The Black Hole Hunters organization is a relatively loose, semi-official and semi-private organization. It is composed of some professional or semi-professional researchers who have a greater interest in stars like black holes and hope to find more black holes.
They accept the guidance of official scientific research forces to a certain extent, and the government also has some financial allocations. Other sources of funding include donations and self-raised funds.
Some of the more extreme black hole enthusiasts even sold their 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, the closest black hole candidate to the earth that can be found in the human universe is Cygnus x-1.
Its distance from Earth is approximately 6,070 light-years. ——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 escape its gravitational field, and it itself does not release any radiation except the speculated Hawking radiation. What other observation methods can people use to observe it?
Even the speculated Hawking radiation has extremely low intensity. For a black hole with a stellar mass, its intensity is only a few hundred million times that of the cosmic microwave background radiation, making it impossible to measure.
Based on this situation, observing a black hole can only be done through the interaction between the black hole and its surrounding environment.
For example, when a black hole swallows interstellar dust and other stars, the material falling into the black hole will release extremely strong radiation, or its existence may be indirectly judged by phenomena such as gravitational lensing caused by its own gravity.
Because it is only an indirect judgment rather than a direct observation, it can only be called a black hole candidate rather than directly called a black hole.
After all, no matter how similar it is, we cannot be 100% certain that it is a black hole. Maybe it is some other physical process that is very similar to the speculated black hole?
But generally speaking, there is no problem in directly considering the black hole candidate as a black hole. After all, what can be identified as a candidate for a black hole basically has no other theory that can explain what is happening there except that it is a black hole.
More than 6,000 light-years away from the Earth, a dense star that cannot be directly observed forms a binary star system with a blue supergiant. The distance between the two is only about 30 million kilometers.
The mass of that compact star is about 9 times the mass of the sun. A huge mass equivalent to nine suns is confined to a sphere with a radius of only about 26 kilometers.
With such a high density, it's 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 be released.
Its companion star is a blue supergiant star about 30 times the mass of the sun. Two stars with such huge masses rotate crazily around each other at an extremely close distance.
This is the black hole candidate closest to the earth that has been discovered so far. However, according to theoretical speculation, there should be a huge number of black holes in the Milky Way.
There may be a million or more. With such a large number of black holes, the closest one to the earth is more than 6,000 light-years away. This is obviously unreasonable.
The most likely conclusion is that there are black holes even closer to the 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 arrived at Professor Wen Chengcheng's office. Professor Wen Chengcheng is a university teacher. In addition to his normal teaching work, he also has a position in the Black Hole Hunter organization. He is considered a relatively professional researcher in this organization.
"The work is not easy to do." Professor Wen expressed his bitterness when he saw Lu Ming: "We, a group of people, can be regarded as generating electricity for love. There is no way, we are not taken seriously, and the experience allocated by our superiors is so little. , have been assigned to those stars with higher potential for further observation and confirmation. Those of us who specialize in searching close space are the children raised by stepmothers." Lu Ming can understand this situation.
There is only so much experience, and it is not allocated to the observation of more likely stars. How can it be used to let you wander?
Your observation project is unreliable at first glance. There is no evidence at all. With a few clues pieced together here and there, you dare to apply for permission to start observation?
Throwing money into water can still make a sound, but you can't even hear a sound.
"I'm a professor of astrophysics. Do you know what I've been busy with recently?" Wen Chengcheng smiled bitterly: "I hang out everywhere. When I find out where there are training courses and gatherings for entrepreneurs, I try my best to contact the organizers. I begged them to let me give a speech in the name of popularizing science and broadening my horizons, hoping to arouse the curiosity of those capitalists and get them to give my team some sponsorship. Well, to put it nicely, it is called soliciting sponsorship, but to put it worse, Yes, I'm just a beggar." Lu Ming listened awkwardly but politely to Wen Chengcheng's complaints. After a long time, he took advantage of Wen Chengcheng's break to drink water and said, "Professor Wen, you have everything in your hand. What are the suspected targets at close range?" When it came to business, Professor Wen Chengcheng finally stopped complaining.
He pulled out a stack of information and introduced it to Lu Ming: "The numbered one is a compact binary star. One star is a white dwarf, and the other star is believed to be a neutron star according to current data. However, the radiation of that white dwarf star is obviously abnormal. I I suspect that its companion star is not a neutron star but a black hole. It is only about 3,500 light-years away from the earth. Also, a telescope has observed gravitational lensing in this direction before, but no macroscopic stars were found in the corresponding position. I suspect that there is also There is a black hole hidden. This candidate target is closer to the earth, only about 1,600 light years." Lu Ming said: "Is there any closer? It would be better if it is within 1,000 light years. It would be better if it is within 100 light years. ." Professor Wen Chengcheng's eyes lit up.
"There are suspected targets within 10 light-years, not to mention within 100 light-years." Lu Ming perked up: "Oh?" Professor Wen Chengcheng quickly took a stack of information: "Look at this, the direction of Andromeda, the distance About 6.7 light-years away, when a space telescope was previously observing Andromeda, the image generated was subject to certain interference, causing the light to be slightly distorted. Through mathematical model calculations, I suspected that there was a strong gravitational source there that caused the light to propagate. Changes in the path. And this, in the direction of Orion, when a space telescope was observing a distant target, it accidentally observed a weak X-ray burst coming from there. I suspect that there is also a black hole hidden there, and that weak X-ray burst , it may be that this black hole is swallowing interstellar dust... Yes, there happens to be a relatively dense interstellar molecular cloud there." Wen Chengcheng introduced the information in his hand to Lu Ming.
