黑洞星——不該存在的星球：英語精讀講義

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

黑洞星可能是迄今為止存在過的最大的恆星。

They burned brighter than galaxies

它們比星系還要明亮，

and were larger than any star today

且比當今的任何恆星都要龐大，

or that could ever exist in the future.

甚至比未來可能存在的任何恆星都要大。

But besides their scale, 文法

但除了它們的規模，

what makes them special and weird

真正讓它們顯得特別而詭異的是，

is that deep inside,

在它們的深處，

they were occupied by a cosmic parasite, 慣用語

寄居著一個宇宙寄生蟲——

an endlessly hungry black hole.

一個貪得無厭的黑洞。

How is that even possible? 表達脈絡

這怎麼可能呢？

Black hole stars take the weirdness of black holes

黑洞星不僅帶有黑洞的詭異特性，

and go beyond

更進一步地

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

打破了我們對恆星形成與生長方式的所有認知。

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

它們只可能在早期宇宙的一個短暫窗口期內出現，

but if they existed, 文法

但如果它們確實存在過，

they would solve one of the largest mysteries of cosmology.

將能解開宇宙學最大的未解之謎之一。

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

無論從哪個角度看，黑洞星都極其誇張。

The most massive stars today

當今質量最大的恆星

may have about 300 solar masses. 文化背景

大約有300倍太陽質量。

A black hole star had up to 10 million solar masses

而一顆黑洞星可擁有高達1000萬倍太陽質量的

of nearly pure hydrogen.

幾乎純粹的氫。

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

讓我們花點時間直觀地看看這意味著什麼。

The Sun,

太陽，

Wezen,

弧矢一 (Wezen)，

LL Pegasi,

飛馬座LL (LL Pegasi)，

the largest star,

最大的恆星，

and finally, the black hole star.

最後，是黑洞星。

Its scale is beyond words. 慣用語

它的規模簡直無法用語言形容。

Over 800,000 times wider than our Sun, 文法

寬度是我們太陽的80萬倍以上，

380 times larger than the largest star we know today.

比我們今天已知最大的恆星還要大380倍。

And far below its surface

在其表面之下極深處，

is a black hole growing rapidly

是一個正在迅速生長的黑洞，

as it devours billions upon billions 片語搭配

它每秒吞噬著數以百億

of tons of matter per second.

噸計的物質。

Normally, stars are born from gigantic clouds,

通常情況下，恆星誕生於巨大的星雲中，

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

這是聚集著數千到數百萬太陽質量的物質，主要由氫組成。

In these clouds,

在這些星雲裡，

matter starts to accumulate around the densest spots inside.

物質開始在內部密度最高的區域聚集。

As these spots get denser, 文法

隨著這些區域變得越來越密集，

their gravitational pull intensifies

它們的引力也隨之增強，

and they grow faster.

生長速度也就更快。

Eventually, they generate so much heat and pressure 文法

最終，它們產生了極高的溫度和壓力，

that they ignite fusion reactions

從而點燃了核融合反應，

and a new star is born.

一顆新恆星就此誕生。

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

但這也限制了它們的大小。

Nuclear fusion releases enough radiation energy

核融合釋放出大量的輻射能量，

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

會將周圍的氣體雲吹走。

The new baby star can't gather more mass.

新生的恆星寶寶無法再聚集更多的質量。

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

從此以後，恆星就在兩股力量的邊緣掙扎求生：

gravity pulling in,

一股是向內拉扯的引力，

trying to squash the star,

試圖將恆星壓碎；

and radiation created by fusion pushing outwards,

另一股是融合產生的向外推的輻射力，

trying to blow the star apart.

試圖將恆星炸開。

After millions to billions of years,

經過數百萬到數十億年後，

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

核心燃料耗盡，這種平衡被打破，

destroying the star.

恆星隨之毀滅。

But black hole stars were very, very different.

但黑洞星則非常非常不同。

The beasts of the early universe.

它們是早期宇宙的巨獸。

A few hundred million years after the Big Bang,

在大爆炸發生幾億年後，

when the universe was much smaller,

宇宙還小得多的時候，

all the matter in existence was much more concentrated.

所有存在的物質都比如今集中得多。

The universe was much denser and hotter.

宇宙更加密集、更加熾熱。

Dark matter was a dominant player,

暗物質佔據主導地位，

forming giant structures called dark matter halos. 文化背景

形成了被稱為暗物質暈的巨大結構。

These dark matter halos were so massive

這些暗物質暈質量極大，

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

以至於它們拉扯並聚集了難以想像的海量氫氣，

becoming the birthplaces of the first stars and galaxies.

