黑洞星——不该存在的星球：英语精读讲义

Black hole stars may have been the largest stars that ever existed. 語法

黑洞星可能是迄今为止存在过的最大的恒星。

They burned brighter than galaxies

它们比星系还要明亮，

and were larger than any star today

且比当今的任何恒星都要庞大，

or that could ever exist in the future.

甚至比未来可能存在的任何恒星都要大。

But besides their scale, 語法

但除了它们的规模，

what makes them special and weird

真正让它们显得特别而诡异的是，

is that deep inside,

在它们的深处，

they were occupied by a cosmic parasite, 習語

寄居着一个宇宙寄生虫——

an endlessly hungry black hole.

一个贪得无厌的黑洞。

How is that even possible? 表達脈絡

这怎么可能呢？

Black hole stars take the weirdness of black holes

黑洞星不仅带有黑洞的诡异特性，

and go beyond

更进一步地

to break everything we know about how stars form and grow. 習語

打破了我们对恒星形成与生长方式的所有认知。

They were only possible during a short window of time in the early universe,

它们只可能在早期宇宙的一个短暂窗口期内出现，

but if they existed, 語法

但如果它们确实存在过，

they would solve one of the largest mysteries of cosmology.

将能解开宇宙学最大的未解之谜之一。

Black hole stars were excessive any way you look at them. 習語

无论从哪个角度看，黑洞星都极其夸张。

The most massive stars today

当今质量最大的恒星

may have about 300 solar masses. 文化背景

大约有300倍太阳质量。

A black hole star had up to 10 million solar masses

而一颗黑洞星可拥有高达1000万倍太阳质量的

of nearly pure hydrogen.

几乎纯粹的氢。

Let's take a moment to look at what this means visually.

让我们花点时间直观地看看这意味着什么。

The Sun,

太阳，

Wezen,

弧矢一 (Wezen)，

LL Pegasi,

飞马座LL (LL Pegasi)，

the largest star,

最大的恒星，

and finally, the black hole star.

最后，是黑洞星。

Its scale is beyond words. 習語

它的规模简直无法用语言形容。

Over 800,000 times wider than our Sun, 語法

宽度是我们太阳的80万倍以上，

380 times larger than the largest star we know today.

比我们今天已知最大的恒星还要大380倍。

And far below its surface

在其表面之下极深处，

is a black hole growing rapidly

是一个正在迅速生长的黑洞，

as it devours billions upon billions 短語搭配

它每秒吞噬着数以百亿

of tons of matter per second.

吨计的物质。

Normally, stars are born from gigantic clouds,

通常情况下，恒星诞生于巨大的星云中，

collections of thousands or millions of solar masses of mostly hydrogen.

这是聚集着数千到数百万太阳质量的物质，主要由氢组成。

In these clouds,

在这些星云里，

matter starts to accumulate around the densest spots inside.

物质开始在内部密度最高的区域聚集。

As these spots get denser, 語法

随着这些区域变得越来越密集，

their gravitational pull intensifies

它们的引力也随之增强，

and they grow faster.

生长速度也就更快。

Eventually, they generate so much heat and pressure 語法

最终，它们产生了极高的温度和压力，

that they ignite fusion reactions

从而点燃了核聚变反应，

and a new star is born.

一颗新恒星就此诞生。

But this puts a limit on their size. 短語搭配

但这也限制了它们的大小。

Nuclear fusion releases enough radiation energy

核聚变释放出大量的辐射能量，

that the surrounding gas cloud is blown away. 短語動詞

会将周围的气体云吹走。

The new baby star can't gather more mass.

新生的恒星宝宝无法再聚集更多的质量。

From now on, the star is living on the edge between two forces, 習語

从此以后，恒星就在两股力量的边缘挣扎求生：

gravity pulling in,

一股是向内拉扯的引力，

trying to squash the star,

试图将恒星压碎；

and radiation created by fusion pushing outwards,

另一股是聚变产生的向外推的辐射力，

trying to blow the star apart.

试图将恒星炸开。

After millions to billions of years,

经过数百万到数十亿年后，

the core runs out of fuel and the balance breaks, 短語動詞

核心燃料耗尽，这种平衡被打破，

destroying the star.

恒星随之毁灭。

But black hole stars were very, very different.

但黑洞星则非常非常不同。

The beasts of the early universe.

它们是早期宇宙的巨兽。

A few hundred million years after the Big Bang,

在大爆炸发生几亿年后，

when the universe was much smaller,

宇宙还小得多的时候，

all the matter in existence was much more concentrated.

所有存在的物质都比如今集中得多。

The universe was much denser and hotter.

宇宙更加密集、更加炽热。

Dark matter was a dominant player,

暗物质占据主导地位，

forming giant structures called dark matter halos. 文化背景

形成了被称为暗物质晕的巨大结构。

These dark matter halos were so massive

这些暗物质晕质量极大，

that they pulled in and concentrated unimaginably gigantic amounts of hydrogen gas,

以至于它们拉扯并聚集了难以想象的海量氢气，

becoming the birthplaces of the first stars and galaxies.

