Advancing Black Hole Imaging with Space-Based Interferometry
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2024
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| _version_ | 1866916504020189184 |
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| author | Zineb, Yassine Ben Ozel, Feryal Psaltis, Dimitrios |
| author_facet | Zineb, Yassine Ben Ozel, Feryal Psaltis, Dimitrios |
| contents | Horizon-scale imaging with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has provided transformative insights into supermassive black holes but its resolution and scope are limited by ground-based constraints such as the size of the Earth, its relatively slow rotation, and atmospheric delays. Space-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) offers the capability for studying a larger and more diverse sample of black holes. We identify a number of nearby supermassive black holes as prime candidates for horizon-scale imaging at millimeter wavelengths, and use source characteristics such as angular size, sky distribution, and variability timescales to shape the design of a space-based array. We identify specific metrics that serve as key predictors of image fidelity and scientific potential, providing a quantitative basis for optimizing mission design parameters. Our analysis demonstrates that the optimal configuration requires two space-based elements in high Earth orbits (HEO) that are not coplanar and are apparently counter-rotating. Our results delineate the key requirements for a space-based VLBI mission, enabling detailed studies of black hole shadows, plasma dynamics, and jet formation, advancing black hole astrophysics beyond the current capabilities of the EHT. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_01904 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Advancing Black Hole Imaging with Space-Based Interferometry Zineb, Yassine Ben Ozel, Feryal Psaltis, Dimitrios Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Horizon-scale imaging with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has provided transformative insights into supermassive black holes but its resolution and scope are limited by ground-based constraints such as the size of the Earth, its relatively slow rotation, and atmospheric delays. Space-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) offers the capability for studying a larger and more diverse sample of black holes. We identify a number of nearby supermassive black holes as prime candidates for horizon-scale imaging at millimeter wavelengths, and use source characteristics such as angular size, sky distribution, and variability timescales to shape the design of a space-based array. We identify specific metrics that serve as key predictors of image fidelity and scientific potential, providing a quantitative basis for optimizing mission design parameters. Our analysis demonstrates that the optimal configuration requires two space-based elements in high Earth orbits (HEO) that are not coplanar and are apparently counter-rotating. Our results delineate the key requirements for a space-based VLBI mission, enabling detailed studies of black hole shadows, plasma dynamics, and jet formation, advancing black hole astrophysics beyond the current capabilities of the EHT. |
| title | Advancing Black Hole Imaging with Space-Based Interferometry |
| topic | Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01904 |