Multimedia Release

Scientists fling model stars at a virtual black hole to see who survives

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Supercomputer Simulations Test Star-destroying Black Holes

image: Watch eight model stars stretch and deform as they approach a virtual black hole 1 million times the mass of the Sun. The black hole’s gravity rips some stars apart into a stream of gas, a phenomenon called a tidal disruption event. Others manage to withstand their close encounters. These simulations show that destruction and survival depend on the stars’ initial densities. Yellow represents the greatest densities, blue the least dense. BROADCAST QUALITY VIDEO: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14000 view more 

Credit: Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Taeho Ryu (MPA)


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.