There exist objects in the universe called ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs), which produce about 10 million times as much. energy than our sun And it’s puzzled scientists for a while now.
The confusion stems from the fact that these objects are so bright and luminous that they exceed the Eddington limit, which sets a limit on the relationship between an object’s luminosity and its mass. ULXs are so bright that they exceed this limit by 100–500 times.
Researchers recently published A New Peer-Reviewed Study In The Astrophysical Journal, Detailing the first measurements taken with NASA for the ULX Atomic Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuStar). They found that the extreme luminosity of ULXs is not an illusion, as previously hypothesized to explain the apparent exceeding of the Eddington limit.
gravity thief
But no, ULXs are really that bright and exceed the Eddington limit. So what’s the explanation?
Recent studies targeted a known ULX called M82 X-2 and found that, due to its heavy gravityIt “steals” material from a neighboring star – up to 9 billion trillion tons per year.
Herein lies a possible explanation of the ULX phenomenon. In a 2014 study, scientists had already discovered that M82 X-2 was a neutron star, similar to a black hole, that forms after the death and collapse of an older star.
Now that they know the amount of material being pulled in by M82 X-2, scientists can calculate how bright it should be according to Eddington’s theory and prove that it is more than that.
The reason ULXs glow is because of their strong gravitational pull in stray gas and dust, which can heat up and radiate very bright light in the process.
explain discrepancy
Scientists put forward their hypothesis explaining this discrepancy. One theory states that the ULX has a strong magnetic field, but this can only be tested through observation, as no magnets of comparable strength exist on Earth.
ULXs emit light in the form of photons, which can exert a repulsive force against the material they collide with. If an object emits enough light per square foot, the force of the photons can counter and even overwhelm the pull force of gravity, and thus further material may be pulled into the object. prevents from This is the moment when an object reaches the Eddington limit.
Very strong magnetic fields such as those now being proposed can distort the spherical atoms of the material that are drawn into elongated, fibrous shapes in an object. This can reduce the photon’s ability to push atoms away, thus increasing the maximum possible brightness of an object.
This may be the ultimate explanation of how it is possible for ULXs to be so bright.
“These observations let us see the effects of these incredibly strong magnetic fields that we could never reproduce on Earth with current technology,” said Dr. said Matteo Bachetti, lead author of the study. NASA. “That’s the beauty of astronomy. By observing the sky, we expand our ability to investigate how the universe works. On the other hand, we can’t really set up experiments to get quick answers; we The secrets of the universe will have to wait to be shown.