Gravitational waves are a specific distortion in space-time traveling at the speed of light – they are basically propagating vibrations of the gravitational field. Their existence was confirmed in 2015. Two years later, the discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for their decisive contribution to the creation of the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.”
The sources of gravitational waves may be binary systems of objects with gigantic masses that move around each other at enormous speeds, including: system of two black holes. Moreover, waves of this type can be created when objects with extremely large masses collide.
As previously mentioned, scientists in their new research determined the source of the 2023 gravitational wave – it was the interaction of two cosmic objects. One was a neutron star, while determining the nature of the second object caused many complications.
In terms of its mass, this body was in the so-called lower mass gap – this is the lack of objects in the mass range from about 2.3 to 5 solar masses, i.e. between the most massive neutron stars and the least massive black holes.
Neutron stars are what are left after a star dies. At the end of their lives, stars with an initial mass of 8 to 30 solar masses eject their outer material into space, and the remaining core collapses into an ultradense object with a diameter of only 20 km. Neutron stars have masses up to 2.3 solar masses.
Black holes, on the other hand, are created by the collapse of stars with a much larger initial mass. This creates an area in space-time with extremely strong gravity and mass. The masses of black holes range from 5 to a dozen or so solar masses, although there are objects whose masses exceed millions of solar masses. What is surprising is the lack of objects whose mass is from 2.3 to 5 solar masses.
Researchers from the LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA teams report that for the first time they observed a gravitational wave created by the interaction of a neutron star and an object from the mass gap. This event was named GW230529.
“Although previous evidence for mass gap objects has been reported in both gravitational and electromagnetic waves, this system is particularly exciting because it is the first gravitational wave detection of a mass gap object in association with a neutron star,” says astrophysicist Sylvia Biscoveanu of Northwestern University in the USA.
She also added: – The observation of this system has important implications both for the theory of binary system evolution and the electromagnetic equivalents of the merger of compact objects.
The discovered neutron star had a mass of 1.2 to 2 solar masses. In turn, the mysterious object had a mass of 2.5 to 4.5 solar masses. Researchers suggest it may be a tiny black hole, although they say there is currently no way to know.
“Before we started observing the Universe using gravitational waves, the properties of compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars could be indirectly inferred from observations of electromagnetic systems in our Milky Way,” says astrophysicist Michael Zevin of the Adler Planetarium in the US.
He also states: – The idea of a gap between the masses of a neutron star and a black hole, a concept that has existed for a quarter of a century, was born on the basis of electromagnetic observations. GW230529 is an exciting discovery because it indicates that the “mass gap” is less empty than astronomers previously thought. This has consequences for supernova explosions that produce compact objects, as well as for the potential light that appears when a black hole tears apart a neutron star.
The research results were published on the website design a LINK.
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The legend of the Loch Ness Monster is still alive Deutsche Welle
2024-04-13 12:55:00
#time #strange #object #detected #Gravitational #wave #disturbances #background
