In a distant galaxy, approximately 500 million light-years away, a star akin to our Sun is undergoing a gradual consumption by a black hole. This celestial spectacle involves the shedding of mass equivalent to three Earths with every close pass.
University of Leicester astronomers recently detected a colossal burst of X-rays originating from the center of the neighboring galaxy known as 2MASX J02301709+2836050. This event, named Swift J0230, was captured using a cutting-edge tool developed for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Instead of fading away as expected, Swift J0230 blazed brightly for 7-10 days and then abruptly ceased, repeating this cycle approximately every 25 days.
This remarkable discovery, reported on September 7 in the journal Nature Astronomy, fills a crucial gap in our understanding of how black holes disrupt stars in orbit. It suggests the existence of numerous stars in various stages of consumption by black holes that remain undiscovered.
The study received support from the UK Space Agency and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Detailed Findings
The astronomers became aware of the star’s impending fate when they observed a brilliant X-ray flash emanating from 2MASX J02301709+2836050. This galaxy, situated half a billion light-years away from the Milky Way, held the key to Swift J0230’s peculiar behavior. The researchers promptly scheduled additional Swift observations, revealing the star’s unique pattern of periodic eruptions.
Swift J0230’s emissions exhibited a regularity that fell between two known phenomena: quasi-periodic eruptions and periodic nuclear transients. While these events involve a star losing material to a black hole during close encounters, they differ in their eruption frequency and the dominant type of radiation—X-rays or optical light. Swift J0230 appears to be the “missing link” connecting these two categories.
Based on established models for these events, the scientists concluded that Swift J0230’s outburst corresponds to a star similar in size to our Sun, orbiting an elliptical path around a low-mass black hole at the center of its galaxy. As the star approaches the black hole’s intense gravitational pull, material equivalent to three Earths is stripped from the star’s atmosphere and heated to approximately 2 million degrees Celsius before falling into the black hole. The resulting intense heat generates a substantial amount of X-rays, first detected by the Swift satellite.
Intriguing Insights
Lead author Dr. Phil Evans, from the University of Leicester School of Physics and Astronomy, remarked, “This is the first time we’ve seen a star like our Sun being repeatedly shredded and consumed by a low mass black hole. So-called ‘repeated, partial tidal disruption’ events are themselves quite a new discovery and seem to fall into two types: those that outburst every few hours, and those that outburst every year or so. This new system falls right into the gap between these, and when you run the numbers, you find the types of objects involved fall nicely into place too.”
Dr. Rob Eyles-Ferris, who collaborated with Dr. Evans on the Swift satellite, added, “Swift J0230 is an exciting addition to the class of partially-disrupted stars as it shows us that the two classes of these objects already found are really connected, with our new system giving us the missing link.”
Anticipating Further Discoveries
Dr. Kim Page, who contributed to the data analysis, expressed optimism about future discoveries, saying, “Given that we found Swift J0230 within a few months of enabling our new transient-hunting tool, we expect that there are a lot more objects like this out there, waiting to be uncovered.”
The researchers estimate that the black hole responsible for this phenomenon has a mass ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 times that of our Sun, which is relatively small compared to the supermassive black holes typically found at the centers of galaxies. For reference, the black hole at the center of our Milky Way is believed to be 4 million times the mass of our Sun, while most supermassive black holes exceed 100 million solar masses.
A New Era of Discovery
Dr. Evans highlighted the significance of this discovery, enabled by the new transient detector for the Swift satellite, developed by the University of Leicester team. He noted, “This type of object was essentially undetectable until we built this new facility, and soon after it found this completely new, never-before-seen event. Swift is nearly 20 years old, and it’s suddenly finding brand new events that we never knew existed. I think it shows that every single time you find a new way of looking at space, you learn something new and find there’s something out there you didn’t know about before.”
International Collaboration and Future Prospects
Dr. Caroline Harper, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, praised the discovery as another exciting outcome of the Swift mission’s collaboration with NASA. She emphasized the UK’s pivotal role in the mission, particularly in the development of scientific instruments and data analysis support.
This breakthrough underscores the potential for further insights into gamma ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena, promising an exciting future for space exploration and discovery.
For more information on this groundbreaking discovery, please refer to NASA’s Swift Spies Sun-Like Star Being Consumed Bite by Bite.
Reference: “Monthly quasi-periodic eruptions from repeated stellar disruption by a massive black hole” by P. A. Evans, C. J. Nixon, S. Campana, P. Charalampopoulos, D. A. Perley, A. A. Breeveld, K. L. Page, S. R. Oates, R. A. J. Eyles-Ferris, D. B. Malesani, L. Izzo, M. R. Goad, P. T. O’Brien, J. P. Osborne and B. Sbarufatti, 7 September 2023, Nature Astronomy.
DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-02073-y
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Black Hole Devouring Star
Q: What is the significance of the Swift J0230 discovery?
A: The discovery of Swift J0230, where a Sun-like star is repeatedly consumed by a black hole, is significant because it provides a missing link in our understanding of how black holes disrupt stars. It sheds light on a new class of events called “repeated, partial tidal disruption,” helping bridge the gap between different types of outbursts observed in such interactions.
Q: How often does Swift J0230’s outburst occur?
A: Swift J0230’s outburst pattern is roughly periodic, occurring approximately every 25 days. During each outburst, it shines brightly for 7-10 days before abruptly ceasing, only to repeat the process in a cyclical manner.
Q: What type of radiation is associated with Swift J0230’s outbursts?
A: The outbursts of Swift J0230 predominantly emit X-rays. These intense X-ray emissions are a result of the immense heat generated as material, equivalent to the mass of three Earths, falls into the black hole during the star’s close approach.
Q: What is the estimated mass of the black hole responsible for Swift J0230’s behavior?
A: The black hole involved in the Swift J0230 events is estimated to have a mass ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 times that of our Sun. While substantial, it is relatively small compared to the supermassive black holes typically found at the centers of galaxies.
Q: What role did the University of Leicester play in this discovery?
A: The University of Leicester played a crucial role in this discovery. Its astronomers detected Swift J0230 using a new transient-hunting tool developed for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. This tool enabled the detection of a previously unseen event, highlighting the importance of innovative approaches in space observation.
Q: How does this discovery impact our understanding of black holes and cosmic phenomena?
A: This discovery expands our knowledge of how black holes interact with stars in orbit. It provides insights into a new class of events and strengthens the connection between different types of outbursts observed in these interactions. Additionally, it demonstrates the value of continuously developing new observational tools to uncover previously unknown cosmic events.
More about Black Hole Devouring Star
- Nature Astronomy: Monthly quasi-periodic eruptions from repeated stellar disruption by a massive black hole
- University of Leicester: Swift Spies Sun-Like Star Being Consumed Bite by Bite
- Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory
- UK Space Agency
- NASA Swift Mission
4 comments
UK Space Agency teamin’ up w/ NASA, dat’s da kinda collab u wanna c, moar discoveries on da horizon!
Swift J0230’s eruptions rly make u thnk bout da universe, lik wat else r we missin out thr?
wow, dis discobery iz so cool, stars bein eaten by blck holes, mind-blownin stuff!
Uni of Leicester rockz! Dey found a new way 2 c space stuff, amazin’!