Free Astronomy Magazine March-April 2024 ARABIC VERSION

that the companion star appears to have survived the violent death of its partner and the two objects, the compact remnant and the compan- ion, likely kept orbiting each other. The data collected by the Moore team, which included observations with ESO’s NTT in Chile’s Atacama Desert, did not allow them to pin down exactly how the interaction between the two objects caused the highs and lows in the light curve. But the Chen team had additional observations. They found the same regular fluctuations in the system’s visible brightness that the Moore team had detected, and they also spotted periodic movements of hy- drogen gas and bursts of gamma rays in the system. Their observations were made pos- sible thanks to a fleet of instruments on the ground and in space, includ- ing X-shooter on ESO’s VLT, also lo- cated in Chile. Putting all the clues together, the two teams generally agree that when the companion star interacted with the material thrown out during the supernova explosion, its hydrogen-rich atmos- phere became puffier than usual. Then, as the compact object left be- hind after the explosion zipped through the companion’s atmos- phere on its orbit, it would steal hy- drogen gas, forming a hot disc of matter around itself. This periodic stealing of matter, or accretion, re- leased lots of energy that was picked up as regular changes of brightness in the observations. Even though the teams could not observe light coming from the com- pact object itself, they concluded that this energetic stealing can only be due to an unseen neutron star, or possibly a black hole, attracting matter from the companion star’s puffy atmosphere. “Our research is like solving a puzzle by gathering