Since the first direct detection of space-time ripples known as gravitational waves was announced in 2016, astronomers have regularly heard of black hole rings crossing the universe. Projects such as the Gravitational-Wave Laser Interferometer Observatory (known as LIGO) they found nearly 100 Black hole collision (and sometimes neutron stars), which shake the fabric of the universe and send invisible waves rippling through space.
But new research suggests that LIGO will soon hear another kind of vibration in space: a cocoon of volatile gas being emitted from a dying star. Northwestern University researchers used sophisticated computer simulations of massive stars to show how these cocoons can produce gravitational waves that are “impossible to ignore”, according to research presented this week at its 242nd meeting. American Astronomical Society. Studying these ripples in real life can provide insight into the brutal death of giant stars.
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When massive stars run out of fuel, they collapse black hole, ejecting a large burst of ultra-fast particles at the same time. The team of astronomers simulated this final stage in a star’s life, thinking that the bursts might trigger gravitational waves – but there was something else that was at the center of attention.
“When I was calculating the gravitational waves from around the black hole, I found another source that interfered with my calculations – the cocoon,” said the lead researcher. I was Gottliebsaid the astronomer at the Northwest Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Exploration in Astrophysics, VI statement. A cocoon is a turbulent mass of gas formed when the outer layers of a collapsing star interact with the high-energy jets emanating from within. To generate gravitational waves, we need something massive that moves asymmetrically, like cocoon matter.
“A jet deep within the star fired and then fled,” said Gottlieb. “It’s like you’re drilling a hole in the wall. The rotating drill bit hit the wall and debris spilled out of the wall. The drill bit provides material energy. Likewise, the beam penetrates the star, causing the stellar material to heat up. and spill out. This debris forms the hot layer of the cocoon.” “
According to Gottlieb’s calculations, the ripples produced by the cocoons should be easy for LIGO to detect during the next series of observations. In addition, the cocoons emit light, so astronomers can obtain information about them using gravitational waves and telescopes at the same time – an exciting feat known as multi-messenger astronomy.
If LIGO does see the cocoons any time soon, it’s sure to be a fascinating new look at the interiors of stars and their end of life. This may be the first time LIGO has been able to detect gravitational waves from a single object, rather than the interaction between two binary objects orbiting each other.
“Until today, LIGO has only detected gravitational waves from binary systems, but one day LIGO will discover the source of the first non-binary gravitational waves,” said Gottlieb. “The cocoon is one of the first places we should look for this kind of resource.”
The team’s research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
2023-06-08 01:48:10
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