Discovery of a Black Hole Triple System

Source: This post on Discovery of a Black Hole Triple System has been created based on the article “First ‘black hole triple’ system discovered: What does it mean?” published in Indian Express on 5th November 2024.

Why in news?

Scientists recently discovered a unique black hole triple system, the first of its kind, located approximately 8,000 light years away from Earth.

Key Features of the Triple System

1. Triple Components: The system comprises a black hole (V404 Cygni) with two stars: one star in close orbit, which the black hole is actively consuming, and a distant star with a much wider orbit.

2. Orbits: The inner star orbits the black hole every 6.5 days, while the outer star’s orbit takes around 70,000 years.

3. Location and Size: V404 Cygni is situated in the Cygnus constellation and has a mass about nine times that of our Sun.

Implications for Black Hole Formation

1. Challenging Traditional Theories: Most black holes are thought to form from supernova explosions, where the remnants of massive stars collapse, expelling outer material. However, the presence of an additional distant star suggests a less explosive origin.

2. Failed Supernova: Researchers suggest that V404 Cygni may have formed through a “failed supernova,” also called “direct collapse.” In this process, a star collapses directly into a black hole without an explosion, allowing nearby stars to remain in orbit.

Potential for Future System Changes: The black hole is actively consuming its closer stellar companion, which means that, over time, this triple system may become a binary system. This hints that other observed binary systems may have once had a third member.

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