What is the difference between the left and right pictures of a Quasar Core?

In summary, the conversation discusses a picture of a Quasar Core on Wikipedia and questions the difference between the left and right images. It is clarified that the right image uses a coronagraph to block out the central light and allow for better resolution of the surrounding region. The term "quasar core" refers to the black hole itself, while "quasar" encompasses the entire accretion disk.
  • #1
Drakkith
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So I was looking some stuff up on Quasars on Wikipedia and noticed this picture.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/2003-03-b-web.jpg

It says that this is a Quasar Core. What exactly is the difference between the left and right pictures here? Did they block out the light from the center to show the material around it?
 
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  • #2
Drakkith said:
So I was looking some stuff up on Quasars on Wikipedia and noticed this picture.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/2003-03-b-web.jpg

It says that this is a Quasar Core. What exactly is the difference between the left and right pictures here? Did they block out the light from the center to show the material around it?

What is a Quasar "core" anyway? It's a very young AGN, so isn't the Quaser already the core, and imaging beyond the intense radiation strikes me as impossible. Maybe I'm missing the point... is the Quasar the entire young galaxy, and the AGN is the 'core'?
 
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  • #3
Drakkith said:
It says that this is a Quasar Core. What exactly is the difference between the left and right pictures here? Did they block out the light from the center to show the material around it?
Yes, the right image is using a 'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronagraph" ' to block out the central light---allowing the surrounding region to be seen and better resolved.
 
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  • #4
Misericorde said:
What is a Quasar "core" anyway? It's a very young AGN, so isn't the Quaser already the core, and imaging beyond the intense radiation strikes me as impossible. Maybe I'm missing the point... is the Quasar the entire young galaxy, and the AGN is the 'core'?

I think the term quasar encompasses the whole accretion disk and everything inside it, while "core" would probably just be the black hole itself.

zhermes said:
Yes, the right image is using a 'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronagraph" ' to block out the central light---allowing the surrounding region to be seen and better resolved.

Ah, ok. Thanks!
 
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  • #5
Drakkith said:
I think the term quasar encompasses the whole accretion disk and everything inside it, while "core" would probably just be the black hole itself.



Ah, ok. Thanks!

That makes sense, thanks Drakkith.
 

1. What is a quasar core?

A quasar core is the central part of a distant galaxy that emits extremely bright and energetic radiation. It is believed to be powered by a supermassive black hole at its center.

2. How is a picture of a quasar core taken?

Pictures of quasar cores are usually taken using powerful telescopes, both on Earth and in space. The telescopes use different wavelengths of light, such as infrared or X-rays, to capture images of the quasar core.

3. Why do quasar cores appear so bright?

Quasar cores appear bright because they are powered by a process called accretion, where matter falls into the supermassive black hole at the center. This process releases a tremendous amount of energy, making the quasar core one of the brightest objects in the universe.

4. How far away are quasar cores?

Quasar cores are located in very distant galaxies, billions of light years away from Earth. This means that the light we see from them today has been traveling for billions of years to reach us.

5. What can we learn from pictures of quasar cores?

Pictures of quasar cores can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. They can also help us understand the properties of supermassive black holes and the processes involved in their growth and energy output.

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