Groundbreaking Discovery of Triple Star System Challenges Traditional Black Hole Formation Theories

In addition to the black hole named V404 Cygni and its star orbiting nearby, a more distant star has also been found to be connected to the system. This unique triple structure seriously questions current theories about how black holes form.

Until now, it was thought that most black holes would form when a star collapsed in a massive explosion called a supernova; But the new discovery turns this assumption upside down.

Kevin Burdge, lead author of the study and an MIT astrophysicist, said this is an “exciting” development in understanding black hole evolution. “We thought that most black holes were created when stars collapsed in a violent explosion, but this discovery raises that assumption,” said Burdge, pointing to new possibilities.

BRING A NEW CONVERSION

The new discovery is based on the knowledge that black holes are usually observed in binary systems – that is, structures in orbital relationship with a star, neutron star or smaller black hole. Despite the invisibility of black holes, these binary systems are easier to detect thanks to their gravitational forces. However, this triple system, discovered for the first time, gives a new look to this model.

According to the study published on October 23 in the journal Nature, the black hole V404 Cygni is located about 8,000 light years away and is nine times larger than the Sun. This black hole was first discovered in 1992 and has been the focus of many studies since then. While one of the stars makes a complete orbit to the black hole in just 6.5 days, the other star is much further away from the system.

Gravity calculations show that this distant star cannot remain stable within the system. If the black hole V404 Cygni was created as a supernova, this star would have to be ejected from the system due to the shock wave resulting from the explosion. But the distant star is still orbiting the black hole, suggesting that the black hole may have been born through a gradual collapse process.

Scientists suggest that the black hole was formed during this slow collapse process, and in the past, as a giant star slowly collapsed, it entered the orbit of two other stars . This theory adds a different dimension to existing black hole formation scenarios and opens the door to new questions in the field of astrophysics.