一一一笨鸟字幕一一一 因为爱好而翻译此字幕
你也许在电视上看过拳击比赛 ROWE: You might have seen a boxing match on TV.
你甚至可能亲眼见过 Maybe you've even seen one live.
但你从未见过这样的比赛 But you have never seen a contest like this.
坐在旁边观看宇宙之战 Take your ringside seat to the fight of the cosmos.
这将是一场精彩的见证时刻 This is gonna be a wonderful fight to witness.
当然你只想呆在 But you'll want to be a few
几百万亿光年之外 million billion light-years away.
就像被拳王阿里的鬼魂打了一拳 It's like being punched by the ghost of Muhammad Ali.
你甚至看不到它的“拳头” You don't even see it coming.
战士们不会像蝴蝶一样飘脯 ROWE: Our fighters don't float like a butterfly or sting like
也不会像蜜蜂一样蜇人，但却可以给人致命一击 a bee, but they can deliver the ultimate knockout blow.
这是一种令人毛骨悚然的能量 It is a soul-chilling, mind-crushing amount of energy.
真是难以置信 It's just unbelievable.
这是两个超大质量黑洞之间的战斗 ROWE: It's a fight between two supermassive black holes.
忘了世界重量级锦标赛吧 Forget about the world heavyweight championships.
这是宇宙重量级锦标赛 This is the universe's heavyweight championships.
准备好迎接宇宙重量级 ROWE: Get ready for the heavyweight
宇宙冠军吧 championship of the universe.
宇宙是如何运行的 本字幕翻译自Discovery官方指定字幕
第十一季第3集
2021年 2021, scientists detect
科学家在太空深处 a gigantic rumble deep in space,
探测到巨大的隆隆声 a tsunami of gravitational waves,
引力波海啸，巨大的涟漪在宇宙中蔓延 giant ripples racing across the universe.
明加雷利:那么大的引力波 MINGARELLI: Gravitational waves that big have to
必定是来自一个巨大的、灾难性的事件 come from a giant, cataclysmic event.
宇宙是巨大的，充满了 The universe is immense and full of very
非常激烈的事件，并且每天都在发生 violent events that are happening every single day.
宇宙是一个可怕的地方 The universe is a scary place.
放眼望去，到处都是暴力 There is violence everywhere we look.
咆哮声和怒吼声 ROWE: The growls and roars are clues about
是宇宙终极大战的线索 the ultimate cosmic brawl,
是宇宙中最猛烈的事件 the most violent event in the universe.
但我们不知道它们来自哪里 But we don't know where they're coming from.
萨特:想象一场暴风雨 SUTTER: Imagine a storm is coming
在午夜来临 in the middle of the night.
你看不见暴风雨 You can't see the storm,
看不见闪电，但你能听到 you can't see the lightning, but you can hear that rumble of
远处隆隆的雷声，你知道它来了 the distant thunder, and you know that it's coming.
远处引力波发出的隆隆声 ROWE: This distant rumble of gravitational waves
就像拳击场上重量级选手 is like the footwork of heavyweights
在擂台上击打的步法 pounding the canvas of the boxing ring.
引力波是由一个巨大的物体 The waves are caused by something massive
造成的 throwing its weight around.
这不是我们第一次探测到引力波 It's not the first time we've detected gravitational waves.
我们的实验捕捉到了 Our experiments have picked up
两个小恒星质量黑洞 the signal of two small stellar mass
碰撞的信号 black holes colliding.
这些波的音调很高，像拳击铃一样响 These waves are high-pitched and ring like a boxing bell.
而深空咆哮的频率要低得多 The deep space growl is a much lower frequency,
就像人群的咆哮一样 like the roar of a crowd.
[人群在呼喊] [crowd chanting]
明加雷利:频率上的差异 MINGARELLI: The difference in frequencies
甚至比麻雀鸣叫 would be even more exaggerated than the difference
和水下蓝鲸发出的声音之间的差异 between a sparrow chirping and the sound coming from
还要夸张 a blue whale underwater.
这完全就不是一个数量级的东西 It would be orders of magnitude more different than that.
深空隆隆声的低频 ROWE: The low frequency of the deep space rumble
告诉我们，这些波是巨大的 tells us that the waves are colossal.
明加雷利:想象一下，把一块石头扔进水里 MINGARELLI: Imagine throwing a stone in the water
看着小涟漪泛起 and watching the little ripples come out.
现在想象一下，把一个十亿倍大的巨石 Now imagine throwing in a boulder a billion times
扔进去 more massive
然后看着它激起的巨浪 and watching the huge waves that come from that.
这些就是我们看到的波 Those are the waves that we're looking at.
这些波很难探测到 These are more difficult to detect,
因为它们太大了 because the waves are so big.
其中一种波长约为15光年 One of their wavelengths is about 15 light-years.
你需要等待15年 You could wait for 15 years
才会经历一个波长经过地球 and only have one wavelength go by the Earth.
这种波太大了，地球探测器 ROWE: The waves are too big for an earthbound detector
无法探测到 to pick up.
因此，为了寻找这些巨浪的来源 So, to search for the source of these giant waves,
奇亚拉·明加雷利和她的团队 Chiara Mingarelli and her team
使用了一个在宇宙中早已存在的探测器 use a detector already in space,
这个探测器足够大可以探测到 something large enough to pick up to pick up
这些星系中的重量级物体 these galactic heavyweights,
就是被称为脉冲星的旋转死亡恒星 spinning dead stars called pulsars.
明加雷利:我们的星系充满了脉冲星 MINGARELLI: Our galaxy is awash with pulsars.
现在，它们被称为脉冲星，因为它们的脉冲 Now, they're called pulsars because they pulsate
非常有规律——它们就像宇宙的灯塔 very regularly -- they're like cosmic lighthouses.
灯塔的光束很有规律 ROWE: The lighthouse beams are so regular,
你可以用它们校准时间 you can set your watch by them.
但当一个巨大的引力波击中它们时 But when a huge gravitational wave hits them,
时间就被打乱了 the timing gets knocked out of whack.
普莱特:基本上脉冲星会来回晃动 PLAIT: That pulsar is going to basically rock back and forth
这将改变我们从该物体 and that's going to change the timing
测量到的脉冲的时间 of the pulses that we measure from that object.
为了确定引力波的来源 ROWE: To identify the source of the gravitational waves,
基娅拉和她的团队测量了100颗脉冲星的摆动 Chiara and her team measure the wobbles of 100 pulsars,
它们分布在数光年的空间内 spread across light-years of space.
明加雷利:这就像海啸 MINGARELLI: It's like a tsunami, and the pulsars are
而脉冲星就像海洋表面的浮标 like the buoys on the surface of the ocean.
当海啸经过时 And as the tsunami passes by,
我们可以看到它们 we can watch all of them moving
上下移动 and shifting up and down.
