”

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An infinitely powerful object of mystery found in a nearby galaxy and so far only visible only a millimeter radio wavelength can be a completely new astrophysical object, contrary to everything the astronomers have seen before.

The object was named Punctum, originating from Latin punctum Means “point” or
Dot, created by the astronomers’ team led by Elena Shablovinskia from Institute de Estudito, Astrofíca, Universidad Diego Portales in Chile. Shablovinskia discovered it using Alma, Atacama’s large millimeter/underwater matrix.

“Behind the boundaries of supermassive black holes, punctum is really powerful,” Shablovinskia told Space.com.

Astronomers do not yet know what it is – only that it is compact, has a surprisingly structured magnetic field and, in its heart, is an object radiant with intense energy.

“When you include in context, Punctum is surprisingly bright-10,000 to 100,000 times lighter than typical magnetarians, about 100 times brighter than microquasars, and 10-100 times brighter than almost every known supernova, only crab fluff said.

Punctum is the Active Galaxy NGC 4945, which is quite close to our Galaxy Milky Way, a neighbor of 11 million light -years. It’s just outside the local group. Despite this closeness, it cannot be observed in optical or x -ray light, but only a millimeter radio wavelength. This has only deepened the secret, although James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) still have to look at the object almost and in the mid -infrared wavelength.

What could be punctum?

Its brightness remained the same in several observations in 2023, which means that this is not an exacerbation or other transitional phenomenon. Millimeter wave radiation is usually obtained from cold objects such as young protoplanetary discs and interstellar molecular clouds. However, very energetic phenomena such as quasars and impulses can also cause radio waves through synchrotron radiation when charged particles moving close to the spiral speed around the magnetic field lines and radiating radio waves.

What we know about Punctum is that based on how strongly polarized its millimeter light, it must have a highly structured magnetic field. So Shablovinskia believes that what we see from punctum is the radiation of synchrotron. Objects with strong polarization are usually compact objects because larger objects have uncomfortable magnetic fields that wash any polarization.

Perhaps that synchrotron radiation is fed by a magnet, the team thinks it is a very magnetic pulsar. However, although the magnetic field ordered by the magnetar is suitable for the account, magnetaries (and on this matter) are much weaker in a millimeter wave length than puncture.

Supernova residues, such as crab nebula, which are awkward inner sides, blown up with a stars that exploded in 1054AD are bright in a millimeter wavelength. The problem is that the remains of the supernova are quite large-the crab nebula is about 11 light-years, and punctum is clearly smaller, compact object.

“At the moment, Punctum really stands up – it is not suitable for any known category,” said Shablovinskaia. “And honestly, nothing like this in any previous millimeter surveys, mainly because we have not had anything as sensitive and highly as Alma so far.”

There is a warning that punctum can be simply essentially: the extreme version of a differently familiar object, such as a magnetar in an unusual environment, or supernova residue interacting with dense material. But so far, it is just speculating that he has no confirmation evidence. It is quite possible that Punctum is indeed the first type of astrophysical object that we haven’t seen yet because only Alma can detect them.

In the case of Punctum, it is 100 times weaker than the NGC 4945 active nucleus, which is a supermassive black hole fed by infalting substances. Punctum would probably not have been observed in Alma data if it was not due to its exceptionally strong polarization.

Further observations of Alma will certainly help you explain what the object is. The observations in which the Punctum was found was actually focused on the bright NGC 4945 active nucleus; It was only a coincidence that the punctum was observed in the field of view. Future Alma’s observations directed at Punctum will instead be able to move to much less noise level, without worrying that the bright core of the galaxy is too affected, and this could also be seen at various frequencies.

The biggest help can give JWST. If she can see the infrared equivalent, then its higher resolution could help determine what puncture is.

“JWST sharp resolution and a wide spectral range can help reveal whether Punctum emission is purely synchrotone, or includes dust or emission lines,” said Shablovinskaia.

So far, it is all IFS and BUTTS, and all we can say is that astronomers have a real secret on their hands, which so far have made them feel.

“Anyway,” said Shablovinskia, “Punctum shows us that there is still a lot to discover in the millimeter sky.

Astronomy and Astrophysics have accepted a document describing the discovery of the point, and prior printing can be found in Astro.ph.