Phakathi kwezindikimba ezihlukahlukene zasemkhathini ezikhona endaweni yonke, ezinye izindikimba zasezulwini zikhetheke kakhulu ekwakhekeni nasezicini zazo. Phakathi kwalezi zindikimba zasezulwini sithola i-pulsar. Abantu abaningi abazi yini i-pulsar noma ihlobene ngani. Njengencazelo evamile nelula, i-pulsar iyinkanyezi ye-neutron eminyene kakhulu, ezibuthe kakhulu ekhipha imisebe ye-electromagnetic kuma-pulses avamile njengoba izungeza ku-eksisi yayo.
Kulesi sihloko sizokutshela ukuthi iyini i-pulsar, ukuthi yakheka kanjani, izici nokubaluleka.
Iyini i-pulsar
I-pulsar iwuhlobo lwento yezinkanyezi ehlangene kakhulu futhi enamandla eyaziwa ngokuthi inkanyezi ye-neutron. Izinkanyezi ze-Neutron ziyizinsalela eziminyene kakhulu ezibangelwa ukuqhuma kwe-supernova ibe izinkanyezi ezinkulu. I-pulsar ethile iyabonakala lapho i-eksisi yayo yokuzungeza ikhomba eMhlabeni futhi ngezikhathi ezithile ikhipha imisebe.
Isici esihluke kakhulu se-pulsar amandla ayo okukhipha ama-puls avamile emisebe kagesi kagesi, kusukela kumaza omsakazo kuya emisebeni ye-gamma. Lawa ma-pulses abangelwa ukujikeleza okusheshayo kwenkanyezi ye-neutron nezinsimu zayo ezinozibuthe ezinamandla. Njengoba i-pulsar spins, ukukhishwa kwayo kwemisebe kutholwa ngezikhathi ezithile, okudala isignali ebonakala "ishaya" esibhakabhakeni.
Ukuzungezisa kwe-pulsar kungashesha ngendlela emangalisayo, ngezikhathi ezisukela kumafractions wesekhondi kuya kumasekhondi ambalwa. Lokhu kuzungeza okusheshayo kuphinde kubangele izizibuthe ezinamandla kakhulu, ezinamandla izikhathi eziphindwe ngezigidigidi kunezizibuthe Zomhlaba. Lezi zindawo ezinozibuthe ezinamandla zingathonya ukuphuma kwemisebe kanye nokwakheka kwemimoya yezinhlayiya ezinamandla kakhulu ezizungeze i-pulsar.
Zakhiwa kanjani
Ama-Pulsars akheka lapho inkanyezi enkulu (okungenani ukuphinda kathathu ubukhulu beLanga) iqeda uphethiloli wayo wenuzi futhi iqhume njenge-supernova. Phakathi nokuqhuma, umnyombo wenkanyezi wabhidlika ngaphansi kwamandla adonsela phansi futhi wacindezelwa endaweni engamakhilomitha amaningana ububanzi. Ngenxa yalokho, inkanyezi iba minyene kakhulu, mayelana nesisindo seLanga, kodwa yacindezelwa yaze yaba yinto elingana nomuzi.
Ngenxa yokongiwa komfutho we-angular, inkanyezi ye-neutron iqala ukujikeleza ngokushesha (kwezinye izikhathi izikhathi ezingamakhulu ngomzuzwana). Uma inkanyezi inendawo enamandla kazibuthe, amandla kazibuthe agcinwe ensimini aguqulwa abe imisebe ye-electromagnetic, ekhishwa ngesimo se-pulses yokukhanya njengoba inkanyezi ijikeleza.
I-Pulsars inezici ezimbalwa eziphawulekayo. Singasho engxenyeni yokuqala ukuthi zikhipha imisebe ye-wavelength emifushane kakhulu, njenge Ama-X-ray kanye nemisebe ye-gamma, kanye nesifunda se-radioelectric ye-electromagnetic spectrum. Okwesibili, ama-pulses ajwayelekile kakhulu futhi anembe, ane-periodicity engalinganiswa ngokunemba okukhulu. Okokugcina, ama-pulsar anezindawo ezinozibuthe ezinamandla kakhulu, okungenzeka ukuthi zinamandla izikhathi eziyizigidi kunozibuthe woMhlaba.
