Researchers have developed a method to utilize black holes to study objects that seem elusive from the early universe.
According to SciTech Daily, what scientists are seeking through black holes are hypothetical Pop III objects, which are the first generation of stars born in the universe.
Pop III stars are believed to have emerged only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, thus becoming a “time capsule” that preserves what belongs to the dawn of the universe.
Black Hole Tearing a Star – (Graphic: SCITECH DAILY).
The Pop III stars were composed solely of hydrogen and helium, as the early universe was extremely poor in chemical elements. They were incredibly hot, massive, and existed for a very short time.
For this reason, scientists had almost no chance to reach this strange type of star. However, a research group led by the University of Hong Kong (HKU – China) has discovered a “time machine.”
In their new study, the authors proposed that a Pop III star could be torn apart by tidal forces if it wandered into the vicinity of a massive black hole.
Tidal forces are forces that act on an object vertically from another object.
In the case of a black hole, the impact is so rapid and intense that instead of pulling the entire object in, it creates a tearing effect in an instant with the star’s own orbit, shredding it to pieces.
Though Pop III stars have brief lifespans, the energy they emit is extremely high. The black hole consuming the remnants of this type of star will produce a bright flare that can be observed with NASA’s next-generation infrared telescopes.
This way, scientists can learn about Pop III through this form of light emitted by the black hole.
The authors also pointed out that the flares from this ancient star disruption will arise and decay over a very long period, making them distinct from the light produced by the death of Sun-like stars.
Models suggest that this energy source will be powerful enough to generate brilliant infrared light that can traverse the fabric of spacetime for billions of years.
Two of NASA’s flagship missions, the James Webb Space Telescope launched a few years ago and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, are capable of observing such infrared emissions from vast distances.
That emission may have vanished long ago at the present moment, but light travels at a finite speed, so there is a delay corresponding to the distance measured in light-years from where the object was – at the time the light was emitted – to Earth.
Thus, observing distant regions of space with telescopes means looking into images of the past, when the black hole’s meal had not yet been fully digested.
With these findings, the coming decade will bring significant potential for identifying these intriguing light sources, helping humanity understand Pop III and shedding light on the mysteries of the universe’s beginnings.