所以我们的脉冲星定时阵列 So our pulsar timing array
是一个引力波预警系统 is a gravitational wave warning system.
脉冲星阵列已经确定了 ROWE: The pulsar array has identified
引力波海啸的来源 the source of the tsunami of gravitational waves.
我们所知道的唯一能产生这些 The only thing we know of that can make these
很长的，[低沉的声音]音调很低的引力波 very long wavelength, [deep voice] very low pitch
就是是超大质量黑洞的 [normally] gravitational waves would be the collisions
碰撞 of supermassive black holes.
明加雷利:它们非常强壮，非常巨大 MINGARELLI: They're massive, they're huge,
它们知道如何施展自己的影响力 and they know how to throw their weight around.
超大质量黑洞双星会产生 Supermassive black hole binaries produce the loudest
宇宙中最响亮的引力波 gravitational waves in the universe.
引力波信号揭示了一些 ROWE: The gravitational wave signal revealed
非同寻常的东西 something extraordinary.
明加雷利:引力波不仅仅来自 MINGARELLI: It's not just gravitational waves coming
一个黑洞双星对 from one black hole binary pair.
它实际上来自 It's actually from the cosmic
超大质量黑洞双星的宇宙种群 population of supermassive black hole binaries.
奇亚拉和她的团队认为可能会有 ROWE: Chiara and her team think there may be
数万场重量级比赛正在进行 tens of thousands of heavyweight bouts going on.
现在，科学家们想从轰鸣的背景声中 Now, the scientists want to pick out the sound of one
挑出两个超大质量黑洞碰撞时的 single collision between two supermassive black holes from
声音 the background roar.
明加雷利:如果我们听到 MINGARELLI: If we were to hear
超大质量黑洞合并的声音 a supermassive black hole merger,
它听起来就像一种非常低频的咆哮 it would sound like a very low frequency growl.
就是“ooooooh” This "ooooooh"
这将持续大约2500万年 that would last about 25 million years.
到目前为止，我们还没有看到 ROWE: To date, we haven't witnessed two supermassive
两个超大质量黑洞在实时碰撞 black holes trading blows in real time.
但是我们已经看到了 But we have seen events leading up
冠军赛的前奏 to the championship bout.
我们看到过星系合并 We've watched galaxies merge.
我们看到过恒星爆炸 We've seen stars explode.
我们在宇宙中见过太多暴力事件 We've seen so many violent events in the universe.
但我们还没见过这个 But we haven't seen this one.
仔细想想就会觉得很奇怪 It's odd if you think about it.
最大的暴力事件，我们还竟然没有看到 We haven't seen the biggest one.
我们还没有看到超大质量黑洞之间的合并 We haven't seen mergers between supermassive black holes.
但这种情况可能即将改变 ROWE: But that may be about to change.
奇亚拉预计将有112名“拳手” Chiara predicts there are 112 fighters who are
蓄势待发，准备进入“拳击台” pumped up and ready to enter the ring.
明加雷利:在未来五年内 MINGARELLI: In the next five years,
我们应该能够探测到至少一次 we should be able to detect at least one
超大质量黑洞合并 supermassive black hole merger.
这将是宇宙中最激烈的事件 ROWE: It'll be the most violent event in the cosmos.
让我们拭目以待吧 Let's put that in context.
我们之前说过超新星是宇宙中 We talk about how supernova are some of the most explosive,
最具爆炸性和能量的东西 energetic things in our universe.
可是，碰撞的超大质量黑洞的能量 Well, colliding supermassive black holes
将是超新星爆炸能量的 are a billion, billion, billion,
10亿的10亿的10亿倍 billion times more energetic than a supernova.
想想宇宙中所有事物发出的光 Think about all of the light being emitted by everything in
每颗恒星，每一个星系 the universe, every star, every galaxy.
在一瞬间，两个超大质量黑洞碰撞 In one instant, two supermassive black holes
可以释放出1亿倍的能量 colliding could release 100 million times that energy.
想象一下被史上 Imagine being punched in the face by
最强大最厉害的重量级拳手打脸 the biggest, baddest heavyweight of all time.
哎哟 Ouch.
这比那厉害多了 This is way bigger than that.
这些能量从何而来？ ROWE: Where does all this energy come from?
令人惊讶的是 Surprisingly, it originates in
它起源于宇宙中最小的原子 the smallest atoms in the cosmos,
这个故事可以追溯到数十亿年前 in a story that dates back billions of years,
一直到宇宙的诞生 all the way to the birth of the universe.
我们正在观看宇宙中 ROWE: We're taking our seats for
最激烈的事件 the most violent event in the universe,
两个超大质量黑洞的碰撞 the collision of two supermassive black holes.
我们从未目睹过 We've never witnessed this cosmic
这场宇宙重量级的锦标赛 heavyweight championship,
但我们可以通过研究其他重量级的 but we can build up a picture of this epic fight by studying
轻量级“拳击手”来构建这场史诗般的比赛 other weight classes with lighter fighters.
2020年，地球引力波探测器 2020 -- the earthbound gravitational wave detector,
LIGO，接收到 LIGO, picks up
恒星质量黑洞合并的 the distinctive signal of a stellar mass
独特信号 black hole merger.
我们看到的是一个质量是我们太阳质量85倍的黑洞 What we saw was a black hole of 85 times the mass of our sun,
和另一个质量是我们太阳质量66倍的黑洞 and another black hole of 66 times the mass of our sun,
相互碰撞，形成了一个合并的黑洞 smashing together to create a combined black hole.
明加雷利:作为一个研究黑洞合并的人 MINGARELLI: As someone who studies black hole mergers,
这是一个非常令人兴奋的事件 this was a really exciting event.
我们讨论的是 We're talking about
迄今为止我们所见过的 the largest, the heaviest, the most massive
最强大，最巨大，质量最大的 the largest, the heaviest, the most massive
黑洞碰撞 black holes we have seen collide to date.
这可能是仪器探测到的最大的 ROWE: It may be the largest detection,
但在宇宙尺度上 but on a universal scale,
它仍然是一个小角色——就像轻量级拳击手一样 it's still a small fry -- like lightweight boxers,
两个黑洞相互环绕 the two black holes circle each other
并发射低能引力波 and emit low energy gravitational waves.
这种能量损失导致黑洞 This energy loss causes the black holes
旋转在一起 to spiral in together.
最后，它们在宇宙粉碎事件中碰撞 Finally, they collide in a cosmos-shattering event,
形成一个新黑洞 forming a single black hole
并释放出巨大的引力波爆炸 and releasing a huge blast of gravitational waves.
但是，当天文学家检查这个合并的黑洞时 But when astronomers examine the single merged black hole,
有些事情没有解释清楚 something doesn't add up.
庞岑:如果你把两个黑洞的质量加起来 PONTZEN: If you take the combined mass of
你会得到我们太阳质量的 the two black holes, you get to 150 times
150倍 the mass of our sun.
