Supermassive black holes can interfere with the formation of young stars by emitting vast quantities of particles in aging galaxies.

Stars are formed when hot gas starts to fall toward a galaxy's black hole, causing the gas to cool down and condense.  But a recent study has found that black holes spew out radio-frequency feedback, which likely heats up interstellar gas and prevents it from forming new stars.

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Researchers from John Hopkins University in the U.S. used the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich technique to study the process.

The SZ effect technique is typically used to study large galaxy clusters but researchers found a way to use the technique to learn about smaller formations. The effect occurs when energized electrons in hot gas react to the remaining light from the earliest times in the cosmic microwave background.

Gas drawn toward the center of a galaxy normally cools and condenses, forming new stars while some gas falls into the galaxy's black hole. As more gas is pulled in to cool and condense, more stars begin to show up and the central black hole turns more immense.

In almost all mature galaxies, or big galaxies called "elliptical" because of their shape, the gas doesn't cool enough to collapse into stars.

Researchers found elliptical galaxies emitting radio-frequency particles from the massive central black holes all contain hot gas and lack infant stars. The recent findings provide crucial evidence for their hypothesis that radio-frequency feedback is the "off switch" for star-making in mature galaxies.

Researchers don't fully understand what exactly causes black holes to emit radio-frequency feedback. But the new study poses yet another challenge to the theory of galaxy formation.

The study was published online in the journal, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 

TagsBlack Holes, Star Formation, Old Galaxies, John Hopkins University, unyaev-Zel'dovich, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.