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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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Are Hidden Black Holes Causing Quasi-Periodic Eruptions?

Astronomers have recently discovered a strange and exciting cosmic phenomenon called quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs). These are powerful bursts of X-rays coming from the centers of distant galaxies. What makes them special is that they repeat in a regular pattern, almost like a heartbeat from a supermassive black hole.

For years, scientists have debated what causes these repeating explosions. Now, Liu and his team have used advanced three-dimensional computer simulations to investigate their origin. Their results suggest that small black holes crashing through disks of gas around supermassive black holes may be responsible.

What Are Quasi-Periodic Eruptions?

Quasi-periodic eruptions are sudden flashes of soft X-rays from the centers of galaxies, where supermassive black holes live. These black holes are millions of times heavier than our Sun and are surrounded by hot, glowing gas called an accretion disk.

QPEs were first discovered in galaxies like GSN 069 and RX J1301.9+2747, observed by the space telescope XMM-Newton. Later, more were found by eROSITA.

These eruptions have some clear features:

  • They last for about one to several hours.

  • They repeat every few hours or days.

  • Their brightness increases 10 to 100 times.

  • Their energy ranges from 10⁴⁴ to 10⁴⁸ ergs.

Unlike the usual random flickering seen in active galaxies, QPEs follow a regular pattern. Some even show alternating long and short gaps between bursts. This strange behavior makes them difficult to explain.

Why Are QPEs So Difficult to Understand?

Many QPEs appear in galaxies that recently experienced a tidal disruption event, such as AT2019qiz. A tidal disruption event happens when a star comes too close to a supermassive black hole and gets torn apart by gravity.

Because of this connection, scientists believe QPEs are related to objects orbiting very close to black holes. But what exactly is causing the repeated bursts?

There are three main ideas:

  1. A star repeatedly losing material near the black hole.

  2. Instabilities inside the accretion disk.

  3. A smaller object crossing the disk during its orbit.

The third idea is currently the most popular. In this model, a smaller object — either a star or a small black hole — orbits the supermassive black hole. As it moves, it passes through the accretion disk and creates a burst of energy each time.

But is that object a star? Or is it another black hole?

Testing the Star Collision Idea

Liu’s team created detailed 3D simulations to test what happens when a normal star crosses the accretion disk.

When a star crashes through the disk:

  • It directly collides with the gas.

  • Shock waves form.

  • Gas is pushed outward in two opposite directions.

However, the simulations showed something surprising. The explosion is not balanced.

The forward-moving burst (in the direction the star travels) is much stronger than the backward burst. This happens because the star blocks gas behind it, creating a low-density wake. As a result, one side becomes much brighter than the other.

This creates problems:

  • Often, only one burst would be visible per orbit.

  • The bursts are too uneven compared to real observations.

  • The flare durations fall within a narrow range.

  • A normal star may not survive long in such a tight orbit.

These results suggest that while stars can create bursts, they do not fully explain the patterns seen in QPEs.

The Black Hole Collision Idea

Next, the team tested what happens if the orbiting object is a stellar-mass black hole — about 50 times the mass of the Sun.

Unlike a star, a black hole does not physically hit the gas with a surface. Instead, it pulls the gas using gravity. This gravitational pull affects gas within two important regions:

  • Bondi radius – where the black hole’s gravity captures nearby gas.

  • Hill radius – where the black hole’s gravity is stronger than the tidal pull of the central supermassive black hole.

Earlier studies only considered the Bondi radius and concluded that a small black hole could not produce enough energy. But Liu’s team included the Hill radius in their simulations.

They introduced a new formula to describe the effective interaction region:

Reff ≈ 0.5 RB^(1/3) RH^(2/3)

This shows that the Hill radius plays a big role. When both regions are considered, a stellar-mass black hole can gather and heat enough gas to produce the full range of QPE energies.

Why the Black Hole Model Matches Observations Better

The simulations show several advantages of the black hole model:

  • The two bursts per orbit are nearly symmetrical.

  • Strong–weak alternation between flares can happen naturally.

  • The energy output matches observed QPEs.

  • The durations vary more widely, matching real data.

  • A black hole can survive in orbit much longer than a star.

In addition, when the black hole crosses the disk at a low angle, it gathers more gas and produces stronger flares. This explains why different QPE sources show different strengths and durations.

What Does This Mean for Astronomy?

If QPEs are caused by stellar-mass black holes orbiting supermassive ones, it means:

  • Many galactic centers may contain hidden small black holes.

  • These systems could be sources of gravitational waves.

  • QPEs could help scientists study extreme gravity environments.

It would also give astronomers a new way to understand how black holes grow and interact in galactic nuclei.

Final Conclusion

Liu and his team performed the first global 3D simulations that fully include the gravity of the central supermassive black hole.

Their findings show:

  • Star–disk collisions create highly uneven bursts.

  • Stellar-mass black hole–disk interactions produce balanced and powerful eruptions.