但实际上，剩下的黑洞质量 But actually, the black hole that's left only has
只有太阳质量的142倍 a mass of 142 times the mass of our sun.
所以事件发生前的质量 So the mass you have before the event does
不等于事件发生后的质量 not equal the mass you have after the event.
那缺失的8个太阳质量呢？ What happened to that missing eight solar masses?
这些黑洞并合的方式大约是 The way these black hole mergers work is very roughly 5 percent
把系统总质量的5%被转化为 of the total mass of the system gets converted
能量 into energy.
这都归结为 E = MC平方 ROWE: It all comes down to E equals MC squared.
这就是爱因斯坦告诉我们的漂亮方程 This is that beautiful equation that Einstein
E = MC平方 told us -- E equals MC squared.
E是能量，M是质量 E is the energy, and M is the mass.
爱因斯坦告诉我们，质量和能量是相关的 Einstein taught us that mass and energy are related.
事实上，很多我们所说的质量实际上是能量 In fact, much of what we call mass is actually energy.
在这种情况下剧烈的碰撞 ROWE: In this case, the violence of the collision
将18000万亿亿吨的物质 transforms 18,000 trillion trillion tons
转化为引力波的爆炸 of matter into an explosion of gravitational waves.
萨特:在不到一秒的时间里 SUTTER: In just a fraction of a second,
相当于8个太阳的物质被转化为 eight suns worth of matter is converted into pure
纯粹的能量 unadulterated energy.
释放的能量是非常巨大 The amount of energy released was so great, that if you add
如果你把宇宙中所有恒星燃烧的能量 up all the energy of all the stars burning in
加起来 the universe,
它比这还要大 it was bigger than that.
这一事件是相对较轻的 ROWE: This event was a collision between relative lightweights,
两个恒星质量黑洞之间的碰撞 two stellar mass black holes.
为了理解重量级爆发 To understand heavyweight bouts,
我们需要扩大到超大质量黑洞 we need to scale up to supermassive black holes.
在宇宙体育比赛中 In the universe of sports,
超大质量黑洞是重量级的竞争者 supermassive black holes are the heavyweight contenders.
对于这些大黑洞来说，大小很重要 With these big black holes, size matters.
越大越好 The bigger the better.
更大的质量，意味着更多的能量 More mass means more energy,
也意味着更大的破坏力 which means more destructive power.
我们不需要找太远就能找到 ROWE: We don't need to look too far to find
这块毁灭性的“肌肉” this devastating muscle.
这是M87星 This is M87 star,
是我们宇宙邮政编码中 one of the largest supermassive black holes
最大的超大质量黑洞之一 in our cosmic zip code.
M87星很大 M87 star is huge.
它的质量大约是60亿个太阳质量 It weighs about six billion solar masses,
这60亿个太阳的尺寸 about six billion suns,
和我们的太阳系一样大 and it's the size of our solar system.
两个60亿个太阳质量的 ROWE: A collision between two 6-billion solar mass
超大质量黑洞碰撞 supermassive black holes would release around five
将释放大约5乘以10的56次方焦耳 times 10 to the power of 56 joules.
这在现实世界中意味着什么呢？ So what's that mean in real world terms?
很难用语言来表达这是多少能量 It's hard to use words to express how much energy this is,
而且数字太大了，几乎毫无意义 and the numbers are so huge, they are almost meaningless.
我唯一能解释的就是…… The only way I can really explain this is...
[夸张的尖叫] [exaggerated scream]
在物理学中，我们有这些比较 In physics, we have these comparisons
所以我们可以得到一个心理图像 so we can get a mental picture,
但对于这样的东西，没有心理图像 but for something like this, there is no mental picture.
爆表了 That is so freaking big.
那么这些破坏性的 ROWE: So where does this destructive
质量和能量从何而来呢？ mass and energy come from?
从最简单的成分开始—— It starts with the simplest ingredient --
氢 hydrogen.
氢是宇宙的基本组成部分 Hydrogen is the basic building block of the universe.
每个原子都很小但却含有大量的能量 Each atom is tiny, but it contains a lot of energy.
氢原子含有大量的能量 Hydrogen atoms contain a huge amount of energy,
就像所有物质一样 just like all matter does.
如果以某种方式解锁 And if it's unlocked in
就会发生巨大的爆炸 a certain way, there can be huge explosions.
我的意思是，你仅仅拿起我手中的这些质量 I mean, you take the mass contained simply in my hand,
你几乎可以炸毁整个地球 and you could blow up pretty much the entire Earth.
物质具有能量，因为它是由 ROWE: Matter has energy because it formed from
宇宙早期的能量形成的 energy in the early moments of the universe.
在很多方面，原子都是 In many ways, atoms are reservoirs
大爆炸中储存能量的蓄水池 of stored energy from the Big Bang.
138亿年前 ROWE: 13.8 billion years ago,
宇宙点燃 the universe ignites
成为一个充满能量的超级热球 in a super hot ball of intense energy.
在大爆炸之后，有巨大的能量 Right after the Big Bang, there's a tremendous
事实上，能量非常之多 amount of energy -- so much energy,
以至于正常的原子都不可能存在 in fact, that normal atoms can't exist.
当早期能量开始冷却时 As that early energy starts to cool,
就可以开始形成原始物质 it can start to form primitive matter.
宇宙以氢原子的形式 ROWE: The universe takes that first matter and energy
吸收了第一个物质和能量 in the form of hydrogen atoms
并开始创造一个 and starts the process of creating
超大质量黑洞的过程 a supermassive black hole.
第一步——制造巨星 Step one -- build giant stars.
引力把气体、尘埃、氢 So gravity brings together gas, dust, hydrogen,
聚集在一起 all of that stuff,
随着云的密度越来越大 and as the clouds become more dense,
它们会吸引更多的物质 they attract even more material.
南斯:随着旋转，它们变得越来越热 NANCE: As they spin, they get hotter and hotter, and as that
随着温度和压力的增加 temperature and pressure increase,
最终，它在核心内点燃核聚变 finally, it ignites nuclear fusion within the core
并创造出一颗真正的恒星 and creates an actual star.
这些巨大的恒星就像宇宙中的摇滚明星 ROWE: These huge stars are like cosmic rock stars.
他们青春挥霍地快，死得早 They live fast and die young.
当它们死亡时，它们会在巨大的爆炸中燃烧 When they die, they flame out in a huge explosion,
就是超新星 a supernova.
萨特:整个恒星会把自己翻过来 SUTTER: The entire star turns itself inside out
释放出一种冲击波 and releases a shockwave going a good
其速度相当于光速的一小部分是，释放出的能量 fraction of the speed of light and releases enough energy to
足以毁灭你 just obliterate you.
如果垂死的恒星质量 ROWE: If the dying star is more
超过15个恒星质量 than 15 stellar masses,
它的核心就会坍缩成黑洞 its core collapses into a black hole.