成为第一批恒星和星系的诞生地。

Epic clouds of hydrogen formed,

史诗般的氢气云由此形成，

some as massive as 100 million Suns,

其中一些质量高达1亿个太阳，

more than the mass of small galaxies.

甚至超过了小型星系的质量。

In this unique environment that will never exist again,

在这种再也不会出现的独特环境中，

the enormous gravitational pull of the dark matter halos

暗物质晕巨大的引力

drew gas into its center and created extremely massive stars.

将气体吸入其中心，创造了质量极大的恒星。

As we said before, when a star is born,

正如我们前面所说，当恒星诞生时，

it blows away the gas cloud that created it.

它会吹走孕育它的气体云。

But these titanic gas clouds in the early universe

但是早期宇宙中这些巨大的气体云

were so large and massive

是如此庞大和沉重，

that even after their birth,

甚至在它们诞生之后，

more and more gas piled on the newborn star,

仍有越来越多的气体堆积在新生恒星上，

making it grow to unbelievable proportions. 語法

使它成长到令人难以置信的规模。

The young star is forced to grow and grow and grow, 語法

这颗年轻的恒星被迫不断生长，

getting more and more massive

变得越来越重，

until in some cases, it reaches up to 10 million times the mass of our Sun.

直到在某些情况下，它达到了太阳质量的1000万倍。

Crushed by gravity,

在引力的重压下，

its core gets hotter and hotter,

它的核心变得越来越热，

desperately pushing outwards,

拼命向外推挤，

trying to blow itself apart,

试图将自己炸开，

but to no avail. 習語

但无济于事。

There's too much mass and too much pressure.

质量太大，压力太高。

The balance is impossible to uphold.

平衡根本无法维持。

Like a supernova on fast forward, 習語

就像快进的超新星爆发一样，

the core gets crushed into a black hole.

核心被压垮成一个黑洞。

Normally, that would be the end.

通常，这就是结局了。

Today's stars go supernova, 短語搭配

今天的恒星变成超新星，

a black hole forms,

形成黑洞，

and things calm down.

然后一切归于平静。

But in this case,

但在这个情况中，

the star survives its own death. 習語

恒星在自己的死亡中幸存了下来。

A tremendous explosion rocks the star from the inside,

一场巨大的爆炸从内部震撼了这颗恒星，

but it's not enough.

但这还不够。

The star is so large and massive

恒星实在太大、太重了，

that not even a supernova can destroy it.

以至于连超新星爆发都无法摧毁它。

But now, it has a black hole for a heart. 習語

但现在，它的心脏变成了一个黑洞。

It's tiny, a few tens of kilometers

它很小，只有几十公里，

in the center of a thing the size of the solar system.

却位于一个有太阳系那么大的庞然大物的中心。

The monster grows.

这个怪物在生长。

Stars are born from ever faster spinning and collapsing gas,

恒星诞生于旋转速度越来越快并发生坍缩的气体，

and so they also spin.

因此它们也会旋转。

When a black hole is born from the core of a star,

当黑洞从恒星核心诞生时，

it keeps its angular momentum. 文化背景

它保留了其角动量。

This means that matter that gets drawn in

这意味着被吸入的物质

doesn't just fall in a straight line, 語法

并不是直线掉落，

but instead begins orbiting the black hole in smaller and smaller circles,

而是开始在一个越来越小的圆圈中绕着黑洞旋转，

going faster and faster.

速度越来越快。

The result is an accretion disk where gas orbits at nearly the speed of light. 文化背景

结果形成了一个吸积盘，其中的气体以接近光速旋转。

Only a small amount of gas actually falls in at any given moment.

在任何给定的时间点，其实只有很少量的气体掉进去。

Basically, black holes put a lot of food on the table 習語

基本上，黑洞把很多食物摆上桌，

and only nibble at it.

却只咬了一小口。

But the matter trapped in the accretion disk

但被困在吸积盘里的物质

doesn't have a good time.

日子可不好过。

Friction and collisions between particles

粒子之间的摩擦和碰撞

heat it up to temperatures of millions of degrees.

使其加热到数百万度的高温。

Actively feeding black holes have accretion disks 用詞

正在进食的黑洞拥有

that are incredibly hot and powerful.

温度高得难以置信且威力极强的吸积盘。

This heat from the disk further restricts how much a black hole can devour,

吸积盘产生的热量进一步限制了黑洞能吞噬的量，

just like the core of stars.

就像恒星的核心一样。

The superhot material creates radiation that blows away most of the food within its reach.

超高温物质产生的辐射吹走了其周围绝大部分的食物。

So even if a black hole had access to as much food as it desired, 語法

所以即使黑洞可以获得它想要的任何数量的食物，

it can only grow slowly.

它也只能缓慢生长。

A black hole embedded inside a black hole star is different.

然而，嵌在黑洞星内部的黑洞却截然不同。

The enormous pressure surrounding it pushes down matter directly into the black hole,

周围巨大的压力直接将物质压入黑洞，

overcoming all restrictions on how fast it can consume.

克服了对其进食速度的所有限制。

This process is so violent and releases so much energy

这个过程极其猛烈，释放出如此惊人的能量，

that the accretion disk becomes hotter and releases more radiation pressure than any star core ever could.