成為第一批恆星和星系的誕生地。

Epic clouds of hydrogen formed,

史詩般的氫氣雲由此形成，

some as massive as 100 million Suns,

其中一些質量高達1億個太陽，

more than the mass of small galaxies.

甚至超過了小型星系的質量。

In this unique environment that will never exist again,

在這種再也不會出現的獨特環境中，

the enormous gravitational pull of the dark matter halos

暗物質暈巨大的引力

drew gas into its center and created extremely massive stars.

將氣體吸入其中心，創造了質量極大的恆星。

As we said before, when a star is born,

正如我們前面所說，當恆星誕生時，

it blows away the gas cloud that created it.

它會吹走孕育它的氣體雲。

But these titanic gas clouds in the early universe

但是早期宇宙中這些巨大的氣體雲

were so large and massive

是如此龐大和沉重，

that even after their birth,

甚至在它們誕生之後，

more and more gas piled on the newborn star,

仍有越來越多的氣體堆積在新生恆星上，

making it grow to unbelievable proportions. 文法

使它成長到令人難以置信的規模。

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

這顆年輕的恆星被迫不斷生長，

getting more and more massive

變得越來越重，

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

直到在某些情況下，它達到了太陽質量的1000萬倍。

Crushed by gravity,

在引力的重壓下，

its core gets hotter and hotter,

它的核心變得越來越熱，

desperately pushing outwards,

拼命向外推擠，

trying to blow itself apart,

試圖將自己炸開，

but to no avail. 慣用語

但無濟於事。

There's too much mass and too much pressure.

質量太大，壓力太高。

The balance is impossible to uphold.

平衡根本無法維持。

Like a supernova on fast forward, 慣用語

就像快進的超新星爆發一樣，

the core gets crushed into a black hole.

核心被壓垮成一個黑洞。

Normally, that would be the end.

通常，這就是結局了。

Today's stars go supernova, 片語搭配

今天的恆星變成超新星，

a black hole forms,

形成黑洞，

and things calm down.

然後一切歸於平靜。

But in this case,

但在這個情況中，

the star survives its own death. 慣用語

恆星在自己的死亡中倖存了下來。

A tremendous explosion rocks the star from the inside,

一場巨大的爆炸從內部震撼了這顆恆星，

but it's not enough.

但這還不夠。

The star is so large and massive

恆星實在太大、太重了，

that not even a supernova can destroy it.

以至於連超新星爆發都無法摧毀它。

But now, it has a black hole for a heart. 慣用語

但現在，它的心臟變成了一個黑洞。

It's tiny, a few tens of kilometers

它很小，只有幾十公里，

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

卻位於一個有太陽系那麼大的龐然大物的中心。

The monster grows.

這個怪物在生長。

Stars are born from ever faster spinning and collapsing gas,

恆星誕生於旋轉速度越來越快並發生塌縮的氣體，

and so they also spin.

因此它們也會旋轉。

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

當黑洞從恆星核心誕生時，

it keeps its angular momentum. 文化背景

它保留了其角動量。

This means that matter that gets drawn in

這意味著被吸入的物質

doesn't just fall in a straight line, 文法

並不是直線掉落，

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

而是開始在一個越來越小的圓圈中繞著黑洞旋轉，

going faster and faster.

速度越來越快。

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

結果形成了一個吸積盤，其中的氣體以接近光速旋轉。

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

在任何給定的時間點，其實只有很少量的氣體掉進去。

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

基本上，黑洞把很多食物擺上桌，

and only nibble at it.

卻只咬了一小口。

But the matter trapped in the accretion disk

但被困在吸積盤裡的物質

doesn't have a good time.

日子可不好過。

Friction and collisions between particles

粒子之間的摩擦和碰撞

heat it up to temperatures of millions of degrees.

使其加熱到數百萬度的高溫。

Actively feeding black holes have accretion disks 用詞

正在進食的黑洞擁有

that are incredibly hot and powerful.

溫度高得難以置信且威力極其強大的吸積盤。

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

吸積盤產生的熱量進一步限制了黑洞能吞噬的量，

just like the core of stars.

就像恆星的核心一樣。

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

超高溫物質產生的輻射吹走了其周圍絕大部分的食物。

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

所以即使黑洞可以獲得它想要的任何數量的食物，

it can only grow slowly.

它也只能緩慢生長。

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

然而，嵌在黑洞星內部的黑洞卻截然不同。

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

周圍巨大的壓力直接將物質壓入黑洞，

overcoming all restrictions on how fast it can consume.

