Rogue Stars Zoomed By

13 minute read

Please note: The blogpost may read better by accessing it directly via the link here vs the link via the blog-site here. I am not sure why the formatting doesn’t work for the blog-site.

Yesterday,

a. A search leveraging the string - this is a google news search link - but always a good idea to check links before you click on them
b. lead me to the following article: Rogue star zoomed by our Solar System and disrupted planetary orbits

The name of the astrophysicist mentioned and a link to their profile via Google scholar is as follows: * Susanne Pfalzner of Forschungszentrum Jülich * Susanne Pfalzner is associated with the University of Leiden I am assuming that this university works collaboratively with the Forschungszentrum Jülich institute (link is below). * The names of two of Susanne Pfalzner’s students are also mentioned. The names are: Amith Govind and Simon Portegies Zwart.

Barely beginning to look into Susanne’s research, also reminds me of: * Some of research conducted by Dr. Avi Loeb’s, along with his graduate students and other team members. The little I know about research that may be associated from some of the articles that I have stumbled across. Here is a link to Dr. Loeb’s profile on Google Scholar. * In terms of context and going back to article via Earth.com highlighted above (Susanne Pfalzer). For me: * The very first time that I heard about TNOs (Trans-Neptunian Objects) actually being called TNOs was via Professor Brian Cox. This must have been at-least 6 years ago and I cannot recall the source at this point. But I recall that it was via a video that I was watching. Today, I feel the search/discovery aspect is largely b0rked in a really bad way. But that is a completely separate topic. That being said and this is totally off-topic, but it must have been like 18 years ago, when I heard a venture capitalist speak about ‘discovery being the new search.’ I still feel that this area/realm can benefit us collectively and individually in so many different ways. On the other hand, I also feel that the way that algorithms are designed can and should occur a lot more consciously. However the autonomy angle takes off. This is off-topic. But if done with care, it could help us bring improvements relating to our understanding in the wider reality. But there are other moving pieces here. * Coming back to this topic, during the past couple of years and I cannot say that I think about this and associated areas often. But specific to the research for TNOs and in random order, I would think that only a handful of researchers are looking at this and associated areas/phenomenon around the world. And that the majority of the researchers are either from the UK (United Kingdom) and now Germany (Forschungszentrum Jülich) via Susanne Pfalzer * It was intuition and I guess relaxation, that lead me to think associated thoughts. I am very interested in the make/composition of the reality around the MilkyWay and the much more expansive (and relative) cosmological (with it’s grounding in, at the very least, quantum) realms. Specific to TNOs, here are some of the posts that I can think of. The direct source for these posts is directly via Github (unless stated otherwise, as in links via Youtube and external links that I did not provision e.t.c) * Links via Github * A gravitational pull, that is ‘not’ normative to the typical and expectated gravitional pull of objects in and around the outer solar system region. Whereby the definition of outer solar system in this scenario would be in a confined space, but related to objects that are beyond the orbit of Neptune. I am not sure what the thinking is and as it relates to the bounds of the outer solar system. So I thought it prudent to make this general distinction. As I am not referring to some phenomenon that is closer to the next star system, some 4.2 ly (light years) away. Also, I get different responses for queries related to the diameter of the solar system. Whereby a general search on the web would categorize the diameter to be 1.5 ly across. But Chatgpt has reason to believe that the actual diameter is much lesser. Next time, I am going to ask Chatgpt to kindly cite it’s sources. Which it probably does and I didn’t get a chance to review the sources.Moving along, the following (below), is not a comprehensive timeline from my perspective, but I guess this is how one thing lead to another for me: * 10-18-2019 (Oct 18, 2019): I was at a hackathon and there was an image of Sag A * (Sagittarius A star, the Supermassive blackhole at the center of the Milkyway) that came up via the APOD bot via the Slack app. * It will take me a while to search for the same/similar image via APOD search. But if memory serves me correctly, the image looked something like this. image via nova.org. As well, some of the other images where I found this image, via the following source * 10-29-2020 (Oct, 29. 