How do quasars work and why do they eject the material?

Question: How do quasars work and why do they eject the material?
- Keywords:
  material,
  physics,
  quasar
Asked by JamesK to Vicky F on 23 Jun 2025.
- Vicky Fawcett answered on 23 Jun 2025:
  
  Quasars are extremely bright galaxies, powered by supermassive black holes. The reason they are so bright is that the supermassive black hole at the centre is consuming a large amount of material. Before the material is eaten by the black hole, it orbits at very high speeds. The material rubs together causing friction, heating up and becoming very bright.
  
  When the material falls into the black hole the black hole becomes very energetic and starts blowing out winds and ejecting high energy particles in a jet.

Question: How do quasars work and why do they eject the material?