Great Country Academician

In southern Yunnan and the observation array center of the observatory, Xu Chuan found several doctoral students from Nantah University.

At this moment, these people are discussing something intensely in a laboratory. On the side, there are several scientific researchers from the observation array center of the observatory, who are also communicating and arguing about something synchronously.

Without making a sound, Xu Chuan slowed down and leaned over to listen.

"It may be caused by the asymmetric envelope activity of Betelgeuse. Compared with other observation data, the data of this piece is indeed abnormal."

"I have checked the original observation data and compared the historical data. Judging from the infrared spectrum analysis data, the abnormal observation data this time is not eye-catching in history. The more abnormal data than this have been observed on Betelgeuse. .”

"For example, in 2007, the astronomical observatory of the country where the sun never sets observed the abnormal expansion of Betelgeuse. At that time, the overall shape was stretched from the standard circle of a ping-pong ball to the shape of an egg."

"I know about this incident. The subsequent analysis is that the activity of Betelgeuse caused the gas envelope to discharge a large amount of material."

"So I don't think there is any problem with the data. The problem is likely to be in the data calculation. It is unscientific to calculate two diameters of a star with a huge difference. This directly violates common sense."

"."

"Ah, Xu Chuan is here."

While discussing, someone suddenly noticed Xu Chuan who was squatting aside, and exclaimed.

This made the colleague who had just questioned the problem with the data calculation blushed slightly, and was a little embarrassed. After all, it was not good to say that there was a problem with his calculation behind the back of the master, and the master heard it.

Xu Chuan didn't care, and didn't care. It's normal to have doubts.

Doing scientific research requires a spirit of questioning.

It is precisely because of the rigor of scientific research that it is even more necessary for someone to question whether the process and results are correct.

The more basic the subject, the more people need to stand up.

And he is indeed a bit outrageous.

A star has calculated two diameters, not to mention these workers in the Department of Astronomy, even if it is the winner of the Fields Medal, Fehrman or Witten, the first reaction is probably that there is a problem with the calculation data or calculation formula up.

Therefore, Xu Chuan has no opinion on other people's doubts, as long as there is a discussion result in the end.

"It's okay, don't worry about me, I care more about the results of your discussions? How is the verification of the observation data, is there a problem with the observation data, or is there an abnormality in Betelgeuse?"

Xu Chuan waved his hand to signal everyone to continue.

On the side, Liu Xuan, who led the team from Nantah University, shook his head and said, "There hasn't been much progress. I can't be sure what went wrong."

"However, there are several possible problems that can be listed."

"What kind?" Xu Chuan asked.

Liu Xuan: "The first one may be caused by the asymmetric envelope activity of Betelgeuse, because Betelgeuse has reached its old age, the outer hydrogen envelope is constantly expanding, but at the same time, its inner core is The activity is intense, so the hydrogen envelope is showing a different look, which leads to problems with the observation data."

"The second, possibly Betelgeuse's violent activity, has resulted in a massive plume of gas being expelled from the surface to create a stellar expansion-like effect."

"The third one, it may be that there is a problem with your data calculation, little junior."

"Fourth, there may be a companion star orbiting it in its gaseous envelope, and part of the observed data may come from its companion star."

"Fifth, there may be a planet orbiting it in its gaseous envelope."

"Sixth"

Liu Xuan listed the possible situations, Xu Chuan listened quietly, and when he finished speaking, he raised his head and said, "Can you tell me the details of the fourth and fifth companion stars?"

"Well, no problem."

Liu Xuan nodded, and continued: "The first time humans accurately observed the star Betelgeuse was when large telescopes and radio telescopes appeared, and it was less than fifty years ago."

"Fifty years ago, parameter four was already in its old age."

"A star expands as it ages, like our sun."

"When the sun enters its old age, most of the hydrogen in the central region will be reacted, and the rate of thermonuclear reactions will immediately decrease sharply. At the same time, the balance between the gravitational force and radiation pressure in the central region will be broken, and the gravitational force will gain the upper hand. "

"At this time, the central core began to shrink, and gradually became hotter and denser. At the same time, the outer layer was expanded violently by the energy released by the core contraction, and became a red giant star."

"At the same time, the sun's outer shell will continue to expand outward, while the core will compress inward to become, and eventually become a red giant star in its later years and eject the outer layers to form a planetary nebula."

"According to calculations, the sun will spread to around the boundary of the earth in its later years, and in the process, it will devour all surrounding materials, such as Mercury, Venus, and the earth."

"Betelgeuse is currently in this stage. Its surface layer, that is, the hydrogen envelope, has been continuously diffusing outward, and its volume and diameter are also increasing."

"At this stage, if there is another star nearby Betelgeuse and it is not destroyed in the process of being swallowed, it will fall into the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse."

