了解宇宙是如何运行的（2010）

How the Universe Works S08E08

Part 4 Jan. 30, 2022, 2:59 p.m.

似乎是不可能的
never seemed possible.
这张遥远星系中心的图像
Narrator: This image of the
heart of a distant galaxy
帮助我们前所未有地了解超大质量黑洞
helps us understand supermassive
black holes like never before.
斯特劳恩:当我们观察其他星系中的
Straughn: When we observe
supermassive black holes
超大质量黑洞时，包括 M87 星系中的黑洞
in other galaxies,
including the one in m87,
我们能够更多地了解这些大质量黑洞
we're able to learn more about
the big picture
是如何形成和演化的
of how these massive black holes
form and evolve over time.
这反过来帮助我们理解
And that in turn,
helps us understand
我们的银河系
how our milky way galaxy
及其超大质量黑洞是如何形成的
and its super massive
black hole has formed.
鲍曼:通过研究，不仅仅是制♥作♥黑洞的图像
Bouman: By studying, not just
making images of black holes,
还要制♥作♥黑洞的视频
but making videos
of black holes,
观察周围的气体旋转
and seeing as that gas
is spinning around it,
我们可以尝试更精确地绘制黑洞周围的地图
we can try to map around
a black hole more precisely
并了解它的动力学
and learn about its dynamics.
射手座a星的一张照片
Narrator: An image
of sagittarius a-star
仍然遥不可及
remains out of reach,
但在2018年，它展示了它性格中致命的一面
but in 2018, it shows
a deadly side to its character.
超大质量黑洞的吸积盘
The supermassive black
hole's accretion disk
释放出巨大而强大的耀斑
releases huge, powerful flares,
并且它们可能正对着我们
and they could be pointed
right at us.
2018年，天文学家正在研究围绕银河系
Narrator: In 2018, astronomers
were studying a special star
超大质量黑洞运行的一颗特殊恒星
orbiting our galaxy's
supermassive black hole.
这颗恒星每16年
The star passes close
to sagittarius a-star --
经过人马座的a星
every 16 years.
它被称为 s2，通过研究这颗恒星飞行的经过
It's called s2, and by studying
this star's fly-by,
我们希望能更多地了解人马座a星
we hope to learn more
about sagittarius a-star.
特伦布雷:我们认为 s2 可能是
Tremblay: We think that s2 may
be the very closest star
离银河系中心超大质量黑洞最近的恒星
to the supermassive black hole
in the center of our galaxy.
在最接近凹陷的a星时
At closest approach
to sag a-star,
s2 距离它的表面只有17光小时左右
s2 comes within 17 light hours
or so of the surface.
超大质量黑洞强大的引力
Narrator: The supermassive black
hole's powerful gravity
将恒星加速到每小时1700万英里（约2700万公里）
accelerates the star
to 17 million miles an hour.
它的速度从纽约到洛杉矶
That's fast enough to travel
from new york to l.A.
只需半秒
In half a second,
但让科学家兴奋的并不是这颗恒星的速度
but it's not the star's speed
that excites scientists.
这是一颗大恒星，因为它在椭圆轨道上
This is a great star, because
it's on an elliptical orbit
离黑洞相当远
that takes it fairly far
from the black hole,
但每隔几年
but every few years,
它就会从超大质量黑洞的正上方经过
it passes right above
the supermassive black hole.
当我们跟踪 s2 绕人马座a星旋转时
Narrator: As we tracked s2's
swing around sagittarius a-star,
我们探测到来自
we detected powerful
bursts of infrared light
超大质量黑洞方向上强大的红外光爆发
coming from the direction
of the supermassive black hole.
普雷特:有一团气体
Plait:
There's a blob of gas
在黑洞附近绕轨道运行
that is orbiting very close
to the black hole,
它在运行的时候会燃烧
and it was flaring
as it went around.
他们发现了三个
There were three separate
flares of light
独♥立♥的耀斑
that they were able to detect.
这些耀斑并不是直接
Narrator:
The flares didn't come directly
来自超大质量黑洞
from
the supermassive black hole,
而是来自它周围的物质
they came from
the material around it.
我们发现的耀斑被认为是
The flares that were discovered
are thought to originate
起源于黑洞周围
from magnetic storms
一种非常非常热的湍流气体中的磁暴
in this very, very hot turbulent
gas around the black hole.
吸积盘中的极端热量
Narrator: The extreme heat
in the accretion disk
将气体原子中的电子剥离
strips electrons
from atoms of gas.
剥离的电子和热气体
The stripped electrons
and hot gas form a plasma,
形成等离子体，当加速到高速时
which creates powerful
magnetic fields
等离子体产生强大的磁场
when accelerated to high speeds.
特伦布雷:因为一些超大质量黑洞
Tremblay: Because some super
massive black holes
有非常热的
have these superheated,
快速旋转的气体漩涡围绕着它们旋转
rapidly spinning vortices
of gas swirling around them,
就会产生这些非常非常强大
you get these very,
very powerful,
非常紧密缠绕的磁场
very tightly wound
magnetic fields.
能量储存在磁场中
And there's energy stored
in that magnetic field.
就像一堆钢琴线缠在一起
It's like a bunch of piano wires
all tangled up.
如果这些物质相互作用，它们就会断裂
And if these things interact
with each other, they can snap,
当它们断裂时，能量就会释放出来
and when they snap,
that energy is released.
特伦布雷:当这些磁场的线圈有效地断裂时
Tremblay: You'll get this
enormous release of energy
就会得到巨大的能量释放
as these coils of magnetic
fields effectively snap.
当发生这样的事情的时候，就像太阳表面一样
And when they do so, just like
on the surface of our sun,
它们会释放出巨大的气体耀斑
they release
an enormous flare of gas.
这些强大的耀斑可以有数百万英里宽
Narrator: These powerful flares
can be millions of miles wide
里面充满了过热的气体和等离子体
and come packed with superheated
gas and plasma.
太阳耀斑释放的能量
Solar flares release
as much energy
相当于1000万次火山爆发
as 10 million volcanic
explosions.
♪
来自人马座a星吸积盘的耀斑
flares from sagittarius
a-star's accretion disk
就像数百万个太阳耀斑同时喷发
are like millions of solar
flares all going off at once.
这有点像把核武器比作爆竹
It's kind of like comparing a
nuclear weapon to a firecracker.
人马座a星的耀斑
Narrator:
Sagittarius a-star's flares
会释放出强烈的辐射
release intense blasts
of radiation,
但通过在地球上观察耀斑
but by watching the flares
from earth,
我们可以了解
we can learn about
the orientation
超大质量黑洞吸积盘的方向
of the supermassive
black hole's accretion disk.
特伦布雷:黑洞周围吸积盘中的气体
Tremblay: This gas that's in
this accretion disk
就像一个友好的帮手
around the black hole
is like a friendly helper
把手电筒照向地球
shining a flashlight
back toward earth.
我们可以观察这些手电筒的轨道
And we can watch the orbit
of these flashlights
帮助理解围绕黑洞旋转的
and help understand
the orientation of gas
气体的方向
that swirls
around the black hole.
我们想我们能看到它的全景