Historic ‘black hole triple’ discovery shatters existing theories

Image courtesy google

The recent discovery of the first black hole triple system, located approximately 8,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, is indeed a groundbreaking achievement that challenges existing theories about black hole formation and stellar evolution.
This system, named V404 Cygni, consists of a central black hole, a nearby star that orbits it every 6.5 days, and a distant companion star that completes an orbit around the black hole every 70,000 years. The presence of this distant companion star was previously undetected, leading to the system being misclassified as a binary system for over 30 years.
This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of black hole formation and evolution. It suggests that triple systems may be more common than previously thought, and that they can play a crucial role in the evolution of black holes. Additionally, the presence of a distant companion star in V404 Cygni could explain some of the unusual behavior that has been observed in this system, such as its periodic outbursts of X-rays.
The discovery of this black hole triple system is a testament to the power of scientific observation and the ongoing quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe. It highlights the importance of continued research and exploration in the field of astrophysics, as there is still much to learn about these fascinating and enigmatic objects.

Scientists have long observed black holesexisting as part of binary systems, where a black hole pairs with a nearby object like a star, neutron star, or another black hole. These binary partners orbit each other, bound by the black hole’s gravity. However, a recent discovery is shaking up our understanding of black hole formation and evolution

Typically, black holes result from the explosion of a dying star, known as a supernova. The star collapses inward, creating a black hole, but not before releasing a massive amount of energy. This explosive process is so violent that any loosely bound objects around the star would be thrown out of orbit

However, the fact that the distant star is still gravitationally bound to the black hole suggests that this black hole didn’t form through a typical supernova. 

Instead, the team behind the discovery, led by Kevin Burdge, a Pappalardo Fellow at MIT, believes the black hole might have formed through a gentler process known as “direct collapse.” In this process, a star caves in on itself without a dramatic explosion, allowing any distant objects to remain in orbit.

Burdge explains the significance of the discovery: “We think most black holes form from violent explosions of stars, but this discovery helps call that into question. This system is super exciting for black hole evolution, and it also raises questions of whether there are more triples out there

The new findings suggest that black holes can form through different processes than previously thought. If direct collapse is indeed responsible for this black hole’s formation, it opens up the possibility that other black holes might have formed the same way, with their origins hidden from the dramatic explosions astronomers typically observe.

This black hole triple system, V404 Cygni, located about 8,000 light-years away in the Milky Way galaxy, is already well-known to scientists. 

Discovered in 1992, it was one of the first objects to be confirmed as a black hole. Since then, it has been extensively studied, appearing in over 1,300 scientific papers. But none of those studies noted the presence of the far-off companion star that Burdge and his team identified.

The breakthrough came while the team was using Aladin Lite, an online tool that allows astronomers to view images from telescopes across the globe

The researchers analyzed data from the last ten years and found that both stars moved in tandem with each other, providing strong evidence that they are part of the same system. The odds of this tandem motion occurring by chance are one in 10 million, according to Burdge.

“It’s almost certainly not a coincidence or accident,” Burdge says. “We’re seeing two stars that are following each other because they’re attached by this weak string of gravity. So this has to be a triple system.”

Please like comment your precious thoughts on universe discoveries

Sk-mania-blogs.in

Full article source google

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Satyam55

If you love my work and think i am contributing in giving education to young kids please give me a coffee

https://www.amazon.in/b?_encoding=UTF8&tag=555101-21&link

3 thoughts on “Historic ‘black hole triple’ discovery shatters existing theories

Leave a reply to almerighi Cancel reply