A black hole pulls material from its companion star, forming a disk of material that rotates around the black hole before eventually falling into it (artist's impression). Image Source: NASA
BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Einstein's predictions strike true once again. An international team led by scientists from the University of Oxford in the UK has confirmed a key prediction about black holes made by Einstein. They have used X-ray data to provide the first evidence of a "plunging region" around black holes, where material stops rotating around the black hole and directly falls in. Furthermore, they have found that this region generates the strongest gravity observed in the Milky Way galaxy. The related paper was published in the latest issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
According to Einstein's theory, particles cannot follow circular orbits when they are close enough to a black hole. Instead, they plunge towards the black hole at speeds close to the speed of light. For decades, astrophysicists have debated whether the so-called "plunging region" could be detected.
In their latest research, the scientists used X-ray data collected by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array and Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer to better understand the forces produced by black holes, confirming for the first time the detection of this "plunging region."
Dr. Andrew Merlon, the lead author of the study, stated that this is the first time scientists have observed how plasma stripped from the outer edge of a star ultimately falls into the center of a black hole. This process occurred in a system located ten thousand light-years away. This latest discovery represents a significant advancement in black hole research, allowing scientists to study the last unobserved region around black holes and ultimately gain a comprehensive understanding of gravity.
The researchers emphasize that the focus of this study is on smaller black holes closer to Earth. Europe is constructing the "African Millimeter Telescope," which is expected to observe and capture images of the center of the Milky Way galaxy and even larger black holes farther away. Merlon highlights that there are many black holes in the Milky Way, and with powerful new technologies available, people can now study the strongest known gravitational fields.
