What happens when two black hole unite? Legendary physicist Albert Einstein predicted the phenomenon severity this kind of thing a century ago even if he wasn’t able to prove it.
This is now proven through new research published Wednesday (12/10) in the journal Nature.
When two large objects rotate and approach together, they release huge ripples through the fabric of spacetime known as gravitational waves.
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These waves emerged across the cosmos, carrying energy and angular momentum away from the two merging black holes.
Scientists first detected the waves emanating from this black hole in 2020 using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States (USA) and the Virgo gravitational wave sensor in Italy.
After several years of studying the wave patterns, the researchers confirmed that one of the black holes was spinning “insane” at a speed never seen before.
The black hole rotates and bends 10 billion times faster than any previously observed black hole, distorting space and time to such an extent that both black holes wobble in their orbits.
The researchers observed the precession or change in orientation of black holes on their axis of rotation in everything from the apex of the axis to dying star systems. Yet there has never been an object as large as a binary system of black holes orbiting the same center.
Previously, Einstein’s theory of general relativity more than 100 years ago predicted that precession should occur in an object the size of a binary black hole. Now, the researchers say this rare phenomenon was observed in nature for the first time.
“We always thought binary black holes could do this,” said Mark Hannam, lead author of the study and director of the Institute for Gravitational Exploration at Cardiff University in the UK. Live science.
“We were hoping to find an example from the first gravitational wave detection. We had to wait five years and more than 80 separate detections, but finally we have it!” She added.
The black hole under study is several times more massive than the Sun. The largest black hole has a mass 40 times that of the Sun.
Furthermore, this new study shows that the two black holes had a tumultuous relationship before their complete merger
As the two giant objects pull each other into ever closer orbits, they begin to wobble each at intervals of seconds.
According to the study authors, the precession effect is estimated to be 10 billion times faster than the previously measured precession effect.
(lom / lesimo)
