Black Holes' Astonishing Feeding Frenzy Leaves Scientists Stunned

New simulations conducted by Northwestern University reveal that supermassive black holes consume surrounding material at a much faster rate than previously believed. The simulations show that the black holes tear apart the gas-filled accretion disks that surround them, resulting in inner and outer subdisks. The inner ring is devoured first, and then debris from the outer subdisk fills the gap, repeating the process in a matter of months. This discovery could explain the rapid flaring and fading of quasars, shedding light on the behavior of these bright celestial objects.