宇宙中最危险的物质——奇异星解析：英语精读讲义

Neutron stars are the densest things that are not black holes.

中子星是除黑洞外密度最大的天体。

In their cores,

在它们的内核中，

we might find the most dangerous substance in existence,

我们可能会发现已知最危险的物质：

strange matter.

奇异物质。

A bizarre thing so extreme that it bends the rules of the universe 語法

这种怪异的物质如此极端，以至于它扭曲了宇宙的法则，

and could infect and destroy everything it comes into contact with. 短語搭配

并且可能感染和摧毁它接触到的一切。

Or it could teach us about how the universe began.

或者它可以教我们宇宙是如何开始的。

Maybe both.

也许两者兼有。

To understand how extreme strange matter really is, 表達脈絡

为了理解奇异物质到底有多极端，

we first need to get a few basics.

我们首先需要了解一些基础知识。

What is a neutron star

什么是中子星，

and how does strange matter break the rules of the universe?

奇异物质又是如何打破宇宙法则的？

To get all of this into one video,

为了把这一切都塞进一个视频里，

we'll grossly oversimplify a few things, 用詞

我们会把一些事情严重简单化，

but we'll provide you with further reading if you want more details. 短語搭配

但如果你想了解更多细节，我们会为你提供进一步的阅读材料。

A neutron star is what remains after a very massive star explodes in a supernova. 語法

中子星是一颗质量极大的恒星在超新星爆发后留下的残骸。

When this happens,

当发生这种情况时，

the star's core collapses under its own gravity

恒星的内核在其自身重力下坍缩，

with such a strong inward force that it squeezes nuclei and particles together violently. 語法

产生强大的向内拉力，将原子核和粒子剧烈地挤压在一起。

Electrons are pushed into protons,

电子被压入质子中，

so they merge and turn into neutrons.

于是它们合并变成了中子。

All the nothing inside of atoms

原子内部所有的空隙

is suddenly completely filled with particles that really don't want to be close to each other,

突然被完全填满，这些粒子其实并不想彼此靠近，

but have no choice. They desperately push back against gravity, 短語動詞

但却别无选择。它们拼命抵抗重力，

against the collapse.

抵抗坍缩。

If gravity wins,

如果重力赢了，

they will become a black hole.

它们就会变成黑洞。

If they win,

如果粒子赢了，

they become a neutron star.

它们就会变成中子星。

This makes neutron stars like giant atomic nuclei

这使得中子星就像巨大的原子核，

the size of a city, 表達脈絡

只有一座城市那么大，

but holding the mass of our sun.

却拥有我们太阳的质量。

And here,

而在这里，

things get weird. 表達脈絡

事情变得诡异起来。

The environment in the core of neutron stars

中子星内核的环境

is so extreme that the rules of nuclear physics change.

极其极端，以至于核物理学的法则发生了改变。

And this could lead to a strange and extremely dangerous substance.

这可能会导致一种极其危险的奇异物质的诞生。

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. 習語

但我们不要说得太远。

We first need to know the rules

我们首先需要知道规则，

before we learn how they can be broken.

然后才能了解规则是如何被打破的。

Protons and neutrons,

质子和中子，

the particles making up the nuclei of atoms, 短語動詞

这些构成原子核的粒子，

are made up of smaller particles called quarks.

是由被称为夸克的更小粒子组成的。

Quarks really don't want to be alone.

夸克非常不想独处。

They are what we call confined. 語法

它们处于我们所说的“禁闭”状态。

You can try to separate them,

你可以尝试把它们分开，

but the harder you pull, 語法

但你拉得越用力，

the harder they try to pull themselves back together. 短語動詞

它们就越用力把自己拉回一起。

If you use a lot of energy,

如果你使用大量的能量，

they just use this energy to create new quarks.

它们只会利用这些能量创造出新的夸克。

Quarks only exist together as the building blocks of other particles

夸克只作为其他粒子的组成部分共同存在，

and have never been observed by themselves.

