Science likes to get challenges. The latest: reaching a black hole with a noisier or heavier machine than a trombone! But for what to do?
Black holes remain objects surrounded by mysteries. To better understand them – and with them too better understand the theory of general relativity ofEinsteinEinsteinfor example -you should be able to approach one. “We do not have the necessary technology currentlyrecognizes Cosimo Bambi, a astrophysicistastrophysicist of Fudan University (China), But in 20 or 30 years, it may be the case. ” In the newspaper iSciencethe black holes specialist exposes his plan.
Join a near black hole
First step: find a black hole close enough. Theoretically, there should be at least one at only 20 to 25 light years. And Cosimo Bambi believes that he is “Reasonable to think that we could find one close to ten years. »»
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About ten years to find the appropriate black hole. About twenty years to develop the necessary space technology. About 70 years to send it on site. And around twenty years for the data collected near the black hole come back to our land. The mission imagined by the astrophysicist Cosimo Bambi would spread over more than a century.
Second step: send a spacecraft to this black hole. While it seems obvious that traditional devices are too slow to make the trip, the astrophysicist explores the idea of counting on a vessel of only a few grams, no bigger than a trombone, equipped with a sail on which lasers would send photons from the earth to accelerate it to a third of the speed of light.
Test physics in the extreme environment of black holes
Once the space trombone is near the black hole, it could collect precious data for the astronomersastronomers. And for physicistsphysicists more generally. What answer a few pressing questions. As to know if the rules of physiquephysique change in these extreme conditions.
Boredom is that we do not yet know how to build such trombone vessels. And that the lasers necessary for their propulsion would today cost around 1,000 billion euros.
It remains to be hoped that technology will develop and that costs will drop. Today, “It may seem completely crazyrecognizes Cosimo Bambi. But some thought that we would never observe the shadows of black holes. While 50 years later, we have obtained two images ”.
