gravitational waves occur when massive objects are decelerated in the cosmos, strong, or accelerate or collide with each other. The released energy mixed with the space-time vibrations, which can be further away, provided you have sufficiently sensitive detectors. Thanks to the two gravitational-wave detectors, LIGO in the US and the Virgo detector in Italy this is now the case. Since the first proof of Albert Einstein predicted space-time vibrations, astronomers have detected with their help, several dozen mergers of Black holes and some of the collisions of neutron stars. In April of 2020, they observed, for the first time a merger of two Black holes of very different masses. A few days later the detectors caught even a Signal could come from a mating of a Black hole with a neutron star – that would be the first combination of this kind. But the Signal was too bad for a unique proof.

puzzles in order to smaller partners

This is now featured gravitational wave event differently. Because in the 14. August 2019 registered both the LIGO detectors and the Virgo detector is one of the strongest ever captured signals. Based on this data, the astronomers were able to determine that the source of this space-time vibrations was around 780 million light-years away from earth in the direction of the constellation Sculptor (the sculptor). When the researchers then determined the copyright of this signal closer, they found Surprising. Because the gravitational-wave data, are merged in this event two very unequal partners to each other. One of them is a black hole of 23 sun masses, the other is but an object is only 2.6 times the sun's mass. Never before have astronomers gravitational have measured the waves of a System, in which the individual masses distributed in different ways.

"The Signal GW190814 is an unexpected and really exciting discovery," says Co-author Abhirup Ghosh from the Max-Planck-Institute for gravitational physics in Potsdam, Germany. Because in addition to the surprisingly large mass of both partners difference is the lighter component of this two system are mainly the researchers of the puzzles. This object is actually too easy for a black hole and a neutron star. "If it is indeed a black hole, it is the lightest known. It is, however, a neutron star, so this is the most massive we've ever observed in a double system," says Ghosh. Neutron stars are the extremely dense Remains of the mass are richer, star to your Supernova. Current models suggest that the mass limit for the formation of such a Sternenrests for non-rotating neutron star at 2.16 solar masses is rotating about 20 percent of it. The mass is still higher, a black hole.

search accompanying radiation unsuccessfully

To find out what it is, the smaller the object, have given astronomers the LIGO collaboration directly after the Capture of the gravitational-wave signal, other astronomers know so they can look with telescopes, it is probably an accompanying electromagnetic radiation. Just two days later, Nicholas Vieira and his Team have started with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), the region of origin of the signal in the infra-red and optical wavelengths may be scanned. "Events such as GW190814 can be Multi-Messenger, to us, by linking to a cosmic signal of gravitational waves with one another, how the light can tell us about the astrophysics of such mergers," says Veira. If it is the smaller Partner of a neutron star, then the collision should cause a kilo Nova – a-ray burst, which is triggered by the rapid transformation of elements in this event.

However, the search for such a kilo Nova was unsuccessful, as the astronomers report. If GW190814 electromagnetic radiation was released, then it was far below what one would expect for a typical kilo-Nova. However, this does not exclude that it is the smaller Partner, however, a neutron star, such as Veira and his Team stress. You have calculated that this collision is less than 0.04 solar masses from this object left can be. This could mean that the neutron star was engulfed by the much heavier Black hole so quickly that he disappeared behind the event horizon, before the Tear could put a lot of radiation. But at present, it is not clearly documented. Nevertheless, Veira thinks it is quite likely that GW190814 is created by the merger of a Black hole with a neutron star.

it seems Clear in any case: GW190814 is different than all the previous by means of gravitational waves proven events. The astronomers now hope, in future LIGO/Virgo observing runs still to find more of such exotic objects. This could help to solve the mystery of this unequal pairs.

source: Astrophysical Journal Letters, doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab960f; the Astrophysical Journal, doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab917d

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Date Of Update: 23 June 2020, 23:26