Testing Einstein's Theory in Sagittarius A

Softpedia ^ | Monday, August 30th, 2010 | Tudor Vieru

[SunkenCiv]

The bright B spectral class star S2 has been observed by astronomers since 1995, because it is revolving around the radio source known as Sagittarius A, which most likely is the supermassive black hole at the core of the Milky Way.

Given that the object spins around the dark behemoth once every 16 years, it has already concluded a full orbit around the radio source since being discovered...

Among its most important points is the fact that the orbit of an object located close to a star or black holes exerting a strong gravitational pull do not respect the rules of classic astronomy.

Generally, Kepler's 3rd law and Newton's law of gravity can be used to predict how an object's orbit will carry on in the future. But these calculations are not true in the case of planets or stars circling around black holes or extremely massive stars.

For example, the variations t in S2's orbit that were recorded over only 16 years are a clear indicator that Einstein was right to say massive objects with excessive gravitational pulls deform the fabric of space-time around them...

What makes this system worth studying is the fact that Schwarzschild radius around the supermassive black hole extends about the same distance as the orbit of Mercury.

The radius is the rough equivalent of the black hole's surface, the limit beyond which not even light can escape the massive gravitational pull the crushed globe of matter produces.

The particular black hole at the core of the Milky Way has the mass of about four million Suns, experts say. Knowing this, and the fact that S2 travels at 5,000 kilometers per second in its orbit, allows scientists to test some actual observations against theoretical predictions.

[SunkenCiv]

Given that masses and distances are estimated based on Einstein's work, it's not too surprising that the orbits don't seem to conform. :') Two-lister!

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[SunkenCiv]

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[r9etb]

What an unfortunate article. A big buildup suggesting something cool to follow.... and for that I thank you.

But then the article just sorta peters out into a rather lame prelude to grant applications.

[samtheman]

They’ve discovered something very interesting very far away, something which promises to yield a lot of interesting results through further study and something which, by definition, we can’t know all that much about right now. Because it’s so far away. (Center of the galaxy.)

And yes, grants will be needed. That’s the way science works.

If you want to change the structure of science funding so that taxpayer funds are no longer used (an arguably correct goal) that’s one thing. But if you want to blame this little paper — which is merely reporting on the existence of this fantastically interesting development — for the whole structure of science funding as it exists in America today... well, go ahead. No one’s stopping you.

[r9etb]

But if you want to blame this little paper ....

You're reading too much into my comment. What I really want to do, is blame them for writing an article with no real ending. As I said, it just sorta peters out, as if the author ran out of things to say.

[samtheman]

I know. I’m not really trying to pick an argument with you. I was just sort of rambling on.

I suppose the paper could have been more clearly closed on the subject of “where to from here”.

But c’mon, give them a break. They don’t know that much yet. It sorta peters out because that’s where we are on this subject right now. We have a fascinating glimpse of a star orbiting closely around a supermassive black hole some 30 million light years away.

It’s fascinating stuff, with a lot more yet to come.

[rurgan]

The idea that government bureaucrats be given the power to confiscate and use other people's money, productive people's money, for what these bureaucrats decide is science as in global warming studies, is socialism.

Socialism doesn't work, is statism, is an abomination,is against freedom, destroys economies, is against prosperity and the greatest evil there is which is destroying the USA.

[samtheman]

I agree with what you just posted. But that’s NOT the subject of this paper.

[r9etb]

But c’mon, give them a break.

Nope. One of my biggest peeves is reporters or pundits who shirk their responsibility to write well.

[samtheman]

Ok, you win. I still think the story is interesting. So shoot me.

[guitarplayer1953]

This is kind of like the old penny arcade film machines that have girls in them and you put in a dime and it goes so far and you keep having to put dimes in to see the end of the film.

[dr_lew]

What makes this system worth studying is the fact that Schwarzschild radius around the supermassive black hole extends about the same distance as the orbit of Mercury.

...

The particular black hole at the core of the Milky Way has the mass of about four million Suns, experts say.

If we believe the first fact, which is stated without qualification, we don't need experts to tell us the second fact, which is entirely equivalent to it, according to the definition of the Schwarzschild radius.

[Captain Beyond]

Bump this is pretty cool.

Eintein rocks.

Quark, Strangeness, and Charm - Hawkwind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu7Qqmqp3dg

Einstein was not a handsome fellow
Nobody ever called him Al
He had a long moustache to pull on, it was yellow
I don’t believe he ever had a girl
One thing he missed out in his theory
Of time and space and relativity
Is something that makes it very clear
He was never gonna score like you and me
He didn’t know about
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Quark, Strangeness and Charm

I had a dangerous liaison
To have been found out would’ve been a disgrace
We had to rendezvous some days on
the corner of an undiscovered place
We got sick of chat chat chatter
And the look upon everybody’s face
But all that doesn’t not anti-matter now
We’ve found ourselves a black hole out in space

And we’re talking about
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Quark, Strangeness and Charm

Copernicus had those Renaissance ladies
Crazy about his telescope
And Galileo had a name that made his
Reputation higher than his hopes
Did none of those astronomers discover
While they were staring out into the dark
That what a lady looks for in her lover
Is Charm, Strangeness and Quark
And we’re talking about
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Quark, Strangeness and Charm

[NTHockey]

The words of the verse fit nicely into Tom Lehrer’s “Alma”.

[skinkinthegrass]

If we believe the first fact, which is stated..

thanks, for the interesting post / thread...
oh! I love FR.

[Balding_Eagle]

I agree with you. Thanks for posting this, it is interesting.

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure, and re FR, yeah, it’s pretty great!

[SunkenCiv]

There’s an anecdote about Einy; he was walking near his home one day, wrapt in thought, not paying attention to his surroundings, and fell right into an open manhole. A reporter with a camera happened to see this, and ran up and took a photo of Albert nursing some wounds and looking up out of the open manhole. Einstein paid the guy for the raw film so it never would see the light of day.

[SunkenCiv]

:’)