2020): Much earlier and maybe around the year 2005 or in that range, is when I would have first heard about the mythical Planet 9. Not having an indepth knowledge of how real-estate is actually discovered in and around the solar system (as in, the methods leveraged) and realizing that a fair bit of territory needs to be covered. I didn’t know how to think about why the so called/mythical Planet 9 was not discovered. Next and many years later, when the news item of a blackhole the size of a grapefruit came to my attention. This, then lead me to think about the kinds of behaviors that were being exhibited by bodies in the trans-Neptunian region(s). For the further evolution of this theory, one that of a mythical planet that no one could locate, to a blackhole of a certain size (size relative to us). And so, on 10-29-2020, I made the following post on Github on this very blog. Grape Fruit Sized Black Hole In The Outer Solar System * 11-02-2020 (Nov 2nd, 2020): On this date, I made the following blogpost about Sedna’s orbital eccentricity. Which, just stands out as odd and makes you wonder why this rock is ‘not’ following the same path and does not have the same/similar kind of orbital eccentricity like it’s neighbors in and around the inner-solar system. * 02-12-2021 (Feb 12, 2021): After having read a particular article via SciAm (Scientific American), I made the following blogpost about Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov * 05-01-2021 (May 1, 2021): I cannot recall if I made a blogpost about the following article via SciAm (link is below). I do recall highlighting this article in one of the posts. I just cannot recall which post it is. Stars That Race through Space at Nearly the Speed of Light * 09-07-2022 (Sept 07, 2022): I am not sure how much, the following blogpost is on topic here. But in this blogpost, I was still pondering about the general shape/composition of the MilkyWay. Starbust Region * Next, the following (below) may or may not be on topic. Particularly because I am not an astrophysicist. And I definitely do not share these links in a sensationalist sense. Nor in a sense that I seek to benefit from the projects whereby I have demonstrated the intention, by blowing the index (risk/opportunity) out of proportion. Pun was not intended, intentionally. With that disclosure: * 11-08-2023 (Nov 8, 2023): Meditations on why GRB230307A happened (GRB) and two Neptunian type worlds collided into each other. Note: I didn’t screenshare with the proper provisions while I was recording this video, so I had to do a re-take. Link Like I said, extremely speculative. These events did not occur in or around the solar system. For me, I was once again curious if the bands around the MilkyWay had anything to do with these events. And/or the preponderance of blackholes around the MilkyWay. On this note, I recall reading about a researcher of Indian Origin who was either born in the States or to parents in USA. I don’t think it was Kanappan or Vishu (who passed away in the year 2017). But upon first glance, their research also sounds very intriguing. Specially, if I read this right and if Vishu was working with Kip Thorne. Source google search string But this researcher, who I believe was mentioned in an article via SciAm, had figured out a new way to detect blackholes by triangulating them. * 11-29-2023 (Nov 29, 2023): The meditations from November of the previous year were all over the place. Link Note to self: To make sure that I write a description for the content that I create or help create. * In part 02 of the meditations I start thinking about E.L.E and it looks like I am still trying to bridge this to meditations on the Drake’s equation. But again, it is data that guides our reasoning and within reason. So, I haven’t really looked at any data in order to be able to form any definitive conclusions. But, again, I would say that it will to be our advantage to learn more about how the wider reality is structured. What I do not know, again, are the tools and techniques leveraged in order to form this map. And the degree to which the map actually reflects the reality at large. I guess the metaphor could be akin to relying on maps and compass solely, whereby satellite communications can greatly help with endeavours of such nature. So, instruments like next-gen LIGO detectors should be able to help us form a picture, a model of the wider reality that we previously could not access. It is not to suggest that the means via which gravitional waves are detected will indeed be the only mechanism via which this picture/model could be formed. I wonder the kind of data that LISA - Laser Inferometer Space Antennae will bring back. Slated to be launched in a earth-like heliocentric orbit in the year 2035. * In part 03 of the meditations from 11-29-2023 (previous links above): This is a 5 hour plus meditation. link Well, first of all, hearing about the 5% risk of extinction from A.I (Artificial Intelligence) lead me to rethink what I was thinking in my meditations. The meditations leverage simple probabilities, but as of right now there is no proof of the realms explored and particularly when it relates to further evolution of the Drake’s equation. I mean, statistically, it would seem really weird if humans were the only tool-making species. But, I also am not aware of the proof of any such existence. Besides, my preliminary thinking on this topic as a non-biologist and as a non-physicist, lead me to think that intelligence is relative and that the scales are on gradients. And I leverage some simple examples in my meditations, whereby an earth-worm or ant intelligence (ant as an individual and ants as a colony, are relative to each other and then they are relative to other intelligences like us). Anyhow, the risk of extinction from A.I, again, I am not sure how this was determined. But I know of at-least two sources I could research off of and I reckon one of the resource is a particular episode via the FLI podcast. I think it was FLI (Future of Life Institute), I’d have to dig into this.