从未被单独观察到过。

They come in many types, 短語搭配

它们有很多种类，

but only two appear to make stable matter.

但似乎只有两种能构成稳定的物质。

The up and down quarks

也就是上夸克和下夸克，

found in protons and neutrons.

存在于质子和中子中。

All other quarks seem to decay away quickly. 短語動詞

所有其他的夸克似乎都会迅速衰变。

But this may be different inside neutron stars.

但这在中子星内部可能有所不同。

The forces operating in their cores are so extreme

其内核中运作的力是如此极端，

that they are actually similar to the universe shortly after the Big Bang.

以至于它们实际上与大爆炸后不久的宇宙相似。

Neutron star cores are like fossils, 習語

中子星的内核就像化石，

which can let us peer back in time to the beginning of everything.

可以让我们回头一窥万物起源时的时光。

So learning how quarks behave inside a neutron star

因此，了解夸克在中子星内部的行为，

is a way of understanding the very nature of the universe itself.

是一种了解宇宙本质的方法。

One hypothesis is that inside a neutron star core, 表達脈絡

有一种假说认为，在中子星内核中，

protons and neutrons deconfine.

质子和中子解除了禁闭。

All the particles crammed shoulder-to-shoulder 習語

所有肩并肩挤在一起的粒子

dissolve and melt into a sort of bath of quarks. 習語

溶解并融化成了某种夸克浴。

Uncountable numbers of particles

无法计数的粒子

become one giant thing made purely from quarks,

变成了一个完全由夸克组成的巨大物体，

quark matter.

即夸克物质。

A star made from this is called a quark star,

由此构成的星体被称为夸克星，

though from the outside

尽管从外面看，

it may not look any different than a regular neutron star. 語法

它可能看起来和普通的中子星没有任何不同。

Now we can finally talk about the most dangerous substance. 表達脈絡

现在我们终于可以谈谈最危险的物质了。

If the pressure inside a quark star is great enough,

如果夸克星内部的压力足够大，

it may get stranger, 表達脈絡

它可能会变得更加“奇异”，

literally.

字面意思上的。

In the cores of neutron stars,

在中子星的内核中，

some of the quarks may be converted into strange quarks.

一些夸克可能会转化为奇异夸克。

Strange quarks have bizarre nuclear properties

奇异夸克具有怪异的核子特性，

and they are heavier

它们更重，

and for the lack of a better word, 語氣意圖

而且由于找不到更好的词来形容，

stronger.

它们“更强”。

If they turn up, 短語動詞

如果它们出现，

they could create strange matter.

就可能会创造出奇异物质。

Strange matter might be the ideal state of matter,

奇异物质可能是物质的理想状态，

perfectly dense, 表達脈絡

完美致密，

perfectly stable,

完美稳定，

indestructible.

坚不可摧。

More stable than any other matter in the universe.

比宇宙中的任何其他物质都要稳定。

So stable that it can exist outside neutron stars. 語法

稳定到它可以在中子星外部存在。

If this is the case, 短語搭配

如果真是这样，

we have a problem.

那我们就有麻烦了。

It might be infectious.

它可能具有传染性。

Every piece of matter it touches

它接触到的每一块物质

might be so impressed by its stability 習語

都可能会被它的稳定性所折服，

that it would immediately turn it into strange matter too.

从而立即也变成奇异物质。

Protons and neutrons would dissolve and become part of the quark bath,

质子和中子会溶解并成为夸克浴的一部分，

which frees energy and creates more strange matter.

释放能量并创造出更多的奇异物质。

The only way to get rid of it 講解

摆脱它的唯一方法

would be to throw it into a black hole.

就是把它扔进黑洞。

But then again, 表達脈絡

不过话又说回来，

who cares?

谁在乎呢？

All of it is inside neutron stars.

所有这些都在中子星内部。

Except when neutron stars collide with other neutron stars or black holes,

除非当中子星与其他中子星或黑洞相撞时，

they spew out tremendous amounts of their insides, 短語動詞

它们会喷射出大量内部物质，

some of which could include little droplets of strange matter called strangelets.