all possible evidence,” Chen says. “All these pieces lining up lead to the truth.” With the presence of a black hole or neutron star confirmed, there is still plenty to unravel about this enig- matic system, including the exact nature of the compact object or what end could await this binary system. Next-generation telescopes such as ESO’s Extremely Large Tele- scope, scheduled to begin opera- tion later this decade, will help with this, allowing astronomers to re- veal unprecedented details of this unique system.     - ﻣﺎﺭﺱ ﺃﺑﺮﻳﻞ 2 0 2 4 اﻟﺒﻘﺎﻳﺎ ا ﺪﻣﺠﺔ واﻟﻨﺠﻢ ا ﺮاﻓﻖ ﻇـﻼ ﻳـﺪوران ﺣﻮل ﺑﻌﻀﻬﻤﺎ . اﻟﺒﻴﺎﻧﺎت اﻟﺘﻲ ﺟﻤﻌﻬـﺎ ﻓﺮﻳـﻖ ﻣﻮر، واﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻀﻤﻨﺖ أرﺻـﺎداً ﻣـﻦ ﺗﻠﺴـﻜﻮب اﻟﺘﻜﻨﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ اﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪة اﻟﺘﺎﺑﻊ ﻟﻠﻤﺮﺻﺪ اﻷوروﺑﻲ اﻟ ﺠﻨـﻮﺑﻲ ﰲ ﺻـﺤﺮاء أﺗﺎﻛﺎﻣـﺎ ﰲ ﺗﺸـﻴﲇ ﻟـﻢ ﺗﺴﻤﺢ ﻟﻬﻢ ﺑﺘﺤﺪﻳﺪ ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ ﺗﺴﺒﺐ اﻟﺘﻔﺎﻋﻞ ﺑ اﻟﺠﺴـﻤ ﰲ اﻻرﺗﻔ ﺎﻋـﺎت واﻻﻧﺨﻔﺎﺿـﺎت ﰲ ﻣﻨﺤﻨﻰ اﻟﻀﻮء ﻟﻜﻦ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ ﺗﺸـ ﻛـﺎن ﻟﺪﻳـﻪ أرﺻﺎد إﺿﺎﻓﻴﺔ ﻗـﺪ و وﺟـﺪ ﻧﻔـﺲ اﻟﺘﻘﻠﺒـﺎت ا ﻨﺘﻈﻤﺔ ﰲ اﻟﺴـﻄﻮع ا ﺮ ﺋـﻲ ﻟﻠﻨﻈـﺎم اﻟﺘـﻲ اﻛﺘﺸﻔﻬﺎ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ ﻣـﻮر ﻛﻤـﺎ رﺻـﺪوا ﺣﺮﻛـﺎت دورﻳﺔ ﻟﻐﺎز اﻟﻬﻴﺪروﺟ واﻧﻔﺠـﺎ رات أﺷـﻌﺔ ﺟﺎﻣﺎ ﰲ اﻟﻨﻈﺎم . أﺻﺒﺤﺖ أرﺻـﺎدﻫﻢ ﻣﻤﻜﻨـﺔ ﺑﻔﻀﻞ أﺳﻄﻮل ﻣﻦ اﻷ ﺟﻬﺰة ﻋـﲆ اﻷرض وﰲ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء ﺑﻤﺎ ﰲ ذﻟﻚ اﻛـﺲ) ﻣﻄﻴﺎف ( ﺷـﻮﺗﺮ - ا ﺜﺒﺖ ﻋـﲆ اﻟﺘﻠﺴـﻜﻮب اﻟﻜﺒـ ﺟـﺪاً اﻟﺘـﺎﺑﻊ ﻟﻠﻤﺮﺻﺪ اﻷوروﺑﻲ اﻟﺠﻨﻮﺑﻲ ا ﻮﺟﻮد . ﰲ ﺗﺸﻴﲇ ــ ﺑﺠﻤﻊ ﻛﻞ اﻟﻘﺮاﺋﻦ ﻣﻌﺎ ﻳﺘﻔﻖ اﻟﻔﺮﻳﻖ ﻋﻤﻮﻣـ ﺎ ﻋﲆ أﻧﻪ ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﻔﺎﻋﻞ اﻟﻨ ﺠﻢ ا ﺮاﻓﻖ ﻣﻊ ا ﻮاد اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻢ ﻗﺬﻓﻬﺎ أﺛﻨﺎء اﻧﻔﺠﺎر ا ﺴﺘﻌﺮ اﻷ ﻋﻈـﻢ أﺻﺒﺢ ﻏﻼﻓﻪ اﻟﺠﻮ ي اﻟﻐﻨﻲ ﺑﺎﻟﻬﻴﺪروﺟ أﻛﺜﺮ اﻧﺘﻔﺎﺧ ﺎً ﻣﻦ ا ﻌﺘﺎد وﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ ﻋﻨـﺪﻣﺎ ﻳﻨـﺪﻓﻊ اﻟﺠﺴﻢ ا ﻀﻐﻮط اﻟﺬي ﺗﺮﻛـﻪ ﺑﻌـﺪ اﻻﻧﻔﺠـﺎر ﻋ ﱪ اﻟﻐﻼف اﻟﺠـﻮي ﻟﻠﺮﻓﻴـﻖ ﰲ ﻣـﺪاره ﻓﺈﻧـﻪ ﺴـﺤﺐ ﻳ ﻏـﺎز اﻟﻬﻴـﺪروﺟ وﻳﺸـﻜﻞ ﻗﺮﺻـ ﺎً ﺎً ﺳﺎﺧﻨ ﻣﻦ ا ﺎدة ﺣﻮل ﻧﻔﺴﻪ وﻗـﺪ أدى ﻫـﺬا اﻟﺴﺤﺐ اﻟﺪوري ﻟﻠﻤ ﺎدة أو اﻟﱰاﻛﻢ إﱃ إﻃـﻼق اﻟﻜﺜ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻄﺎﻗﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻢ اﻟﺘﻘﺎﻃﻬﺎ ﻛﺘﻐ ات ﻣﻨﺘﻈﻤﺔ ﰲ اﻟﺴﻄﻮع ﰲ ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺎت اﻟﺮﺻﺪ . ﻋـﲆ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ أن اﻟﻔﺮق اﻟﻌﻠﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﻢ ﺗـﺘﻤﻜﻦ ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻀ رﺻﺪ ﻮء اﻟﻘﺎدم ﻣـﻦ اﻟﺠﺴـﻢ ا ﻀـﻐﻮط ﻧﻔﺴــﻪ ﻓﻘ ـﺪ ﺧﻠﺼـﻮا إﱃ أن ﻫ ـﺬه اﻟﻄﺎ ﻗــﺔ ا ﺘﺪﻓﻘﺔ ﻻ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗﻜـﻮن إﻻ ﺑﺴـﺒﺐ ﻧﺠـﻢ ﻧﻴﻮﺗﺮوﻧﻲ ﻏـ ﻣﺮﺋـﻲ أو رﺑﻤـﺎ ﺛﻘـﺐ أﺳـﻮد ــــــ ﻳﺠﺬب ا ﺎدة ﻣﻦ اﻟﻐﻼف اﻟﺠﻮي ا ﻨﺘﻔﺦ ﻟﻠﻨﺠﻢ ا ﺮاﻓﻖ . ﻳﻘﻮل ﺗﺸ " : إن ﺑﺤﺜﻨﺎ ﻳﺸﺒﻪ ﺣﻞ اﻟﻠﻐﺰ ﻣـ ﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺟﻤﻊ ﻛـﻞ اﻷدﻟـﺔ ا ﻤﻜﻨـﺔ و ﻛـﻞ ﻫـﺬه اﻟﻘﻄﻊ ا ﺼﻄﻔﺔ ﺗﺆدي إﱃ اﻟﺤﻘﻴﻘﺔ ". ﻣﻊ ﺗﺄﻛﻴ ﺪ وﺟﻮد ﺛﻘﺐ أﺳﻮد أو ﻧﺠﻢ ﻧﻴﻮﺗﺮوﻧﻲ ﻻ ﻳﺰال ﻫﻨﺎك اﻟﻜﺜ ﻣﻤﺎ ﻳﺠﺐ ﻛﺸـﻔﻪ ﺣـﻮل ﻫﺬا اﻟﻨﻈﺎم اﻟﻐـﺎﻣﺾ ﺑﻤـﺎ ﰲ ذﻟـﻚ اﻟﻄﺒﻴﻌـﺔ اﻟﺪﻗﻴﻘﺔ ﻟﻠﺠﺴﻢ ا ﻀـﻐﻮط أو اﻟﻨﻬﺎﻳـﺔ اﻟﺘـﻲ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ أن ﺗﻨﺘﻈﺮ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻨﻈﺎم اﻟﺜﻨﺎﺋﻲ . ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻋﺎم ﺳﻮف ﺗﺴﺎﻋﺪ ﺗﻠﺴﻜﻮﺑﺎت اﻟﺠﻴـﻞ اﻟﺘ ﺎﱄ ﻣﺜـﻞ ا ﻟﺘﻠﺴـﻜﻮب ﻓـﺎﺋﻖ اﻟﻜِـﱪ اﻟﺘـﺎﺑﻊ ﻟﻠﻤﺮﺻﺪ اﻷوروﺑﻲ اﻟﺠﻨﻮﺑﻲ واﻟﺬي ﻣﻦ ا ﻘـﺮر أن ﻳﺒﺪأ ﺗﺸﻐﻴﻠ ﻪ ﰲ وﻗﺖ ﻻﺣﻖ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬا اﻟﻌﻘـﺪ ﰲ ﺗﺤﻘﻴﻖ ذﻟـﻚ ﻣﻤـﺎ ﻳﺴـﻤﺢ ﻟﻌﻠﻤـﺎء اﻟﻔﻠـﻚ ﺑﺎﻟﻜﺸﻒ ﻋﻦ ﺗﻔﺎﺻـﻴﻞ ﻏـ ﻣﺴـﺒﻮﻗﺔ ﻟﻬـﺬا اﻟﻨﻈﺎم اﻟﻜﻮﻧﻲ اﻻ . ﺳﺘﺜﻨﺎﺋﻲ