Paranormal Investigation Notes

Chapter 367 X-Ray Source

The Black Hole Hunter Organization is a relatively loose, semi-official and semi-civilian organization, composed of some professional or semi-professional researchers who are interested in black holes and hope to find more black holes.To a certain extent, they accept the guidance of the official scientific research force, and the official also has some funds allocated.

Other funding sources include donations and self-raising.Some extreme black hole enthusiasts even sold houses to raise funds to search for black holes a few years ago.

What Lu Ming is looking for now is some teams in the Black Hole Hunter Organization.

These teams have one thing in common, that is, they all aim to search for black holes closer to the solar system.

So far, what humans can find in the universe, the closest black hole candidate to the earth is Cygnus X-1.It is about 6070 light-years away from Earth.

——The reason why it is called a black hole candidate rather than a black hole is because black holes are too difficult to observe.

Think about it, even light cannot break free from its gravitational field, and it does not emit any radiation other than the speculated Hawking radiation. How else can people observe it?

Even the speculated Hawking radiation is extremely low in intensity.For a black hole with stellar mass, its intensity is only one hundred millionth of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is impossible to measure.

Based on this situation, to observe a black hole, it can only be done through the interaction between the black hole and the surrounding environment.For example, when a black hole devours interstellar dust and devours other planets, the matter will release extremely strong radiation during the process of falling into the black hole, or phenomena such as gravitational lens caused by its own gravity, to indirectly judge its existence.

Because it is only an indirect judgment rather than direct observation, it can only be called a black hole candidate rather than a black hole directly.After all, no matter how similar it is, it cannot be [-]% sure that it is a black hole. Maybe it is some other physical process, but it is very similar to the speculated black hole?

In general, though, there's nothing wrong with simply thinking of a black hole candidate as a black hole.After all, what can be identified as a black hole candidate basically has no other theory that can explain what happens there except that it is a black hole.

In this place more than 6000 light-years away from the earth, a compact star that cannot be directly observed forms a binary star system with a blue supergiant star, and the distance between the two is only about 3000 million kilometers.

That compact star has about nine times the mass of the sun.The huge mass equivalent to nine suns is confined within a sphere with a radius of only about 9 kilometers.

With such a high density, it is almost impossible for it to be anything other than a black hole.

Its predecessor should be a massive star reaching 40 times the mass of the sun.At the end of its life, the star lost a mass equivalent to 30 suns, and the remaining mass was sealed in this small black hole and could never come out again.

Its companion star is a blue supergiant star about 30 times the mass of the Sun.

Two stars with such a huge mass revolve around each other crazily at an extremely close distance.

This is the closest black hole candidate to Earth that has been discovered so far.

However, according to theoretical speculation, there should be a very large number of black holes in the Milky Way.Its number may be 100 million or more.

With such a large number of black holes, the distance of the closest one to the earth is as high as more than 6000 light-years, which is obviously unreasonable.

The most likely conclusion is that black holes also exist closer to Earth.It's just that people haven't discovered it yet.

These teams belonging to the black hole hunter organization have the mission of finding black holes closer to the earth.

At this moment, Lu Ming came to Professor Wen Chengcheng's office.

Professor Wen Chengcheng is a university teacher. Besides his normal teaching work, he also has a position in the Black Hole Hunter Organization. He can be regarded as a relatively professional researcher in this organization.

"It's not a good job."

As soon as Professor Wen saw Lu Ming, he poured out bitter water: "Our group of people can be regarded as generating electricity for love. There is no way, it is not taken seriously, the funds allocated by the superiors are only so small, and they are all allocated to those who have Further observations of higher-potential stars have been confirmed, and those of us who specialize in searching for close-range space are the children raised by stepmothers."

Lu Ming could understand this situation.

There is only so little funding, and if it is not allocated to the observation of more likely stars, can it be used for you to waste?
Your observation project is unreliable at first glance. There is no evidence at all. With a little bit of clues here and there, you dare to apply for funding to carry out observations?

You can hear a sound when you throw money into the water, but you can't even hear it.

"I'm a professor of astrophysics, do you know what I'm busy with recently?"

Wen Chengcheng smiled wryly: "I'm wandering around. When I find out where there are entrepreneurial training classes, gatherings, etc., I do my best to contact the organizers and beg them to let me give a speech in the name of popular science and broadening my horizons." , I hope to arouse the curiosity of those capitalists and let them give my team some sponsorship. Uh, to put it bluntly, it’s called sponsorship, but to put it bluntly, I’m just a beggar.”

Lu Ming listened to Wen Chengcheng's complaints in embarrassment but politely. After a long time, taking advantage of Wen Chengcheng's drinking time, he said, "Professor Wen, what close-range suspected targets do you have?"

When it comes to business, Professor Wen Chengcheng finally stopped complaining.He dug out a stack of information, and introduced to Lu Ming: "This number 91652 is a compact binary star. One star is a white dwarf, and the other star is believed to be a neutron star according to information, but the radiation of that white dwarf is obviously abnormal. I suspect that its companion star is not a neutron star but a black hole. It is only about 3500 light-years away from the earth.

And this, a telescope has observed a gravitational lens in this direction before, but no macroscopic star has been found in the corresponding position.I suspect there is a black hole lurking there too.This candidate is much closer to Earth, only about 1600 light-years away. "

Lu Ming said: "Is there any closer? It's better to be within 1000 light-years. It would be even better if it was within 100 light-years."

Professor Wen Chengcheng's eyes lit up.

"Not to mention within 100 light-years, there are suspected targets within 10 light-years."

Lu Ming cheered up: "Oh?"

Professor Wen Chengcheng quickly fetched a stack of materials: "Look at this, in the direction of Andromeda, at a distance of about 6.7 light-years, when a space telescope observed Andromeda before, the generated pictures were disturbed to a certain extent, causing the light Slightly distorted. Through mathematical calculations, I suspect that there is a strong gravitational source there that causes the change of the light propagation path.

And this, in the direction of Orion, when a space telescope was observing a distant target, it accidentally observed a faint X-ray burst from there.I suspect that there is also a black hole hidden there. The weak X-ray burst may be that this black hole is devouring interstellar dust... Yes, there happens to be a relatively dense interstellar molecular cloud there. "

Wen Chengcheng introduced the materials in his hands to Lu Ming.After listening for a while, Lu Ming gradually came back to it.

Professor Wen Chengcheng's materials are all obtained from "Pengci".They are all based on the data of other observation projects, and by analyzing the anomalies in those data, they are looking for the possibility of hidden near-distance black holes.

This is obviously a bit unreliable.He couldn't confirm that his information was first-hand, and he couldn't confirm that the information was accurate and complete. Just relying on a little clue, or even some subtle signs that can't even be called a clue, dare to use it as evidence and find funds to observe it?

No wonder the higher ups refused to give him funds.

but……

Lu Ming came today because he was being taken advantage of.

"How much money do you need to check all the suspects?"

Lu Ming stopped entangled with Professor Wen Chengcheng, but asked the most critical question directly.

"300 million... No, 200 million! 200 million is enough! In addition, it would be better if the observation time of some astronomical telescopes can be coordinated for me. Time, about half a year is enough."

Lu Ming thought for a while and said directly: "I will coordinate 500 million funds for you. But the time, I hope to complete it within a month. I can also coordinate the observation time of the space telescope you need."

boom!
Professor Wen Chengcheng stood up suddenly with his hands on the table, his eyes were burning like a bull in heat, he looked at Lu Ming, his lips trembled and he couldn't even speak.

Lu Ming subconsciously leaned back, wrapped his arms around his chest, and made a defensive posture.

"It's... great, great!"

Professor Wen clenched his hand into a fist excitedly, and kept hitting the palm of the other hand: "500 million funding, 500 million! Mr. Lu, don't worry, within a month, no, as long as 20 days, 20 days, I will definitely be able to complete the project." Initial screening!"

The initial screening has already screened out some obviously improbable targets.In other words, those who can pass the initial screening have a greater possibility of being black holes.

Lu Ming slowly let go of his guard, and said with a smile: "That's good. Someone will discuss funding matters with you in the future. Now, which teams should be contacted to work together and who should be asked to assist you, you can start."

"Don't worry, don't worry!"

After bidding farewell to Professor Wen, Lu Ming did not leave directly, but found another team leader in the Black Hole Hunter organization.

Similar to Professor Wen, the person in charge also had some suspicious targets, but due to lack of funds, it was impossible to carry out follow-up observations to confirm.

After chatting with him and confirming the "quality" of the person in charge, Lu Ming finally made a decision to sponsor him with 300 million Renminbi.

After three days of busy work, Lu Ming met with 8 team leaders in total, and distributed more than 2000 million Renminbi in sponsorship fees.

Perhaps it was because of the news that a bully named Lu Ming was throwing coins crazily in the black hole search circle. After Lu Ming took the initiative to visit the eight team leaders, there began to be professional or unprofessional people who sincerely wanted to search Those who are in the black hole, or those who simply scam money, are like moths seeing the lights, and rush towards Lu Ming frantically.

However, Lu Ming thanked them all and refused them all, without even showing his face.

The eight people he visited before were already the most reliable after review.Just having them is enough.

After completing this matter, Lu Ming began to wait for further results.He didn't wait too long.Only half a month later, Professor Wen Chengcheng called.

"Mr. Lu, we have completed the initial screening, and we have confirmed a candidate celestial body with a higher probability!"

Professor Wen Chengcheng's words were full of excitement: "A target 8.6 light years away from the solar system! We observed that place in the X-ray band through a radio telescope, and confirmed that it is a relatively weak X-ray source!
At present, because of the different types of radiation, I have been able to confirm that it is not a white dwarf, nor a neutron star!Of course, in addition to black holes, it may also be some special types of brown dwarfs, or sub-brown dwarfs, but I am confident that it is very likely to be a black hole!
My God, a black hole that is only 8.6 light-years away from the solar system, a black hole that is so close, has been directly shortened from more than 6000 light-years to 8.6 light-years, big discovery, big discovery, subversive..."

Lu Ming was also refreshed.

This was the first news he had heard of further progress.

"Professor Wen, immediately organize the observation force to conduct further observation and confirmation. Is the funding enough? If not, I can coordinate more here."

Lu Ming originally thought that Professor Wen would speak loudly and blackmail himself severely.At this moment, he was also ready to bleed heavily.Unexpectedly, Professor Wen said: "No need, the higher up allocated funds for me! That's enough! They also specially coordinated the observation force to assist me, and there is no limit to the observation time of the telescope."

Lu Ming was startled for a moment, but then he came to his senses.

Before, because the observation project was really unreliable, naturally no one paid him any attention and refused to give him funding.But now that a further big discovery has been made, the higher-ups are of course generous. Funds, personnel, materials, and observation time are all provided immediately.

After all, if it is finally confirmed that it is indeed a black hole, then this discovery is too big, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it shocked the whole world.How could the boss be stingy at this time?
Lu Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course it would be better if he could not let himself pay for the funds.

"Okay, if you find any further discoveries, please let me know immediately. And... Congratulations to Professor Wen, maybe your name can really stay in the textbook."

"Hey Hey."

Professor Wen Chengcheng laughed a few times, calmed down his emotions, and said: "Mr. Lu, I have a question to ask you. Mr. Lu, you seem to be very sure that there are black holes around the solar system. I have always been curious. , where does your confidence come from?"

(End of this chapter)