Université de Montréal
Mapping a Black Hole Accretion Flow with JWST/NIRSpec — Observation of the gas kinematics within the sphere of influence of the black hole in NGC 4696, the central dominant galaxy of the Centaurus cluster of galaxies, using JWST’s NIRSpec IFU. Due to its proximity, recent deep high-spatialresolution HST images of NGC 4696 have, for the first time, revealed an intriguing swirl in the ionized gas that appears to lead directly to the black hole—providing a unique opportunity to understand black hole accretion processes and their relationship with galaxy scale. The objectives of the project include mapping the velocity structure of the swirl, comparing it with state-of-the-art MHD simulations, measuring the black hole's mass, examining Bondi accretion, probing radio jet interactions, and searching for hidden cooling flows.