宇宙的变化真是令人震惊 It's kind of astounding what the universe is doing.
它把非常简单的东西，比如氢原子 It's taking incredibly simple things, like hydrogen atoms,
利用引力 and using gravity to ultimately
最终把所有这些东西聚集在一起 bring all this stuff together and make things
形成黑洞 like black holes.
我发现我们整个宇宙的历史 I find it quite beautiful how our whole
是一个小事物 cosmic history is the story of
汇聚成大事物的故事，这是非常美丽的 little things coming together into bigger things.
但这些恒星质量的黑洞是微小的 ROWE: But these stellar mass black holes are tiny
轻量级物体——要达到重量级级别 flyweights -- to step up to the heavyweight division,
它们的质量必须增加数十亿倍 they have to grow billions of times more massive.
怎么做到呢？ But how?
黑洞是如何变成超大质量的？ How do black holes become supermassive?
这是一个古老的问题 This is the age-old question.
我们不太确定 We're not really sure.
泰格马克:目前我们对于黑洞 TEGMARK: The current state of our understanding
如何变成超大质量的理解就像 of how black holes become supermassive is like,
嗯，我们很困惑 uhhh, we're confused.
我们真的不知道 We really don't know.
我们仍然不知道它们是如何变得如此巨大的 We still don't know exactly how they become so big.
但我们知道 ROWE: But we do know that
这个过程涉及超暴力 the process involves ultraviolence,
死亡和破坏 death, and destruction.
超大质量黑洞是如何变得如此之大的？ ROWE: How do supermassive black holes grow so big?
这个问题一直困扰着科学家们 That's a question that continues to baffle scientists.
2018年6月，我们发现了一条线索 In June of 2018, we spotted a clue,
一道巨大的闪光 an enormous flash of light.
AT2018cow AT2018cow,
绰号“牛” nicknamed "the cow,"
是有史以来最明亮的爆炸 was the brightest explosion ever recorded.
大量的能量被释放出来 A huge amount of energy was released,
然后突然之间，一切都消失了 and then all of a sudden, everything was gone.
这次爆炸非常猛烈 This explosion was incredibly violent.
起初，它被认为 At first, it was thought
只是一颗超新星，一道闪光 to just be a supernova, a flash of light.
但随着时间的推移 But over time, it became clear
很明显，这是更强大的东西 that this was something much more powerful.
它太亮了，基本上不可能是超新星 It was too bright, basically, to be a supernova.
它非常明亮，它不符合 It was extremely bright, and it didn't fit into
我们对超新星亮度的 any of our theoretical understandings
任何理论理解 of how bright supernova should be.
一种解释是，这种光可能来自 ROWE: One explanation is that the light may have come from
一个黑洞吞食 a black hole feeding
另一颗比太阳轻的小白矮星 on a small white dwarf star weighing less than the sun.
真正符合这个模型的似乎是 What really seemed to fit that model was a star getting
一颗恒星离黑洞太近 too close to a black hole
被撕裂了，然后 and getting ripped apart, and then
所有的一切都坠入黑洞 everything going right down the black hole.
PLAIT:黑洞每次吃东西都会增加质量 PLAIT: A black hole gains mass every time it eats something.
这就是他们成长的方式 That's how they grow.
不管它是气体云，恒星还是另一个黑洞 Whether it's a gas cloud or a star or another black hole,
一旦它获得了质量，它的质量就增加了 once it gains that mass, it's gained that mass.
奥卢塞伊:人们经常问我，落入黑洞的质量 OLUSEYI: People often ask me, what happens to
会发生什么？ the mass that falls into a black hole?
它会进入另一个维度吗？ Does it go to another dimension?
答案是否定的，它还在那里 And the answer is no, it's still there.
它在黑洞内部——它们会变得越来越大，越来越大 It's inside the black hole -- they get bigger, they grow.
这就是弱小的苍蝇级黑洞 ROWE: Could this be how weak flyweight black holes
如何变成强大的 turn into mean and powerful
超大质量黑洞的原因吗？ supermassive heavyweights?
恒星就像蛋白质 The star is like protein,
黑洞就像拳击手 and the black hole is like a boxer.
所以它们摄入的“蛋白质”越多，消耗的恒星就越多 And so the more protein they get, the more stars
它们就变得越强大 they consume, the stronger they get,
它们的破坏力也就越大 the more destructive they can be.
但是关于“培训计划”的解释 ROWE: But there's a problem with
有个问题 the training program explanation.
一次吃掉 Eating small stars
一颗小恒星并不能以足够快的速度 one at a time just doesn't add enough mass fast enough
增加足够多的质量来形成 to grow the supermassive black holes
我们今天看到的超大质量黑洞 that we see today.
这就像拳击手每天只吃一个鸡蛋 That's like boxers eating just one egg per day.
和他们一样，黑洞需要更大的食物 Like them, black holes need much bigger meals,
在2020年，我们发现了一个 and in 2020, we detected one,
一个黑洞突然爆发的 a sudden burst of gravitational waves from
引力波 a black hole gorging on
它吞噬了一颗被称为中子星的 the remains of a dead star
死亡恒星的残骸 called a neutron star.
对科学家来说，2020年1月是令人兴奋的 For scientists, January 2020 was exciting, because it was
因为这是LIGO首次观测到 the first time LIGO observed the very first black hole
黑洞中子星合并 neutron star merger.
中子星可能很小 ROWE: Neutron stars may be small,
但它们的密度令人难以置信 but they are inconceivably dense.
现在，你想讨论巨大的质量 Now, you want to talk about an enormous amount of mass,
那我们来讨论中子星 let's talk about a neutron star.
这，这真是一份美味的零食 That's -- that's one heck of a snack.
黑洞一口吞下了中子星 ROWE: The black hole swallowed the neutron star in one gulp.
所以这个黑洞吃掉了整个中子星 So this black hole ate a whole neutron star,
这意味着它在一次吞噬中增加了 which means it gained just over 10 percent of its entire
超过其整个体重的10% body weight in one shot.
10%听起来并不多 ROWE: 10 percent doesn't sound like a lot,
但就在10天之后 but then we detected another
我们又探测到另一个黑洞吞噬了一颗中子星 black hole swallowing a neutron star just 10 days later,
这表明宇宙中有很多黑洞 suggesting that there are lots of black holes bulking up
在膨胀 across the universe.
但即使体重增加了这么多 But even with this extreme weight gain,
可能也不足以变成超大质量 it's probably not enough to get supermassive.
他们需要吃得更多 They need to eat even more.
如果你是一个黑洞，你想变得更大 If you're a black hole, and you want to get bigger,
你最好的选择是与另一个黑洞合并 your best bet is to merge with another black hole.
但有一个问题 ROWE: But there's a catch.