其中可能包括被称为“奇异子”的奇异物质小液滴。

Strangelets are as dense as the core of a neutron star. 語法

奇异子和中子星的内核一样致密。

They could be really small,

它们可能非常小，

maybe even subatomic,

甚至可能是亚原子级别的，

but even the largest strangelets wouldn't be any bigger than a rocket. 語法

但即便最大的奇异子也不会比火箭更大。

These strangelets would drift through the

这些奇异子会在

galaxy for millions or billions of years

星系中漂浮数百万或数十亿年，

until they meet a star or planet by chance. 短語搭配

直到它们偶然遇到恒星或行星。

If one were to strike Earth, 語法

如果有一颗撞击了地球，

it would immediately start converting it into strange matter.

它就会立刻开始将地球转化为奇异物质。

The more it converts, 語法

它转化的越多，

the more it would grow.

增长得就越大。

Ultimately,

最终，

all of the atoms making up Earth 短語動詞

构成地球的所有原子

would be converted.

都会被转化。

Earth would become a hot clump of strange matter

地球会变成一团炽热的奇异物质，

the size of an asteroid.

只有小行星那么大。

If a strangelet strikes the Sun,

如果奇异子击中了太阳，

it would collapse into a strange star,

它就会坍缩成一颗奇异星，

eating through it like fire through a dry forest. 習語

像大火烧干枯的森林一样把它吞噬殆尽。

This would not change the Sun's mass much,

这不会太大改变太阳的质量，

but it would become way less bright,

但它的亮度会大幅降低，

so Earth would freeze to death.

因此地球会被冻死。

And like a tiny virus, 習語

就像微小的病毒一样，

we'd have no way to see a strangelet coming. 語法

我们根本无法预见奇异子的到来。

Worse still, 表達脈絡

更糟的是，

some theories suggest strangelets are more than common

一些理论认为奇异子极其常见，

outnumbering all stars in the galaxy.

甚至比星系中的所有恒星都要多。

These strangelets could have formed very early after the Big Bang, 語法

这些奇异子可能在大爆炸后很早的时候就形成了，

when it was as hot and dense as a neutron star core everywhere.

那时宇宙各处的温度和密度都像中子星内核一样。

They might be clumping around the gravity of galaxies

随着宇宙的膨胀和演化，

as the universe expanded and evolved.

它们可能聚集在星系的引力周围。

Strangelets could even be so numerous and massive 語法

奇异子甚至可能数量如此庞大、质量如此之大，

that they might actually be the dark matter

以至于它们可能正是我们认为的、

we suspect holds galaxies together. 短語動詞

将星系凝聚在一起的暗物质。

But then again, 表達脈絡

不过话又说回来，

maybe not.

也许并非如此。

This is speculation,

这些都只是推测，

and the Earth and Sun and planets haven't been consumed in a wildfire of strangelets in the past few billion years,

而地球、太阳和行星在过去的几十亿年里也没有被奇异子的野火吞噬，

so the odds seem good that it won't happen anytime soon. 短語搭配

所以看起来在短期内它也不会发生。

Understanding these strange objects today

了解今天这些奇特的天体，

may be the key to understanding the birth of our universe 短語搭配

可能是理解我们宇宙诞生之谜的关键，

and why it grew to look the way it does now.

以及了解它为何演变成现在这副模样的原因。

When scientists first started playing with magnets and wires

当科学家第一次开始玩弄磁铁和电线，

and thinking about electrons,

并思考电子的时候，

they had no idea how technology would evolve in the next 100 years. 短語搭配

他们根本不知道技术在接下来的 100 年里会如何发展。

The scientists thinking about the cause of neutron stars

如今思考中子星的成因

and strange matter today

和奇异物质的科学家们，

may be setting up humans for a future beyond our wildest imaginations. 講解

也许正在为人类铺设一个超出我们最狂野想象的未来。

Or maybe not.

或者也许不是。

Time will tell. 習語

时间会证明一切。