New discoveries about triple star systems have the potential to change our understanding of stellar evolution. Scientists at the University of Leeds suggest that giant Be Stars, previously thought to only exist in double star systems, may actually be part of a triple star system. This discovery gives scientists a better understanding of these massive objects and helps them better understand how stars evolve in the universe.
What kind of understanding is being questioned?
“Be Stars” are a specific type of B star, usually surrounded by a disk of gas similar to the rings of Saturn in our solar system. Their existence was first recorded about 150 years ago, with the work of Italian astronomer Angelo Secchi in 1866. Such disks of gas remained elusive to scientists for a long time, but astronomers eventually discovered that the rapid rotation of Be Stars, often caused by their interaction with another star in a binary system, may be responsible for these He said that this led to the creation of disks.
Now, astronomers at the University of Leeds say Beastars may actually be part of a triple star system, in which not just two, but three objects interact with each other. To reach this conclusion, scientists analyzed data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia satellite.
What do scientists say?
“We observed stars moving across the night sky over long periods of 10 years and as short as about six months,” said study author Jonathan Dodd, a doctoral student in the university’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. he stated in his paper. university release. “If the stars move in a straight line, you’ll see just one star, but if there are multiple stars, you’ll see a slight wobble or, in the best case, a spiral. ” added Dodd.
Initial findings indicate that Be Stars have fewer companion stars compared to regular B stars. “This is interesting because we would expect their interest rates to be higher,” Dodd said.
“The fact that we don’t see them may be because they are now too faint to detect,” said study lead author René Oudmayr, a professor in the university’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. explained.
Also read: After a successful year-long mission, ISRO turns its attention to dying stars and exoplanets
The researchers shifted their attention and found that the proportion of companion stars was quite similar between B and Be stars. Based on this, they speculated that in many cases a third star may be involved, causing the companion star to approach the Be Star. Due to this proximity, mass transfer from one star to another could be observed, which could lead to the formation of an elusive gas disk around Be Star.
Scientists believe this phenomenon may also explain why these companions become smaller, darker, and undetectable over time after they are “exjected” by beasters.
How has our knowledge changed?
Astronomers say the discovery could have significant implications for astronomy, particularly our understanding of black holes, neutron stars, and gravitational wave sources.
“There is currently a revolution in physics surrounding gravitational waves. We have only started observing these gravitational waves in the last few years, and it turns out that these gravitational waves are the result of black hole mergers. “We did,” Udmayer said.
Also read: James Webb Space Telescope may have discovered history’s first star
“We know that mysterious objects such as black holes and neutron stars exist, but we don’t know much about the stars that become them. Our discovery provides clues to understanding the sources of these gravitational waves.” .”
“Over the past decade or so, astronomers have discovered that binaries are a very important element in the evolution of stars. We now know that binaries are even more complex than that, and considering triples “We’re moving towards the idea that we need to. In fact, the triple star has evolved so far. It becomes the new binary,” Udmayr concluded.
The study was published in the journal Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices. What do you think about this discovery? Let us know in the comments section below. Learn more about the world of technology and scienceContinue reading indiatimes.com and click here For how-to guides.
