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Wednesday, August 21, 2019, 8:45 pm – Astronomers detect gravitational waves that may indicate a colossal collision
Did you feel this little swing in the fabric of space-time? That happened just a week ago, according to astronomers working to detect gravitational waves.
Scientists working with gravitational wave sensors LIGO and Virgo claim that their instruments have detected what could have been the effects of a black hole causing a neutron star.
A black hole is essentially a bottomless pit in the space-time, to which nothing can escape, even light. A neutron star is one of the densest forms of matter known – the remains of a dead star that contains a mass greater than that contained in our Sun in a compact sphere of 10 to 20 kilometers in diameter. .
<img src = "http://images.twnmm.com/c55i45ef3o2a/1I1auqEqtibuC65d4Rrgsw/6c6ef51d446df56af6ed653b3d16c33f/black-hole-neutron-star-arc.jpg?w=680&q=10&fm=jpg" alt = "rainbow-star black-neutron-hole "data-img =" // images.twnmm.com/c55i45ef3o2a/1I1auqEqtibuC65d4Rrgsw/6c6ef51d446df56af65ed653b3d16c33f/black-hole-neutron-star-soA dense neutron star extends towards the mouth of a black hole. Credit: Carl Knox / OzGrav ARC Center of Excellence
While gravitational wave astronomers have already recorded the collision of two neutron stars and the fusion of two black holes, if it were confirmed, it would be the very first detection of a black hole devouring a neutron star.
<img src = "http://images.twnmm.com/c55i45ef3o2a/5MDKzNXgLTBWEfsJb9zsPU/2f202b51adaefb81963ddf1f2e1eddba/neutron-star-gravitational-waves.jpg?w=680&q=10&fm=jpg" alt = "gravitational wave from star to neutrons "data-img =" // images.twnmm.com/c55i45ef3o2a/5MDKzNXgLTBWEfsJb9zsPU/2f202b5119efd1f2e1eddba/neutron-star-gravitational-gravitTwo neutron stars follow each other in this artist's impression, creating ripples in space-time, called gravitational waves. Credit: R. Hurt / Caltech-JPL
According to the Australian National University, "Professor Susan Scott, of the School of Research Physics of the ANU, said that this achievement had allowed the team to complete its observations on the initial wish list."
The ripples in the space-time that passed through us were so small that we would never have noticed them. You need laser beams that bounce in tunnels three to four kilometers to see their effects.
The LIGO Hanford Observatory, in the state of Washington. Credit: Caltech / MIT / LIGO Lab
The two LIGO observatories in the United States and the Virgo gravitational wave detector in Italy detected these gravitational waves on August 14, 2019.
The fusion of neutron stars detected nearly two years ago was captured by a host of other telescopes and observatories, while it unleashed a brilliant "kilonova" explosion that projected gamma rays and other sources of high energy light detected shortly after gravitational wave scanning. past.
The fusion of black holes, on the other hand, was invisible except for the space-time ripples that extended outward.
In this case, although the telescopes swept the fusion region after gravitational wave detection, Professor Scott said that nothing had been spotted to confirm it.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, though.
"Although we have not seen anything yet, we will be able to learn a lot about the light we have not seen," said Maria Drout, an astrophysicist at the University of Toronto, who was part of of the optical detection team of this merger. CBC News. "Some predictions say you should turn off systems like this and some others that you should not do it, so it's really very informative."
Astronomers are still working to confirm exactly what they have detected, but based on the apparent masses of objects, this corresponds to what they expect from a star-black hole fusion.
"However, there is a slight but intriguing possibility that the swallowed object is a very light black hole, much lighter than any other black hole in the known universe," said Professor Scott. "It would be a truly impressive consolation prize."
So, it's really win-win for science!
Sources: Australian National University | CBC News
LOOK BELOW: CONSULT THE FIRST PICTURE TAKEN FROM A BLACK HOLE
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