黑洞和中子星：218次合并和计数
(原标题: Black Holes and Neutron Stars: 218 Mergers and Counting)
2026-03-26
浏览次数: 1729
两个黑洞在太空深处合并的声音是什么？声波不能在真空中传播，但引力波可以。2015年，我们第一次能够“听到”它们，并证实了阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的一个理论预测。这张特色图像的网格上的每一个正方形都代表了LIGO-VIRGO-KAGRA合作组织迄今为止宣布的一个引力波探测。这些图显示了双星如何在围绕彼此的轨道上加速并合：上升的频率效应被称为“啁啾”。虽然中子星明显多于黑洞，但大多数探测到的都是双黑洞合并。这是因为黑洞更重，它们的信号更大，可以在更远的地方看到，从而导致更多的探测。这样的事件很罕见，我们也不希望在银河系附近看到这样的事件。但它们在整个宇宙中不断发生。
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What is the sound of two black holes merging in deep space? Sound waves don't propagate in vacuum, but gravitational waves do. In 2015 we were able to "hear" them for the first time and confirm one of Albert Einstein's theoretical predictions. Each square on the grid of the featured image represents one of the gravitational wave detections announced so far by the LIGO-VIRGO-KAGRA Collaboration. These plots show how the binary pair accelerates in their orbit around each other towards merger: the rising frequency effect is called a "chirp". Although there are significantly more neutron stars than black holes, most of the detections are binary black hole mergers. That happens because black holes are heavier and their signals are louder and can be seen farther away, resulting in more detections. These events are rare, and we don't expect to see one close by in our Galaxy any time soon. But they are happening continuously throughout the cosmos.