99.8% of the mass in the Solar System is occupied by the Sun. As the only star, the Sun firmly holds its dominant position within the entire stellar system.
In the Milky Way, single star systems like our Sun are quite rare.
According to statistics, 85% of the stars in the Milky Way belong to multiple star systems such as binary or trinary stars. If the stars have greater mass, this percentage increases even further. However, recent discoveries by astronomers suggest that this pattern may not hold true near the center of the Milky Way.
Devin Chu from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) led his research team in analyzing stars near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. They utilized the Keck Observatory in Hawaii to monitor 28 stars orbiting the supermassive black hole over a span of 10 years.
In astronomy, optical binary stars refer to a case where two stars appear to be close together when observed from Earth. There are two types of optical binaries: visual binaries – which are true binary star systems, and apparent optical binaries – where two stars seem to be near each other but are, in fact, very far apart.
The black hole at the center of the Milky Way is known as Sagittarius A*, with a diameter of about 44 million kilometers and a mass 4.3 million times that of the Sun, making it a typical supermassive black hole. The environment around the black hole is highly complex and chaotic; its gravitational force significantly hinders celestial bodies, even swallowing stars whole. Consequently, scientists often believe that it is difficult for new stars to form near black holes.
However, among the stars being monitored by the researchers, 16 are relatively young, having been born just over 6 million years ago, and they are all quite massive, typically weighing around 10 times that of the Sun.
This raises many questions. The reason is that it is very challenging to create new stars near black holes, and these young stars do not have enough time to migrate here after forming elsewhere. On the other hand, scientists analyzed the spectra of these stars and found that they are all solitary stars.
The highest probability for stars to form a binary system near Sagittarius A* is 47%.
As mentioned earlier, multiple star systems are the normal and common state of the Milky Way, especially for massive stars, where the probability of forming binary systems or even trinary systems is relatively high.
Researchers organized their observational results and concluded that the highest probability for stars to form a binary system near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way is approximately 47%. All of this seems to be related to the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*.
The researchers proposed two possibilities: first, the gravitational force of the black hole disrupted the original binary star system, and the remaining star was ejected far away under the influence of the black hole’s gravity. This is entirely feasible in every scenario from theoretical to practical. Scientists have detected many “runaway” stars escaping the Milky Way at high speeds, often traveling outward at speeds exceeding 1.6 million kilometers per hour.
The gravitational force of the black hole is strong enough to disrupt binary star systems.
Another possibility is that the stars are actually much older than they appear. The gravitational force of the black hole is strong enough to disrupt binary star systems, causing them to collide and merge. This could also explain why such young stars are found in such a harsh environment.
In a way, these stars can be considered lucky stars. Because orbiting around a black hole is extremely dangerous; in such situations, many celestial bodies are likely to be torn apart and consumed. For objects near a black hole, the most terrifying aspect is the tidal force of the black hole.
The gravitational force on the side of the star near the black hole is much stronger than on the opposite side.
We all know that the gravitational force between two objects is related to the distance between them. The gravitational force on the side of the star near the black hole is much stronger than on the opposite side. When the difference in gravitational force between the two sides exceeds the gravity of the star itself, the star will stretch in the direction of its own motion like a strand of spaghetti.
It transforms from a sphere to an ellipse, and finally into a long bar. The next fate the star faces is disintegration, and the torn star will quickly approach the black hole until it is swallowed.
A black hole with a mass of 100 billion solar masses will evaporate within 2×10^100 years.
Although a black hole seems so terrifying that nothing can resist it, it will ultimately have to die over time.
While the black hole is consuming matter, it is also radiating matter outward. In other words, it will not only expand infinitely but also consume itself. Scientists have calculated that a black hole with a mass of 100 billion solar masses will evaporate within 2×10^100 years. During the evolution of a black hole, if it does not attract enough matter, the black hole will accelerate the process of decay.
However, considering the lifespan of human civilization, it is unlikely that we will witness the end of the black hole. Nevertheless, studying black holes has become an essential pursuit for humanity, as there are still many mysteries surrounding them that we have yet to uncover.
