 |
The middle panel is a diagram of the innermost regions
of an AGN, with an accretion disk bordered by a thick tube of dust. The
upper image shows a spectrum of the X-rays produced in the accretion disk,
near the event horizon. The line is distorted by extreme gravity and the
gas¼ motions about the black hole. Probing this environment closest to the
black hole determines the black hole¼s spin and mass.
The lower image is a spectrum of dust and gas outside the accretion disk.
Constellation-X¼s superior sensitivity will measure the motion and
composition of this material and determine how it enters the accretion
disk.
Image Credit: NASA |