如果你是一个蝇级黑洞是，并且你试图吃掉 So if you're a flyweight black hole, and you try to eat all of
所有其他蝇量级的黑洞 the other flyweight black holes,
那么在宇宙历史上没有足够的时间 there's just not enough time in the history of the universe
让你成为一个超大质量黑洞 for you to become a supermassive black hole.
但你可以达到中量级 But you can make it to middleweight.
因此，超大质量黑洞究竟是如何 ROWE: So exactly how supermassive black holes
变得如此巨大的，仍然是一个悬而未决的问题 grow so large remains an open question.
我们知道这一过程 We do know that the process started in the very early
始于宇宙早期 universe with a journey
从最轻的元素 from the lightest element to the most
到宇宙中最可怕的物体 intimidating object in the cosmos.
有趣的是，宇宙可以把氢原子 It's so interesting how the cosmos can take something as
这么简单的东西，变成恒星质量的黑洞 simple as a hydrogen atom and build stellar mass
中等质量的黑洞 black holes and intermediate mass black holes
甚至超大质量的黑洞 and even supermassive black holes out of
都是由这些压缩得非常密集的氢原子构成的 these really densely compressed hydrogen atoms.
这真是个奇迹 It's really a wonder.
现在，在大爆炸138亿年之后 ROWE: Now, 13.8 billion years
超大质量黑洞 after the Big Bang, supermassive black holes
开始进食并伸展“肌肉” feed and flex their muscles,
准备好争夺宇宙的 ready to fight for the heavyweight
重量级冠军 championship of the universe.
自宇宙诞生以来，这些超大质量黑洞 These supermassive black holes have been bulking up
一直在膨胀 since the age of the universe.
萨特:这些黑洞已经为战斗 SUTTER: These black holes have been
做好了准备 getting ready for the fight.
他们一直在壮大 They have been bulking up.
他们一直在吃整颗星星当零食 They have been eating entire stars as snacks
以获得他们需要的“肌肉” to get the masks they need.
所以他们准备好了隆隆作响 So they are ready to rumble.
这不是丛林里的隆隆声 ROWE: It's not the rumble in the jungle.
这是一场争夺宇宙老大的战斗 This is the battle to be the boss of the cosmos.
超大质量黑洞对超大质量黑洞 Supermassive black hole versus supermassive
在最宏伟的舞台上战斗 black hole, fought in the grandest arena.
斗士的随从，他们的主星系 The fighter's entourage, their host galaxies,
护送他们到擂台 escort them to the ring.
但即使是这样的旅程 But even this journey is violent,
也充满了暴力，引发了星爆、喷射和大屠杀 triggering starbursts, jets, and carnage.
这是宇宙重量级大战前的 ROWE: It's the build up before the heavyweight fight
热身 of the cosmos.
战斗者的随从，他们的主星系 The fighters' entourages, their galaxies, carry
一旦携带他们的超大质量黑洞到达螺旋 their supermassive black holes to the ring.
事情会变得很糟糕 Things are about to get nasty.
星系看起来平静而安详 Galaxies can look calm and serene,
但它们会变成相当大的碎片 but they can get into pretty big scraps.
它们中有很多是完全混乱的 There's a lot of them that are totally
而且显然正在相互融合 messed up and are clearly merging with each other.
当星系相互争斗时，它们的引力会相互吸引 ROWE: When galaxies fight, their gravity pulls on each
相互之间会扭曲彼此的结构 other, twisting and distorting their structures.
星系会被扭曲变形成不同的样子 The galaxy will be warped and morphed into different ways
我们只能想象它会有多扭曲 that we can only imagine how twisted it would be.
这种剧烈的宇宙探戈 ROWE: This violent cosmic tango brings
将两个超大质量黑洞聚集在一起 the two supermassive black holes together.
特伦布莱:很优雅，很漂亮 TREMBLAY: It's elegant, it's beautiful.
这是一种十亿年的精心编排的舞蹈 It's this billion-year choreographed dance
完全由引力引导 that is entirely conducted by gravity.
这两个重量级“拳击手”互相接近 ROWE: The two heavyweight fighters approach each other.
他们的脚在擂台上拍出节奏 Their feet beat out a rhythm on the canvas,
就像旋转的黑洞释放 just like circling black holes release low energy
低能引力波一样 gravitational waves.
这些巨大的巨兽在彼此之间潜行 You have these giant beasts that are stalking
当他们相互环绕时 around each other, and as they do,
就会产生引力波 they create these gravitational waves.
2021年6月 ROWE: June 2021.
天文学家拍摄了一次星系碰撞 Astronomers photograph a galactic collision
并目睹了一场壮观的战斗前烟花表演 and witness a spectacular pre-fight fireworks show.
当星系碰撞时，会发生一件 One of the amazing things that can happen
令人惊讶的事情，那就是它们会产生 when galaxies collide is they can create
巨大的星爆 tremendous starbursts.
当所有的气体都跟随引力流动时 There is a big inrush as all of
会产生一股巨大的冲击波—— the gas follows that gravity -- as the gas gets hotter
而每一次冲击波实际上 and denser, it creates shockwaves,
都会产生新一代恒星 and each shockwave actually creates a new generation of
围绕星系核心运行 stars going out around the core of the galaxy.
突然的星暴照亮了正在合并的星系 ROWE: The sudden starburst lights up the merging galaxies.
涌入的气体也为“超级斗士”提供燃料 The inrushing gas also fuels the prize fighters,
超大质量黑洞螺旋 the supermassive black holes spiraling
会向合并的星系中心移动 towards the merging galactic center.
庞岑:如果有一个超大质量黑洞 PONTZEN: If there's a big supermassive black hole,
它会突然发现它被大量的气体 it suddenly finds it surrounded by loads of gas
和其他可以吞噬的物质包围 and other material it can eat.
它就像一种疯狂的进食 It goes on a kind of feeding frenzy.
如果你是一个饥饿的超大质量黑洞 If you're a hungry supermassive black hole,
那么这就是你的午餐自助餐 then this is your lunchtime buffet.
并不是所有的气体都落入超大质量黑洞 ROWE: Not all the gas falls into the supermassive black hole.
物质的其他部分实际上 Other parts of the matter actually gets caught up
被困在我们所说的吸积盘中 in what we call an accretion disk
围绕黑洞的外部旋转 rotating around the outside of the black hole.
这个明亮的漩涡 ROWE: This bright vortex spins around the supermassive
以每小时超过200万英里的速度 ROWE: This bright vortex spins around the supermassive
围绕超大质量黑洞旋转 black hole at over two million miles an hour.
圆盘中的物质相互摩擦 The material in the disk rubs against itself,
产生摩擦热 creating friction.
摩擦产生热量——如果我搓手 Friction generates heat -- if I rub my hands together,
它们会变暖和 they get a little bit warm.