After listening for a while, Lu Ming gradually came back to his senses. Professor Wen Chengcheng’s information is all
It came from "touching porcelain". They are all based on the data of other observation projects, and by analyzing the anomalies in those data to find the possibility of hiding close-range black holes.
This is obviously a bit unreliable. He has no way to confirm that his information is first-hand, and he has no way to confirm that the information is accurate and complete. He only relies on a few clues, even some subtle signs that cannot even be called clues, and dares to use them as evidence and then look for scriptures to observe?
Don't blame the superiors for refusing to give him sutras. But... Lu Ming came here today just to be taken advantage of.
"How much time will it take to investigate all suspected targets?" Lu Ming did not argue with Professor Wen Chengcheng anymore, but directly asked the most critical question.
"3 million... no, 2 million! 2 million is enough! In addition, it would be better if the observation time of some astronomical telescopes can be coordinated with me. Time, about half a year." Lu Ming thought for a while , said directly: "I will coordinate 5 million for you. But the time, I hope to complete it within a month. I can also coordinate for you the observation time of the space telescope you need." Bang!
Professor Wen Chengcheng stood up suddenly with his hands on the table, his eyes looking at Lu Ming like a bull in heat, his lips trembling and he couldn't even speak.
Lu Ming subconsciously leaned back, crossed his arms around his chest, and made a defensive posture.
"So... great, great!" Professor Wen clenched one hand into a fist in excitement and kept hitting the palm of the other hand: "5 million sutras, 5 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 initial screening!" The initial screening can already screen out some obviously impossible targets.
This means that those who can pass the initial screening have a greater possibility of being black holes. Lu Ming slowly lowered his guard and said with a smile: "That's good. There will be people to discuss the matter with you in the future. Now, which teams should be contacted to work together and who should be found to assist you, you can start."
"Don't worry, don't worry!" After saying goodbye to Professor Wen, Lu Ming did not leave directly, but found another team leader in the black hole hunter organization.
Similar to Professor Wen, this person in charge also had some suspicious targets, but due to lack of experience, he was unable to conduct follow-up observations and confirmations.
Chatted with him and confirmed the identity of the person in charge
"Good quality", Lu Ming finally made the decision to sponsor him with 3 million human coins. After three days of busy work, Lu Ming met with a total of 8 team leaders and distributed more than 20 million human coins in sponsorship.
Perhaps he heard the news about a man named Lu Ming who was frantically throwing away money in the black hole search circle. After Lu Ming took the initiative to visit eight team leaders, there began to be people, both professional and unprofessional, who sincerely wanted to search for black holes. , or people who simply cheated money directly were like moths seeing the light, and rushed towards Lu Ming crazily.
However, Lu Ming was indifferent to all of them and refused them all without even showing his face. The eight people he visited before were already the most reliable after review.
It's enough to have them. After completing this matter, Lu Ming began to wait for further results.
He didn't wait long. Only half a month later, Professor Wen Chengcheng called.
"Mr. Lu, we have completed the initial screening, and we have confirmed a candidate object with a higher probability!" Professor Wen Chengcheng said with excitement: "A target 8.6 light-years away from the solar system! We passed a The radio telescope conducted observations in the X-ray band at that place and confirmed that it was a relatively weak X-ray source! At present, due to different types of radiation, I have been able to confirm that it is not a white dwarf or a neutron star! Of course, except for black holes In addition, it may also be some special type of brown dwarf, or sub-brown dwarf, but I am confident that it is most likely a black hole! Oh my God, a black hole only 8.6 light-years away from the solar system. The black hole that is so close has been shortened from more than 6,000 light-years to 8.6 light-years. It is a great discovery, a great discovery, it is subversive..." Lu Ming also became energetic.
It was the first news he had heard of any further progress.
"Professor Wen, please immediately organize the observation force to conduct further observation and confirmation. Is it enough? If not, I can coordinate more." Lu Ming originally thought that Professor Wen would open his mouth and blackmail himself severely.
At this moment, he was also prepared for heavy bleeding. But unexpectedly, Professor Wen said: "No, the superiors have given me instructions! Enough! They have also specially coordinated observation forces to assist me, and there is no limit on the observation time of the telescope." Lu Ming was startled, and then responded Come over.
In the past, because the observation project was unreliable, no one from the top paid attention to him and refused to give him advice.
But now that a further major discovery has been made, the higher-ups are naturally generous, and immediately provide supplies of experience, personnel, materials, and observation time.
After all, if it is finally confirmed that it is indeed a black hole, then this discovery will be too great. 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. If you can prevent yourself from being exposed, of course it would be better.
"Okay, if you find any further findings, please notify me immediately. And... congratulations to Professor Wen first. Maybe your name will really be left in the textbook."
"Hehe, hehe." Professor Wen Chengcheng laughed a few times, calmed down, and then said: "Mr. Lu, I have a question for you. Mr. Lu, you seem to be very confident that there are really black holes around the solar system. , I have always been curious, where does your confidence come from?”