  • The black hole model naturally explains periodicity, energy range, symmetry, and diversity of QPEs.

While more research is needed, the stellar-mass black hole model currently provides the most convincing explanation for quasi-periodic eruptions.

These mysterious cosmic heartbeats may actually be the hidden footsteps of small black holes orbiting giant ones — revealing a dramatic and powerful dance at the center of galaxies.

Reference: Kun Liu, Shang-Fei Liu, Zhen Pan, Hongping Deng, Rongfeng Shen, Cong Yu, "Quasi-periodic Eruptions from Stellar-mass Black Holes Impacting Accretion Disks in Galactic Nuclei", Arxiv, 2026. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00226


Technical Terms

🔭 1. Quasi-Periodic Eruptions (QPEs)

These are repeating bursts of X-ray light coming from the center of a galaxy.

  • “Quasi” means almost regular (not perfectly exact).

  • “Periodic” means repeating after a fixed time.

  • “Eruptions” means sudden bursts of energy.

So, QPEs are almost-regular X-ray flashes from near a black hole.

🕳 2. Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH)

A supermassive black hole is a giant black hole found at the center of most galaxies.

  • It can be millions or billions of times heavier than the Sun.

  • Its gravity controls the motion of stars and gas near the galaxy’s center.

💿 3. Accretion Disk

An accretion disk is a flat, spinning disk of hot gas and dust around a black hole.

  • Gas falls toward the black hole.

  • While falling, it heats up and glows brightly.

  • This glowing disk produces X-rays.

Think of it like water spinning down a drain — but extremely hot and powerful.

🌊 4. Tidal Disruption Event (TDE)

Example: AT2019qiz

A tidal disruption event happens when a star comes too close to a black hole.

  • The black hole’s gravity pulls harder on one side of the star.

  • The star gets stretched and torn apart.

  • The leftover material forms a bright disk around the black hole.

It’s like the black hole “spaghettifies” the star.

🔁 5. Extreme Mass Ratio Inspiral (EMRI)

An EMRI is a system where:

  • A small object (like a star or small black hole)

  • Orbits a supermassive black hole

  • Slowly moves closer over time

“Extreme mass ratio” means one object is much heavier than the other.

“Inspiral” means the smaller object slowly spirals inward.

💥 6. Stellar-Mass Black Hole (sBH)

A stellar-mass black hole forms when a massive star dies.

  • Usually 5–100 times heavier than the Sun.

  • Much smaller than a supermassive black hole.

  • Can orbit around a bigger black hole in galactic centers.

📏 7. Bondi Radius (RB)

The Bondi radius is the region around a black hole where its gravity is strong enough to pull in nearby gas.

Inside this radius:

  • Gas feels strongly attracted.

  • Gas can be captured and heated.

Think of it as the black hole’s “gas-catching zone.”

🌌 8. Hill Radius (RH)

The Hill radius is the area where a smaller object’s gravity is stronger than the tidal pull from the larger black hole.

It defines:

  • The region where the smaller black hole can control gas.

  • The outer limit of its gravitational influence in orbit.

It’s like the smaller black hole’s “personal space” in orbit.

⚡ 9. Shock Compression

Shock compression happens when gas is suddenly squeezed very quickly.

  • This creates strong heating.

  • Produces bright flashes of light.

It’s similar to how air heats up during an explosion.

🔄 10. Bipolar Ejecta

“Bipolar” means two directions.

“Ejecta” means material thrown out.

So bipolar ejecta means gas being pushed out in two opposite directions after an impact.

🔥 11. Energy in Ergs

An erg is a unit of energy used in astronomy.

For comparison:

  • The Sun produces about 10³³ ergs per second.

  • QPEs release 10⁴⁴–10⁴⁸ ergs.

That is an enormous amount of energy in a short time.

📊 12. Inclination

Inclination means the angle at which an object crosses the disk.

  • Low inclination → object moves almost along the disk plane.

  • High inclination → object crosses steeply from above or below.

The angle affects how much gas is disturbed and how powerful the burst becomes.

🧮 13. Simulation (3D Hydrodynamic Simulation)

A simulation is a computer model used to recreate physical events.

In this case:

  • Scientists use math and physics.

  • They simulate gas motion, gravity, and collisions.

  • It helps them understand what cannot be directly seen.

Hydrodynamic means studying how fluids (like gas) move.

🌟 14. Gravitational Focusing

Gravitational focusing happens when gravity pulls nearby gas toward a moving object.

  • Gas gathers around it.

  • Gas heats up.

  • This can cause an eruption.

It’s similar to how a moving magnet pulls iron pieces toward it.

🧲 15. Gravitational Waves

Gravitational waves are ripples in space caused by moving massive objects.

  • When black holes orbit each other, they create waves.

  • These waves travel across the universe.

  • Special detectors can measure them.

If QPEs come from orbiting black holes, they might also produce gravitational waves.


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