克服了對其進食速度的所有限制。

This process is so violent and releases so much energy

這個過程極其猛烈，釋放出如此驚人的能量，

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

以至於吸積盤變得比任何恆星核心都更熱，釋放出更強的輻射壓。

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

強大到足以抵抗1000萬個太陽的重量。

An impossibly dangerous balance has been created.

一種極其危險的平衡誕生了。

Millions of solar masses pushing in,

數百萬個太陽的質量向內擠壓，

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

一個被強行餵食的黑洞憤怒的輻射向外推擠。

For the next few million years,

在接下來的幾百萬年裡，

the black hole star is consumed from within.

黑洞星被從內部吞噬。

The black hole grows to thousands of solar masses,

黑洞增長到數千個太陽質量，

and the bigger it gets, 文法

它變得越大，

the faster it eats,

吃得越快，

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

這使恆星變得更熱，並導致其膨脹。

In its final phase,

在其最後階段，

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

黑洞星的寬度已經變得比我們的太陽系大30倍以上，

truly the largest star to ever exist in the universe.

它是宇宙有史以來最大的恆星。

The intense magnetic fields at its core

其核心處極強的磁場

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

從黑洞的兩極噴射出電漿流，

which pierce through the star and shoot out into space,

這些噴流穿透恆星射向太空，

turning it into a cosmic beacon.

將其變成一座宇宙燈塔。

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

這必定是宇宙中

to ever exist in the universe.

曾經存在過的最令人敬畏的奇觀之一。

But this also marks the end.

但這也標誌著它的終結。

It becomes too stretched

它被拉伸得太大，

and the accretion disk within too powerful.

內部的吸積盤也變得過於強大。

The parasite destroys its host, 慣用語

寄生蟲摧毀了宿主，

blowing it apart.

將其炸開。

A black hole with the mass of 100,000 Suns

一個質量為10萬個太陽的黑洞

rips its way out to hunt for new prey 慣用語

破繭而出，去尋找新的獵物，

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

只留下一具恆星的殘骸。

The supermassive question.

超大質量之謎。

If black hole stars existed,

如果黑洞星確實存在，

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

它們就可以解釋宇宙中最大的謎團之一。

The supermassive black holes we see at the center of galaxies

我們在星系中心看到的超大質量黑洞

are just too big.

實在是太大了。

They shouldn't be possible.

它們本不應該存在。

Black holes born from regular supernovas

普通超新星爆發誕生的黑洞，

can be a few tens of solar masses at most.

最多只有幾十個太陽質量。

And because of the process we explained before,

並且由於我們前面解釋過的過程，

they grow slowly after that.

它們在那之後生長緩慢。

If black holes merge,

如果黑洞發生合併，

they can form slightly larger black holes

它們可以形成稍微大一點的黑洞，

of over a hundred solar masses.

質量超過一百個太陽質量。

It should take billions and billions of years

應該需要數十億年的時間，

to make black holes with hundreds of thousands

才能形成質量達到幾十萬個太陽質量的黑洞，

or even millions of solar masses.

甚至數百萬個太陽質量。

And yet, 表達脈絡

然而，

we know that some supermassive black holes

我們知道一些超大質量黑洞

already had 800 million solar masses

就已經擁有8億個太陽質量，

only 690 million years after the Big Bang.

而那時距大爆炸發生僅6.9億年。

Black hole stars are a sort of black hole cheat code. 慣用語

黑洞星就像是一種黑洞作弊碼。

If they formed very early in our universe

如果它們在我們的宇宙極早期形成，

and the black holes that emerged from them

且從中誕生的黑洞

were thousands of solar masses,

有幾千個太陽質量，

then they could be the seeds for supermassive black holes. 慣用語

那麼它們就可能是超大質量黑洞的種子。

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

這些種子能在最早期的星系中心扎根，

merging with others and drawing in enough matter

與其他黑洞合併，吸積足夠的物質，

to grow quickly and reliably.

從而快速且穩定地生長。

Very soon,

很快，

we may be able to verify their past existence.

我們也許就能證實它們過去的存在。

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

詹姆斯·韋伯太空望遠鏡正在調整感測器，探索宇宙最遙遠的邊緣，

looking back in time, 文化背景

回溯時間，

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

回到我們以前無法看到的早期宇宙。

So, with luck,

所以，如果幸運的話，

we might be able to witness glimpses of these tragic titans

我們或許能在這些悲劇般的泰坦

in the brief moment between their formation and destruction.

形成到毀滅的短暫瞬間裡，一睹它們的真容。

Until then,

在此之前，

let's do the visual journey again,

讓我們再次重溫那場視覺之旅，

just for fun.

只是為了好玩。

Stars are big. 表達脈絡

恆星很大。

Black hole stars, bigger.

黑洞星，更大。