如果我以每小时几十万英里的速度搓手 If I rub my hands together at hundreds of thousands of
就会变得非常非常热 miles per hour, it's gonna get very, very, very warm.
吸积盘加热 ROWE: The accretion disk heats up,
释放出强烈的光 blasting out intense light.
2020年 In 2020,
美国宇航局的哈勃太空望远镜 NASA's Hubble space telescope saw two fueled-up
看到两个充满燃料的超大质量黑洞燃起了战斗 supermassive black holes lighting up for the fight.
我们称之为类星体 We call them quasars.
类星体是非常明亮的黑洞的一个子类 Quasars are a subclass of very bright black holes
会释放出巨大的能量 that are emitting huge amounts of power.
所以在宇宙的尽头都能看到 So these can be seen at the far reaches of the universe.
特伦布莱:黑洞，这些所谓的黑暗的东西 TREMBLAY: Black holes, these so-called dark things,
当它们以非常高的速度增长时 when they're growing at a very high rate
它们是宇宙中最亮的光 are some of the brightest lights in the universe.
到目前为止，我们已经在合并星系的核心中 ROWE: To date, we've detected over 100 pairs
探测到超过100对类星体 of quasars in the cores of merging galaxies.
我们认为它们最终都会相撞 We think they will all eventually collide,
但在那之前，它们会上演一场 but before they do, they'll put on a spectacular
壮观而致命的灯光秀 and lethal light show.
科幻小说的一个常见主题是 A common theme in science fiction
某角色从眼睛或手上射出的 are different kind of jets of energy or beams
不同类型的能量或光束 that people shoot out of their eyes or their hands.
嗯，超大质量黑洞也会这样 Well, supermassive black holes do that, too.
发射相对论喷流 ROWE: Firing out relativistic jets.
当这些喷流燃烧起来 When those jets fire up,
那就是超级巨星 that's when you're talking about superstar, really,
非常非常明亮的光，在这一点上，星系被点亮了 really bright lights, and at this point, the galaxy is lit up
一切都准备好了 and ready to go.
这些是麦迪逊广场花园的聚光灯 These are the spotlight's on Madison Square Garden.
这是在告诉你事件正在发生 This is telling you that the event is going down.
[人群欢呼] [crowd cheering]
一个超大质量黑洞喷流 A single supermassive black hole jet
在一秒钟内产生的能量 will produce more energy in a second
比太阳100亿年的生命周期 than the sun will produce in
所产生的能量还要多 its entire 10-billion-year lifetime.
想象一下 Imagine a laser of radiation that
一束激光的长度和宽度都是光年 is light-years in length and across.
这就是我们在谈论的东西 That's what we're talking about.
这东西能把一个星球炸飞 This thing would fry a planet.
这不是赛前炒作 ROWE: This is no pre-fight hype.
2020年2月，我们看到了一个喷流的撞击 In February 2020, we saw the impact of a jet.
特伦布莱:所以在蛇夫座星系团中 TREMBLAY: So in the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster,
有一个比银河系宽15倍的 there's an enormous void that is 15 times wider than
巨大空洞 the Milky Way galaxy.
这些都是由超大质量黑洞的喷射流 And this has all been sculpted, carved,
雕刻出来的杰作 by jets from a supermassive black hole.
斯特劳恩:就像是宇宙上的伤疤 STRAUGHN: It's like this scar on the universe.
它有100万光年宽 It's a million light-years across.
非常巨大 It's huge.
科学家们计算出，喷射物撞击星系团的影响 ROWE: Scientists calculate the impact of the jet hitting
相当于星系团 the cluster was equivalent to
每千分之一秒爆炸200亿亿兆吨TNT炸药 a 20-billion-billion megaton TNT explosion every 1,000th of
持续2.4亿年 a second for 240 million years.
相对论喷流的巨大能量可能会成为 The relativistic jets' immense power may be
一场精彩的表演 a showstopper.
但当要打出致命一击时 But when it's time to land the killer punch,
超大质量黑洞会利用一种更强大的力量 supermassive black holes draw on an even more powerful force,
引力 gravity.
斯特劳恩:喷流是非常强大的，但实际上 STRAUGHN: Jets are very powerful, but really
只是在相对较小的规模 only on a relatively small scale.
当你谈论宇宙尺度时 When you're talking about cosmic scale,
引力总是占上风 gravity always wins.
没有什么比引力更强大的了 Nothing is as powerful as gravity.
环绕的超大质量黑洞的巨大引力 ROWE: The immense gravity of the circling
将它们拉得越来越近 supermassive black holes drags them ever closer,
但最终是将它们聚在一起 but will it ultimately bring them together
还是将它们炸开呢？ or blast them apart?
在整个宇宙中 ROWE: Across the universe,
超大质量黑洞 supermassive black holes duke it out
在宇宙版的重量级超级战斗中决一雌雄 in the cosmos's version of heavyweight super fights.
超大质量黑洞一直在我们周围合并 Supermassive black holes are merging around us all the time.
只是我们发现它们的能力 It's only our ability to detect them
阻止了我们看到它们 that's preventing us from seeing them.
科学家们已经发现了至少 ROWE: Scientists have identified at least a dozen
12对相互环绕的超大质量黑洞 pairs of supermassive black holes circling each other.
我们有一些星系的线索 We have some hints of some galaxies
我们认为它可能会发生 where we think it might happen,
在那里我们看到两个发光的黑洞 where we see two glowing black holes that are getting
它们非常接近 very close.
但并非所有这些比赛都会以淘汰出局告终 ROWE: But not all these matches will end with a knockout.
黑洞碰撞一直在发生 Black hole collisions happen all the time.
但他们并不总是按计划进行 But they don't always go according to plan.
当黑洞聚集在一起时 When black holes come together,
会发生非常奇怪的事情 really strange things can happen.
哈勃太空望远镜在一个名为3C186的遥远星系中 ROWE: The Hubble space telescope spots something strange in
发现了一些奇怪的东西 a distant galaxy called 3C186.
这是一个类星体，一个活跃的超大质量黑洞 It's a quasar, an active supermassive black hole.
但它在错误的地方 But it's in the wrong place.
在我们看到的几乎每个星系中 In nearly every galaxy we see, the supermassive black hole
超大质量黑洞都位于星系中心，这是有道理的 sits right at the center, and that makes sense.
萨特:因为那是唯一 SUTTER: Because that's the only place
有足够材料来驱动它们的地方 with enough material to power them.
但在3C186中，我们看到的不是这样 But in 3C186, that's not what we see.
超大质量黑洞从中心被移走了 The supermassive black hole is displaced from
而且不是一点点 the center, and not a little bit.
是35000光年远 It's 35,000 light-years.
因此，看到距离核心35000光年的类星体 So to see a quasar 35,000 light-years away from
意味着那里一定发生了 the core means something really violent
非常激烈的事情 had to happen there.
