Blazars are believed to be enormous whirlpools of gas spiraling into black holes. As the gas spirals in, it heats up to searing hot temperatures and blazes with radiation. The radiation generates pressure along the axis above and below the whirlpool disk, forming jets that drive gas away, like water spewing out of a geyser. If the structure spins like a top, over time, the jet of a geyser-like blazar will spew gas out in different directions. This article studies the blazer QSO 3C 279 from radio observations of gas that it blew away in the past, like water gushing out of a twirling garden hose. This article describes the results of how astronomers can better understand the behavior of blazars like QSO 3C 279 by studying the behavior and dynamics of their ejected gas.
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