Ukutholwa
Ngokukamagazini wesayensi i-National Geographic, Ama-Pulsars atholakala ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960, ngo-1967, ngumfundi oneziqu okuthiwa uJocelyn Bell kanye nomeluleki wakhe, u-Antony Hewish, eMullard Shield Radio Astronomy Observatory eduze kwaseCambridge. Iqiniso lendaba ukuthi bahlangane nomthombo womsakazo ophindaphinda njalo ebusuku ngezikhathi zomsebenzi. Bavela endaweni eyodwa esibhakabhakeni futhi bacabanga ukuthi baqala ukuxhumana nabantu abavela kwamanye amazwe.
Ngokungangabazeki, ama-pulsars, ngaphezu kokuba izinto eziyingqayizivele nezithakazelisa kakhulu, aphinde aminyene, izinkanyezi ze-neutron ezinozibuthe ezikhipha imisebe kuma-pulses avamile njengoba ejikeleza. Ziwumphumela wokuwohloka kwezinkanyezi ezinkulu ku-supernovae futhi ziwusizo ekufundeni i-fundamental physics njengokuhlobana okujwayelekile kanye ne-physics ye-dense matter.
Ukubaluleka kwe-pulsar
Njengoba sesibonile kakade, ngaphezu kokunikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana nesayensi yemvelo eyeqisayo endaweni yonke, ama-pulsars adlala indima ebalulekile emikhakheni eminingana yocwaningo lwezinkanyezi. Ezinye zezindawo lapho i-pulsars ibalulekile zifaka:
- Ukuhlobana okujwayelekile: Ama-Pulsars angasetshenziswa ukutadisha imithelela yokuhlobana okujwayelekile kuka-Einstein, njengokugoba kwesikhathi sasemkhathini ezizungeze izinto ezinkulu. Izilinganiso ezinembile zezikhathi zokufika zama-pulses njengoba edlula endaweni yamandla adonsela phansi yenye inkanyezi noma into enkulu kusivumela ukuthi siqinisekise izibikezelo zokuhlobana okuvamile.
- I-Extreme Matter: Ama-Pulsars amalabhorethri emvelo okuhlola izinto ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi kakhulu. Ukuminyana okumangalisayo nokucindezela okukhulu kunkanyezi ye-neutron kunikeza ulwazi mayelana nodaba ezifundeni esingeke sikwazi ukuzidala kabusha kumalabhorethri asekelwe eMhlabeni. Lokhu kuhlanganisa isakhiwo sangaphakathi sezinkanyezi ze-neutron kanye nezakhiwo ze-ultra-dense matter.
- Ukuzulazula emkhathini: Ama-Pulsars asetshenziswa ekuzulazuleni kwesikhala okunembe kakhulu. Amasignali e-Pulsar pulse angatholwa ezindaweni ezikude zasemkhathini futhi asetshenziswa "njengamabhakhoni" e-cosmic ukuze kubalwe ngokunembile indawo yomkhumbi emkhathini.
- I-Cosmology: Ama-Pulsars nawo awusizo ku-cosmology. Zingasetshenziswa ukutadisha i-interstellar medium kanye nokwenza imephu ukusatshalaliswa kwezinto emthaleni wethu. Lokhu kunganikeza ulwazi mayelana nesakhiwo kanye nokuvela kwe-Milky Way.
- Ukutholwa kwamagagasi adonsela phansi: Amanye ama-pulsars, abizwa ngokuthi ama-millisecond pulsars, anokuqina okuphakeme kokushaya ngamandla. Lawa angasetshenziswa njengamawashi e-cosmic anembile ekuhlolweni kokutholwa kwamagagasi adonsela phansi, okusiza ukuqinisekisa ubukhona balawa magagasi kanye nokutadisha izenzakalo ze-astrophysical ezifana nokuhlanganisa imigodi emnyama.
- I-Stellar Evolution: Ukufunda ama-pulsars kanye nobudlelwano bawo nokuqhuma kwe-supernova kusinikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana nokuvela nomjikelezo wokuphila wezinkanyezi ezinkulu. Lokhu kuphinde kusisiza ukuthi siqonde kangcono ukuthi izinhlobo ezahlukene zezinkanyezi endaweni yonke zakha futhi zishintsha kanjani.
Njengoba ubona, ama-pulsar abalulekile kwizazi zezinkanyezi ngoba anikeza ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana nezakhiwo ezidlulele zendaba, ukusebenzisana okunamandla kazibuthe, kanye nokuguquguquka kwezinkanyezi ze-neutron. Ngithemba ukuthi ngalolu lwazi ungafunda kabanzi mayelana nokuthi iyini i-pulsar nezici zayo.