Discovery of a black hole that "slowly" eats a sun-like star
Astronomers from the University of Leicester in Britain have discovered a small black hole that is gradually "devouring" a star similar to the sun.
Observations confirmed that one of the stars located in a galaxy located about 500 light-years away from Earth is going through a strange process in which it is gradually being consumed by a relatively small black hole.
This consumption causes the star to lose a mass estimated at about 3 times the mass of the Earth every time it approaches the black hole.
Astronomers discovered the activity of this star due to the bright X-ray flash coming from the center of the galaxy called 2MASX J02301709+2836050. This flash was an indication of the ongoing interaction between the star and the black hole.
The star's behavior is similar to what is observed in quasi-periodic outbursts of stars, which are caused by the star's material being torn apart by a black hole during its approach.
The discovery is significant because it provides valuable insights into the interaction dynamics of black holes with stars in their vicinity.
"A star is torn apart"
The results indicate that many undiscovered stars may be undergoing similar processes, highlighting the complex and diverse ways in which black holes can influence their surroundings.
When the star's orbit approaches the intense gravitational force of the black hole, material equivalent to the mass of 3 planets such as Earth is extracted from the star's atmosphere and heated as it falls into the black hole. . The extreme heat, about 2 million degrees Celsius, also releases a huge amount of X-rays, which were captured by the Swift satellite for the first time.
Lead author Dr Phil Evans, from the University of Leicester's School of Physics and Astronomy, said: "This is the first time we have seen a star like our Sun being repeatedly shredded and consumed by a low-mass black hole."
The process is called "recurrent and partial tidal turbulence," which the researchers say is "in itself a completely new discovery."
Previously, scientists observed complete swallowing processes by black holes, but the new event confirms the existence of a new process in which the black hole gradually swallows the star.
Researchers estimate that the mass of the black hole is about 10,000 to 100,000 times that of our sun. It is a very small mass compared to the supermassive black holes that are usually found in the centers of galaxies.
The black hole at the center of our galaxy is believed to have a mass of 4 million solar masses, while most of it is located in a region with a mass of 100 million solar masses.
Source: websites