Core Findings - Astronomers have observed a massive star, M31-2014-DS1, directly collapsing into a black hole without undergoing a supernova explosion, marking a significant advancement in understanding stellar evolution into black holes [1][2] - The research, based on over a decade of monitoring and data analysis, was published in the journal Science, indicating a new phase in human comprehension of stellar endings and black hole formation mechanisms [1] Observation Details - The star M31-2014-DS1 is located approximately 2.5 million light-years away in the Andromeda galaxy, with brightness anomalies detected from 2014, followed by a sharp decline in 2016, where its brightness dropped to one ten-thousandth of its original level by 2022-2023 [1] - The analysis utilized data from NASA's NEOWISE project and various ground and space telescopes, revealing that the star became nearly invisible in visible and near-infrared light, retaining only a faint signal in the mid-infrared spectrum [1] Theoretical Implications - The brightness drop and eventual disappearance strongly suggest that the star's core underwent gravitational collapse to form a black hole, providing direct evidence for a theoretical process where if an outward shock wave fails to eject outer material, it will fall back onto the neutron star, leading to black hole formation [2] - The study highlights the critical role of convective motions in the star's outer layers during this process, with only about 1% of the stellar envelope material ultimately falling into the black hole, while the rest dissipates over a long timescale [2] Broader Impact - The findings have prompted a reevaluation of another star, NGC 6946-BH1, which exhibits similar light variation characteristics, confirming it also belongs to the category of stars that directly collapse into black holes [3] - This research has garnered significant attention in the astronomical community as it not only validates and refines theoretical models of massive star collapse but also provides crucial insights into the origins of black holes, with the potential for long-term monitoring of newly formed black holes using advanced telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope [3]

科技日报记者 张梦然 天文学家首次完整观测到一颗大质量恒星在生命终点并未经历超新星爆发，而是直接坍缩形成黑洞。这 项发现基于对该恒星长达十余年的持续监测与历史数据综合分析，为理解恒星如何演化为黑洞提供了迄 今最完整的物理图景。相关研究成果12日发表于《科学》杂志，其标志着人类对恒星终结与黑洞形成机 制的认识进入新阶段。 这颗名为M31-2014-DS1的恒星位于距地球约250万光年的仙女座星系。美国加州理工学院研究团队分析 了2005年至2023年间来自美国国家航空航天局NEOWISE项目及其他多台地面与空间望远镜的观测数 据，发现该恒星的红外辐射自2014年起异常增亮，随后在2016年亮度急剧下降，整个变暗过程持续不到 一年。在2022年至2023年，该恒星在可见光与近红外波段已基本不可见，亮度仅为原先的万分之一，仅 在热辐射更强的中红外波段留存微弱信号，亮度亦降至之前的十分之一。 通过对比观测数据与理论模拟，团队认为亮度骤降并最终消失的现象强烈表明，该恒星核心发生了引力 坍缩并形成了黑洞。通常，大质量恒星在耗尽核燃料后，核心会先坍缩为中子星，并借由中微子爆发产 生向外激波，触发超新星爆炸。但理论预测，若激 ...