Black Hole Throws Off Its Rhythm ⚡ экспресс
For the first time, the change in the period of quasi-periodic eruptions (QPE) from the source Ansky has been directly measured. Contrary to expectations, the interval between X-ray flares is not shrinking but smoothly increasing (period derivative ~0.017 days per day). In models where a star orbits a black hole with extreme mass ratio (EMRI), the period should typically decrease. Scientists considered a range of scenarios — from tidal interactions to light delays in a binary system — but none fully explained the data. This discovery demands new physical ideas.
Astronomers are monitoring X-ray flares from the vicinity of a black hole at the center of a galaxy. These flares repeat with a certain rhythm, like heartbeats. Normally, as a star approaches a black hole, the rhythm speeds up — just as a pulse quickens when running. But at the black hole 'Ansky,' the rhythm is slowing down. Each successive beat lags more than the previous one: over a day, the gap grows by almost half an hour. It's as if the heart, instead of racing under stress, were slowing to a halt.
Nobody yet knows why this rhythm is slowing. Perhaps we're missing some fundamental process — for instance, an unknown way of losing energy.
🎯 Each flare lasts several hours, while the intervals between them can span months. The change in tempo has been measured with jeweler's precision: 0.017 days per day — roughly 24 minutes of daily lag.