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Whether ten or millions of solar masses, black-hole jets returned near a 2% threshold
The 17 September Nature Astronomy study offers observational evidence that black holes may switch jets at the same point across enormous mass scales.
The 2% is not 2% of a black hole’s mass or brightness; it is the accretion rate relative to the Eddington balance between gravity and radiation pressure.
What was observed?
The team gathered 20 tidal disruption events and used ten for which both accretion rate and radio-outflow timing could be constrained.
Two jet phases
An early outflow can appear above the Eddington rate. A physically distinct delayed jet emerged as feeding fell to about 0.02 Eddington.
Why is it surprising?
Stellar black holes change state over days or months, whereas ordinary supermassive systems evolve over millennia. Tidal disruptions compress that evolution into years.
What is not settled?
The sample is small and accretion rates come from disk models, not direct meters. More radio and X-ray follow-up must test whether the threshold predicts new jets.
Primary source and independent checks
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