"If its own mass and revolution speed can resist the gravitational force of the core, it will revolve around the core in the hydrogen envelope, and then form a relatively unique binary star system, that is, the small star becomes a planet-like system and revolves around the main star. "

"This may explain why you have two calculated diameters, and some observations may actually come from this small star."

"However, this kind of statement is more...well, I can only say that the current astronomical community does not have enough evidence to support it, and it is just a hypothesis made by other researchers in the astronomical community in response to the unusual celestial activities of Betelgeuse. .”

"As for the planets, it is similar to the situation of the companion star, they are all swallowed up, but the probability of existence of a planet is relatively small, because they do not have such a strong gravitational force against the stellar wind, and they will eventually fall into the core of Betelgeuse go inside."

"So the probability of the existence of a planet can basically be ruled out."

Liu Xuan roughly explained the so-called binary star system. Although binary star systems are very common in the universe, he is not very optimistic about this hypothesis.

Because of distance and how stars are formed.

The formation of a single-star system is relatively simple, that is, material dust and some gas in the universe accumulate over time to form a gathering point, and finally gather into stars under the action of gravity.

As for the double star, there is a lot of dust and matter in a certain place in the universe, and it is widely distributed, so it is possible to form two accumulation points, that is, two accretion disks, and finally form two stars over a long period of time .

If the mass of the two stars and the distance between the stars are sufficient, then a stable binary star system can be formed, and more than one-third of the galaxies in the Milky Way are binary stars.

But Betelgeuse does not meet this condition.

Because the distance is too short.

Even if its size is placed in the solar system, the boundary is enough to swallow Jupiter, but on a cosmic scale, if there are two stars crowded in this range, it is no different from being next to each other.

But during the stage of star formation, gravitational collapse empties everything around it.

Massive stars like Betelgeuse eat up all the surrounding raw materials after they form.

Even if there is still enough raw material nearby to form a small star, it will gradually fall into Betelgeuse due to the influence of huge gravity, and eventually disappear.

You must know that the diameter calculated this time is Betelgeuse, which is as large as 890 times the diameter of the sun, and the other is an unknown star with only 67 times the diameter of the sun. There is a huge difference between the two.

The gravitational gap between the two is like an elephant pulling a river with an ordinary person.

There is only one final result, and that is that ordinary people are dragged away.

In addition, in the current astronomical community, there is no evidence that Betelgeuse is a binary star system.

Over the past few decades, observations and observations of Betelgeuse have never found traces of its companion star.

Therefore, Liu Xuan is not very optimistic about the existence of another star revolving around the core of Betelgeuse in the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse.

He thinks that the most likely thing is either the abnormal observation data caused by the violent activity of the hydrogen envelope, or there is a problem with the calculation formula of this little junior.

Xu Chuan pondered for a while, and asked: "If it is such a binary star system, then it should have a return cycle, right?"

"It's like the moon returns to full moon every month when it revolves around the earth."

Liu Xuan nodded, and said: "If this kind of stable physical binary star system really exists, small stars must have a return cycle."

"It's just that we can't determine how long it will take this 'hypothetical' small star to orbit Betelgeuse."

"Maybe a week? A month? Maybe a year? Or ten years?"

Xu Chuan: "Can you calculate an approximate time?"

Liu Xuan smiled bitterly, and said, "I don't know, no one has ever thought about it, and no one has tried it, because there is a lack of necessary data."

"As you know, the speed of a planet's revolution depends on the gravitational force and distance of the star it revolves around"

Before Senior Brother Liu finished speaking, Xu Chuan understood what he meant.

This is the basis of physics.

The universal gravitation is proportional to the mass, the greater the mass, the stronger the gravitational force, and inversely proportional to the distance, the farther the distance is, the weaker the gravitational force is.

For example, the earth is subjected to the gravitational force of the sun. When the earth is approaching the sun, the sun itself has its own rotation, which causes the earth to revolve with its gravitational force.

While revolving, a centrifugal force is generated between the earth and the sun. Centrifugal force competes with the sun's gravitational force, which is directly proportional to the distance from the sun.

The closer you are to the sun, the stronger the gravitational pull.

In order not to be directly attracted into the star by the gravitational force of the star, the faster the planetary revolution speed will be, thereby forming a greater centrifugal force against the gravitational force of the sun.

In the galaxies that can finally be stabilized, the centrifugal force and gravitational force between the stars are in a state of balance and containment.

This is also the reason why the earth will not be sucked into the sun.

According to this theorem, the revolving speed of the planet can be deduced after certain conditions such as distance and mass are determined.

But here is the problem now. If there is really a small star in the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse, no one can know how far it is from the core of Betelgeuse and how massive it is.

Because when people observed Betelgeuse, it was already in its old age, and it had already devoured this 'possible' star.

Therefore, there is no way to calculate the mass and revolution speed of this companion star at all.