以至于吸积盘变得更热，其产生的辐射压比任何恒星核心所能产生的都更强。

Enough to push back against the weight of 10 million Suns. 短語動詞

强大到足以抵抗1000万个太阳的重量。

An impossibly dangerous balance has been created.

一种极其危险的平衡诞生了。

Millions of solar masses pushing in,

数百万个太阳的质量向内挤压，

the angry radiation of a force-fed black hole pushing out. 習語

一个被强行喂食的黑洞愤怒的辐射向外推挤。

For the next few million years,

在接下来的几百万年里，

the black hole star is consumed from within.

黑洞星被从内部吞噬。

The black hole grows to thousands of solar masses,

黑洞增长到数千个太阳质量，

and the bigger it gets, 語法

它变得越大，

the faster it eats,

吃得越快，

which heats up the star even more and causes it to expand.

这使恒星变得更热，并导致其膨胀。

In its final phase,

在其最后阶段，

the black hole star has become over 30 times wider than our solar system,

黑洞星的宽度已经变得比我们的太阳系大30倍以上，

truly the largest star to ever exist in the universe.

它是宇宙有史以来最大的恒星。

The intense magnetic fields at its core

其核心处极强的磁场

spew out jets of plasma from the black hole's poles, 短語動詞

从黑洞的两极喷射出等离子体流，

which pierce through the star and shoot out into space,

这些喷流穿透恒星射向太空，

turning it into a cosmic beacon.

将其变成一座宇宙灯塔。

It must have been one of the most awe-inducing sights 語法

这必定是宇宙中

to ever exist in the universe.

曾经存在过的最令人敬畏的奇观之一。

But this also marks the end.

但这也标志着它的终结。

It becomes too stretched

它被拉伸得太大，

and the accretion disk within too powerful.

内部的吸积盘也变得过于强大。

The parasite destroys its host, 習語

寄生虫摧毁了宿主，

blowing it apart.

将其炸开。

A black hole with the mass of 100,000 Suns

一个质量为10万个太阳的黑洞

rips its way out to hunt for new prey 習語

破茧而出，去寻找新的猎物，

while leaving behind nothing but a star carcass. 短語搭配

只留下一具恒星的残骸。

The supermassive question.

超大质量之谜。

If black hole stars existed,

如果黑洞星确实存在，

they could explain one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.

它们就可以解释宇宙中最大的谜团之一。

The supermassive black holes we see at the center of galaxies

我们在星系中心看到的超大质量黑洞

are just too big.

实在是太大了。

They shouldn't be possible.

它们本不应该存在。

Black holes born from regular supernovas

普通超新星爆发诞生的黑洞，

can be a few tens of solar masses at most.

最多只有几十个太阳质量。

And because of the process we explained before,

并且由于我们前面解释过的过程，

they grow slowly after that.

它们在那之后生长缓慢。

If black holes merge,

如果黑洞发生合并，

they can form slightly larger black holes

它们可以形成稍微大一点的黑洞，

of over a hundred solar masses.

质量超过一百个太阳质量。

It should take billions and billions of years

应该需要数十亿年的时间。

to make black holes with hundreds of thousands

要形成质量达到几十万

or even millions of solar masses.

甚至数百万个太阳质量的黑洞。

And yet, 表達脈絡

然而，

we know that some supermassive black holes

我们知道一些超大质量黑洞

already had 800 million solar masses

就已经拥有8亿个太阳质量。

only 690 million years after the Big Bang.

在大爆炸发生仅6.9亿年后。

Black hole stars are a sort of black hole cheat code. 習語

黑洞星就像是一种黑洞作弊码。

If they formed very early in our universe

如果它们在我们的宇宙极早期形成，

and the black holes that emerged from them

且从中诞生的黑洞

were thousands of solar masses,

有几千个太阳质量，

then they could be the seeds for supermassive black holes. 習語

那么它们就可能是超大质量黑洞的种子。

These seeds could take root in the center of the earliest galaxies,

这些种子能在最早期的星系中心扎根，

merging with others and drawing in enough matter

与其他黑洞合并，吸积足够的物质，

to grow quickly and reliably.

从而快速且稳定地生长。

Very soon,

很快，

we may be able to verify their past existence.

我们也许就能证实它们过去的存在。

The James Webb Space Telescope is turning its sensors to explore the farthest reaches of the universe, 文化背景

詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜正在调整传感器，探索宇宙最遥远的边缘，

looking back in time, 文化背景

回溯时间，

back to the early universe that we couldn't see before.

回到我们以前无法看到的早期宇宙。

So, with luck,

所以，如果幸运的话，

we might be able to witness glimpses of these tragic titans

我们或许能在这些悲剧般的泰坦

in the brief moment between their formation and destruction.

形成到毁灭的短暂瞬间里，一睹它们的真容。

Until then,

在此之前，

let's do the visual journey again,

让我们再次重温那场视觉之旅，

just for fun.

只是为了好玩。

Stars are big. 表達脈絡

恒星很大。

Black hole stars, bigger.

黑洞星，更大。