Astronomer have gained new insight into the way that supermassive black holes consume the surrounding gas and dust, a process that contributes to their growth and affects their host galaxies.

Using observations from the Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Array (ALMA) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT), both located in Chile, and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in the United States, researchers have found that the amount of material consumed by these gigantic black holes is much lower than previously thought.

The accretion process of supermassive black holes is influenced by the availability of gas and dust in the galaxy's center, which can be regulated by the presence of winds and magnetic fields. By observing nearby galaxies with active black holes, the team discovered that the strong magnetic fields near the black holes can limit the inflow of material.

The findings provide important constraints on models of galaxy evolution and the growth of supermassive black holes. They suggest that the interplay between magnetic fields and gas dynamics plays a crucial role in determining the feeding rate and growth of these cosmic monsters.

The study titled "Low black hole accretion rates as a consequence of magnetic fields" is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.