Article:
A groundbreaking collaboration of researchers, including scientists from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Portsmouth, has made an extraordinary discovery. They have observed gravitational waves originating from a momentous cosmic event: the collision of what is highly likely to be a neutron star with an object that appears to be a light black hole, situated 650 million light-years away from Earth.
The enigmatic collision yielded a wealth of scientific insight. The mass of the black hole has been calculated to fall within the so-called mass gap, as it measures between 2.5 to 4.5 times the mass of the Sun. This positioning places it in a significant astronomical gray area, heavier than the heaviest known and theorized neutron stars, yet lighter than the lightest black holes within our galaxy.
The momentous collision, detailed in a preprint paper, was detected by a constituent of an international network of gravitational wave detectors. This network encompasses the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the Virgo Gravitational Wave Interferometer, and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA).
Additionally, scientists have received a sensational gravitational-wave signal from a remote location in the universe. The signal, a product of the detection of ripples in the fabric of spacetime, is believed to have emerged from the merger of a neutron star with a mysterious object. Intriguingly, this enigmatic object is estimated to possess a mass between 2.5 and 4.5 times that of our Sun, placing it within the elusive “mass gap” – a range occupied by very few known astronomical entities.
It is noteworthy that this discovery might offer new insights into a cosmic mystery, as the nature and formation of objects within the mass gap have long remained elusive to scientific understanding.
Moreover, researchers from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) have played an instrumental role in the detection of this breathtaking gravitational-wave signal. The discovery was unveiled as part of the latest release of findings by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration. Comprising over 1,600 scientists from across the globe, including members of the ICG, this collaboration aims to utilize gravitational waves to unearth fundamental truths about our universe.
This momentous revelation would not have been possible without the observational abilities of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration. In May 2023, the LIGO Livingston detector in Louisiana, USA, captured a gravitational-wave signal originating from the probable collision of a neutron star with a compact object measuring 2.5 to 4.5 times the mass of the Sun.
This remarkable discovery has the potential to reshape our understanding of cosmic phenomena and accelerate future breakthroughs in astrophysical research, opening new frontiers for exploration and discovery.
