NgoMeyi 2023, ngemuva nje kokuthi i-LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) ivule umjikelezo wayo wesine wokuhlola, ithole isignali yamaza adonsela phansi kusukela ekungqubuzaneni wento, cishe inkanyezi ye-neutron, enembobo emnyama okusolwa ukuthi inesisindo esiphindwe izikhathi ezingu-2.5 kuya ku-4.5 kuneLanga lethu.
Lesi sibonakaliso, esibizwa ngokuthi i-GW230529, siyabathakazelisa abacwaningi ngoba inqwaba yembobo emnyama ingena kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi igebe elikhulu phakathi kwezinkanyezi ezisinda kakhulu ezaziwayo ze-neutron, ezingaphezulu kancane kwezingqimba ezimbili zelanga, kanye nezimbobo ezimnyama ezaziwa kakhulu, cishe. izixuku ezinhlanu zelanga. Nakuba isignali yegagasi elidonsela phansi iyodwa ingakwazi ukuveza ubunjalo bangempela bale nto, ukutholwa kwesikhathi esizayo kwezenzakalo ezifanayo, ikakhulukazi lezo ezihambisana nokuqhuma kokukhanya, kungabamba ukhiye wokuphendula umbuzo wokuthi zingaba kanjani izimbobo ezimnyama ezingasindi.
Isithombe sibonisa ukuhlangana nokuhlanganiswa kwembobo emnyama enegebe enkulu (indawo empunga emnyama) nenkanyezi ye-neutron (ekhubazeke kakhulu amandla adonsela phansi embobo emnyama). Lesi sithombe esinganyakazi esisuka ekulingiseni okuhlanganisiwe sigqamisa nje izingxenye eziphansi zenkanyezi ye-neutron, kusukela kumagremu angu-60 ku-cubic centimeter ngayinye (okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka okumnyama) ukuya kumakhilogremu angu-600 cubic centimeter (emhlophe). Ukuma kwayo kugqamisa ukuguga okuqinile kwento esezingeni eliphansi yenkanyezi ye-neutron. Ikhredithi Yesithombe: Ivan Markin, Tim Dietrich (University of Potsdam), Harald Paul Pfeiffer, Alessandra Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics
“Okutholakele kwakamuva kukhombisa amandla esayensi ahlaba umxhwele enethiwekhi yomtshina wamagagasi adonsela phansi, ezwela kakhulu kunangesikhathi sesithathu sokubuka,” kusho uJenne Driggers (PhD '15), usosayensi oholayo e-LIGO Hanford eWashington, esinye sezikhungo ezimbili, kanye ne-LIGO Livingston eLouisiana, ezakha i-LIGO Observatory.
I-LIGO uqophe umlando ngo-2015 ngemva kokwenza ukutholwa okuqondile kokuqala kwamagagasi adonsela phansi emkhathini. Kusukela lapho, i-LIGO kanye nomtshina wozakwethu e-Europe, i-Virgo, bathole ukuhlangana okucishe kube yi-100 phakathi kwezimbobo ezimnyama, idlanzana phakathi kwezinkanyezi ze-neutron, kanye nokuhlangana phakathi kwezinkanyezi ze-neutron nezimbobo ezimnyama. Umtshina waseJapan i-KAGRA wajoyina inethiwekhi yamagagasi adonsela phansi ngo-2019, futhi ithimba lososayensi abahlaziya ngokuhlanganyela idatha evela kuzo zontathu izitholi zokwaziwa ngokuthi yi-LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) ukusebenzisana. Ama-Observatories e-LIGO axhaswe yiNational Science Foundation (NSF), futhi aqanjwa, akhiwa, futhi asetshenziswa ngabakwaCaltech kanye neMIT.
Okutholakele kwakamuva futhi kukhombisa ukuthi ukushayisana okubandakanya izimbobo ezimnyama ezingasindi kungase kuvame kakhulu kunalokho obekucatshangwa ngaphambilini.
“Lokhu kutholwa, okokuqala kwemiphumela yethu ethokozisayo evela emqhudelwaneni wesine we-LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA, kuveza ukuthi kungase kube nezinga eliphezulu lokushayisana okufanayo phakathi kwezinkanyezi ze-neutron nezimbobo ezimnyama ezinobuningi obuphansi kunalokho ebesikucabanga ngaphambili,” kusho u-Jess McIver, uprofesa osizayo eNyuvesi yaseBritish Columbia, isekela lomkhulumeli we-LIGO Scientific Collaboration, kanye nozakwabo owake waba ngudokotela eCaltech.
Ngaphambi komcimbi we-GW230529, kukhonjwe enye into ethokozisayo yegebe elikhulu. Kulowo mcimbi, owenzeka ngo-Agasti 2019 owaziwa ngokuthi yi-GW190814, Kutholwe into ehlangene ye-solar eyi-2.6 njengengxenye yokushayisana kwe-cosmic, kodwa ososayensi abaqiniseki ukuthi kwakuyinkanyezi ye-neutron noma umgodi omnyama.
Ngemva kwekhefu lokunakekelwa nokuthuthukiswa, umjaho wesine wokubuka umtshina uzoqhubeka ngo-April 10, 2024, futhi uzoqhubeka kuze kube nguFebruwari 2025.
Ibhalwe nguWhitney Clavin
Source: UCaltech