这颗类星体正以每小时 ROWE: The quasar is racing away from the center
400万英里的速度远离星系中心 of the galaxy at over four million miles an hour.
奥卢塞伊:这太疯狂了 OLUSEYI: That is insane.
能量的大小 The magnitude of the energy
和所需的力量是无法想象的 and the forces required are just something unimaginable.
那么，是什么能把一个巨大的黑洞踢出星系呢？ So what can kick a giant black hole out of a galaxy?
什么有这种力量？ What has that kind of power?
答案是这场冲突并非势均力敌 ROWE: The answer is a clash that wasn't evenly matched.
这两个超大质量黑洞的大小不同—— The two supermassive black holes were different sizes --
一个中量级拳击手对一个重量级拳击手 a middleweight boxer taking on a heavyweight.
当我们人类打架时，我们喜欢让它公平 When we humans set up a fight, we like to make it fair,
因为这是体育运动 because it's sport.
大自然并不关心体育运动 Nature doesn't care about sport.
这是适者生存 It's survival of the fittest.
这不是一场公平的战斗 This is not a fair fight.
还没开始就结束了 It's over before it even begins.
一拳，就击倒了 One punch, and it's a K.O.
当这两个黑洞合并时 As these two black holes are merging,
会有一个非常小的黑洞 there's one really small black hole
和一个大得多的黑洞 and one much bigger black hole.
整个系统都在摆动，它可以在一个方向上 The whole system wobbles around, and it can get more of
得到比另一个方向 a gravitational wave kick in one
更多的引力波 这就是动力 direction than the other. -And that's momentum.
这是一个推力，足够把黑洞 That's a push, that's enough energy to kick
踢出去 the black hole out.
不平衡的引力冲击 ROWE: The lopsided gravitational punch
使合并的超大质量黑洞 sends the merged supermassive
走上了被遗忘的单程之旅 black hole on a one-way trip to oblivion.
这告诉我们引力波 This tells us that gravitational
可以非常强大 waves can be tremendously powerful.
它们可以将一个超大质量黑洞 They can move a supermassive black hole out from
从星系中心移出，并将其送上自己的道路 the center of a galaxy and send it on its way.
庞岑:它只能继续漂移 PONTZEN: But it just carries on drifting.
没有办法阻止它 There's no way to stop it.
谁知道呢，几百万年后 And who knows, in a few million years it could
它可能会完全漂移出它所在的星系 just drift entirely out of its galaxy
然后飘到太空深处 and go floating off into deep space.
在一些比赛中 ROWE: In some matches, the fighters
拳手甚至连一拳都没有 don't even land a punch.
科学家发现了一个名为B3 1715+425的 Scientists spot a supermassive black hole
超大质量黑洞 named B3 1715+425.
这个黑洞很奇怪 This black hole is strange.
没有跟随它的恒星 Stripped of all its stars,
它以每小时450万英里的速度在真空中飞驰 it hurtles through empty space at 4.5 million miles an hour.
首先引起我们注意的是 The first thing that draws our attention is
这条划过天空的微弱残骸痕迹 this faint trail of debris across the sky.
这条模糊的碎片痕迹划过天空 this faint trail of debris across the sky.
普莱特:实际上有一条 PLAIT: There is actually a trail leading
通往星系中心的线索 back to the center of the galaxy.
它有点像一辆自卸卡车，对吧，装满了土 sIt's kind of like a dump truck, right, that's filled with
在高速公路上行驶，土在它后面飞散—— dirt driving down the highway, and the dirt's flying off
这是一个裸露的黑洞 behind it -- this is a naked black hole.
暴露在外的超大质量黑洞 ROWE: The exposed super massive black hole
已经失去了它的恒星和星系 has lost its stars and galaxy,
一个冠军失去了它的粉丝和随从 a champion stripped of its fans and entourage.
那么，什么事件的威力足以 So what event is powerful enough to strip
将一个超大质量黑洞从它的整个主星系中剥离出来呢？ a supermassive black hole of its entire host galaxy?
那一定是件大事 That has to be something really big.
普莱特: B3是一个很小的星系 PLAIT: B3 is a smallish galaxy, and it
它和一个大得多的星系发生了冲突 got into a scrap with a much bigger one.
较大星系的更强引力 The stronger gravity of the bigger galaxy
将恒星从黑洞中剥离出来，并将其射出去 stripped the stars away from that black hole and shot it out.
通常在宇宙中，当一个物体更大 Typically in the universe, when something
质量更大时，它就赢了 is bigger and more massive, it wins.
这对星系来说是正确的 So this is true for galaxies.
一个大星系对一个小星系—— A big galaxy versus a little galaxy --
把钱押在大星系上 put your money on the big one.
但是当两个势均力敌的重量级选手 ROWE: But when two evenly matched heavyweights
进入拳击台时 enter the ring,
那就是一决雌雄的时候了 it's time for the main event.
[人群高呼] [crowd chanting]
巨人之间的对决 A clash of the titans.
我从小和我爸一起看拳击比赛 I grew up watching boxing with my dad.
我一直是个拳击迷，我喜欢伟大的战斗 So I've always been a boxing fan, and I love a great battle.
还有什么能 And what's a bigger battle than
比两个超大质量黑洞的正面碰撞更大的战斗呢？ a head-on collision between two supermassive black holes?
如果你是拳击迷，这是最重要的 If you're a boxing fan, this is the big one.
萨特:我们准备好了 SUTTER: We are ready.
我们都快坐不住了 We are on the edge of our seats.
明加雷利:我们有两个超大质量黑洞 MINGARELLI: We've got two supermassive black holes,
每个黑洞都在各自的角落里 each one is in their corner, and they're getting ready for
它们正准备进行世纪大战 the fight of the century.
我的意思是，它们会进行非常激烈的鏖战 I mean, they're just gonna go at it like goosh, goosh.
我会看的 我会按次付费的 I would watch that. I'd Pay-Per-View that.
奥卢塞伊:没有比这更好的了 OLUSEYI: It doesn't get any better than this.
这些都是处于巅峰的职业拳击手 These are prize fighters at the top of their game.
他们被训练得很好 They're trained to a T.
他们被加强了 They're beefed up.
他们已经准备好了 They are ready to rumble.
我们离宇宙大战只有几秒钟了 ROWE: We are just seconds away from the fight of the cosmos.
欢迎来到宇宙重量级 ROWE: Welcome to the heavyweight championship
锦标赛 of the universe.
重达80亿个太阳质量 Weighing in at eight billion solar masses,
我们有银河系的破坏者，M101星 We have the galactic destroyer, M101 star.
在另一个角落 And in the other corner,
在78亿颗恒星中 at a punishing 7.8 billion suns,
恒星粉碎者，NSC47星 the star crusher, NSC47 star.
它们打足了气，准备轰鸣 They are pumped and ready to rumble.
终于到了，我们终于到了 So here it is, we're finally here.
人群在咆哮 The crowd is roaring.
铃响了、 The bell has rung,
拳手们开始接近对方 and the fighters are approaching each other.
他们已经准备好了 They are ready to go at it.
让我们来一场干净利落的比赛，伙计们 ROWE: Let's have a clean fight, fellas.
握手，然后回到你的角落 Touch hands, and go back to your corners.
第一回合 这两个重量级选手围成一圈 Round one. The two heavyweights circle,
考验对方的防守 testing the other's defenses.
黑洞会做拳击手会做的事 The black hole's gonna do what the boxes are gonna do.
它们会相互环绕， They're gonna circle each other,
它们会相互环绕 and they're gonna orbit each other,
它们会相互衡量 and they're gonna size each other up.
普莱特:一旦这两个超大质量黑洞足够近 PLAIT: Once these two supermassive black holes
它们的引力就会 are close enough, their gravity,
不可阻挡地把它们拉到一起 inexorably, is gonna draw them together.
当两个超大质量黑洞靠近时 ROWE: As the two supermassive black holes get closer,
它们会抛出一些探索性的攻击 they throw a few exploratory jabs,
引发引力波的爆发 triggering bursts of gravitational waves
使路径上的一切都扭曲 that warp everything in their path.
这些巨大的引力波 These enormous gravitational waves are completely
完全改变了它们周围的时空结构 deforming the fabric of spacetime around them.
不是一点点，而是很多 Not just a little bit, but a lot.
这感觉就像从隔壁镇上来的拳手 It's like feeling the fighters approach in
在拳击场上 the boxing ring...
互相靠近…… from the next town over.
接下来，超大质量黑洞的引力 ROWE: Next, the supermassive black hole's gravity throws in
向吸积盘 a couple of right hooks
打了几个“右钩拳” straight into the accretion disks.
明加雷利:开始可能发生的情况是 MINGARELLI: What could happen is that they start to form
它们会像角磨机一样 like an angle grinder.
当它们试图合并并形成一个新的吸积盘时 You'll see sparks flying as they try to merge and form
你会看到火花四溅 a new single accretion disk.
当吸积盘碰撞时 When those accretion disks collide,
整个宇宙就会像重要节日一样亮起来 the whole thing is gonna light up like the Fourth of July.
重量级拳手以每小时数百万英里的速度盘旋而来 ROWE: Spiraling in at millions of miles an hour,
接近对方 the heavyweight fighters get close,
对其进行惩罚性的攻击 delivering punishing body blows.
视界 The event horizons, the surface of
即超大质量黑洞的表面，即将接触 the supermassive black holes, are about to touch.
在它们的最后时刻 In their final moments,
这两个超大质量黑洞 these two supermassive black holes are orbiting each other
会以相当一部分的光速 at a significant fraction
相互环绕，它们的视界 of the speed of light, and their event horizons
将会接触 will touch.
最终它们会合并成一个新的 And they'll eventually merge into one new
超大质量黑洞 supermassive black hole.
泰格马克:你可能会想 TEGMARK: You might think,
它们不就是像保龄球一样撞在一起吗？ don't they bump into each other like bowling balls?
不，不是这样的 No, they don't.
因为我们所说的黑洞视界 Because what we're calling the edge of a black hole is
实际上不是一个东西—— actually not a thing -- that's just
它只是黑洞周围的表面 the surface around the black hole.
引力太大了，什么都出不来 Gravity is so strong that nothing can come out.
这两个超大质量黑洞最终合并 ROWE: The two supermassive black holes finally merge,
在巨大的引力波爆发中 releasing around 5 percent of the mass they've gathered over
释放出它们数十亿年来 billions of years in
聚集的约5%的质量 an enormous burst of gravitational waves.
我们所说的能量的量…… The amount of energy that we're talking about...
没有什么可以与之相比的——简直让人崩溃 there's nothing to compare it to -- it's mind-crushing.
想这个问题几乎没有任何意义 There's really almost no point in thinking about it.
我觉得我无法理解 It's just not something I think that I can
这种事情 wrap my head around.
在我的家乡 Coming from where I come from,
我不会示弱 you know, you don't show weakness,
所以我不会说两个黑洞的碰撞 so I'm not gonna say that the collision of two black holes
比我的一拳更强大，但是…… is more powerful than one of my punches, but...
很接近 it's close.
巨大而强大的引力波 ROWE: The gigantic and powerful gravitational waves race out
从碰撞区冲出 from the collision zone,
留下一个合并的黑洞 leaving a single merged black hole.
超大质量黑洞在合并后 The supermassive black hole, after it merges, permanently
会永久地扭曲它周围的时空结构 deforms the fabric of spacetime around it, and this deformation
这种变形以光速传播出去 travels out at the speed of light.
两个碰撞的超大质量黑洞中 ROWE: The surviving 95 percent of mass from the two colliding
幸存的95%的质量 supermassive black holes
现在被锁定在一个超大质量黑洞中 is now locked in a single ultramassive black hole,
它是宇宙中无可争议的超级重量级冠军—— the undisputed super heavyweight champion of
至少目前是这样 the universe -- at least for now.
看来宇宙总是在加码 It seems the universe is always upping the ante.
会不会有我们还没发现的 Could there be something even more
更暴力的东西？ violent we haven't even discovered yet?
宇宙一直想给我们 The universe keeps wanting to give us
更暴力的东西 something more violent all the time.
宇宙诞生时形成的能量 ROWE: Energy locked in hydrogen atoms formed at the birth of
被锁在氢原子中 the universe is finally
最终在剧烈的碰撞中释放出来 released in the violent collision and builds
形成了一个超大质量的黑洞 an ultramassive black hole.
萨特:这是我们宇宙中最美丽的 SUTTER: This is one of the most beautiful stories in
故事之一——你有能量最大的碰撞 our universe -- you have the most energetic collision,
释放出最多的能量 the most amount of energy released,
最猛烈的事件 the most violent event, can trace
可以追溯到微小的氢原子 its origins to the humble hydrogen atom.
所以我们有了我们的冠军——物质被压缩 ROWE: So we have our champion -- matter compressed
然后被超大质量黑洞挤压在一起 and then smashed together by supermassive black holes
创造了宇宙中最激烈的事件 creates the most violent event in the universe.
我不认为有什么比赛 I don't think there's a contest.
超大质量黑洞的碰撞 The supermassive black hole collisions
是能量最大的 are the most energetic,
就像，在这些碰撞中巨大的能量 just, like, mind-numbingly large amounts of energy in
令人麻木 these collisions.
两个超大质量黑洞的合并 A merger of two supermassive black holes
是整个宇宙中所有可能事件的绝对极端 is at the absolute top end extreme of that
超大质量黑洞的合并 for all possible events in the entire universe,
是我们在宇宙中可以观察到的 A supermassive black hole merger is the most
最激烈的事情 violent thing that we can observe in the universe.