At this point and relating to this blogpost, I am getting too involved into the details. As well, exploring realms that simply may not be associated. Plus, I could very well have my own conscious or unconscious biases present here.

Coming back to Susanne Pfalzner’s and her students research one more time. I haven’t personally had a chance to dive into this topic beyond the surface level. But again, to a non-astrophysicist like me, this seems like a very interesting and rich area of research. This is the kind of research that could open up a lot of other/different venues of research. This, I think, would be the kind of research that will help us understand not just the shape/composition and the history of our own solar system. But my intuitive guess is that it will also help us understand the set of dynamics in the wider MilkyWay.

After reading the article once (or twice), I have more questions. Including, but not limited to and in random order: * The most obvious set of questions for me. Where are these stars coming from, the direction in which they are headed, frequency over time, size of stellar masses, the region through which they are zipping past, could the passage of these stars and objects like Oumuama and 2I/Borisov potentially be a sign that these are earlier indicators of some kind of a band. Skipping some segments, if Pfalzner’s and her teams research does hold weight, then the link between a stellar object zipping through the solar system and and it’s impact on TNOs is something that this team has modeled. Provided holes cannot be poked and as it relates to this theory, further weight could then be attached that this phenomenon is real. Whereby the passage of a stellar body does impact the orbital eccentricity of objects in a certain realm. Next, this is a very longshot, but I’ve been curious if ‘perturbrations’ in other parts of the solar system can indeed impact Milankovitch cycles on Earth and potentially on other planets. * Next and builing up on a sub-question above and relating to the origin of such a stellar mass. The central question, in my mind, of there being ‘bands’ around the MilkyWay. Unless it’s some freak probability that this was only one of some 100 Billion stars across the MilkyWay that zipped by the solar system for some really strange reason. If that probability equals close to zero and this stellar object is not zipping by in a solo fashion - then the probability equals higher that stars/dust/rocks (at the very least) are travelling in bands of sorts. (Not sure about blackholes). Relating to the objects within the hold of these bands, how they travel, how many branches do these bands actually have and the direction in which they travel and why. * The Milkyway’s merger with dwarf galax(ies), is, what I think has lead to these bands in the first place. The reason for me, why particular images via APOD captured my attention. * If we put on our risk hat, then we could (maybe) have a whole lot of questions. But that would, I think, be governed on questions related to celestial mechanics and the time-ranges involved. As, right now I am doing a surface level search and right now I don’t know what ‘reasonably frequent’ translates into. link. * I am also thinking about the article via SciAm from 05-01-2021 (linked above about Stars zipping by at, I would think at or near relativistic speeds), Pfalzner’s research, other thoughts related to trails of debris e.t.c and building up on that and if this is on topic the blogpost from 02-12-2021 about rocks like Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov that have been observed to zip by the SolarSystem and Dr. Loeb’s prediction, if I recall and at that time of an expectation of 1 such rock zipping by the solar system per month when new equipment goes online. I reckon this is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, but I cannot say for sure. But it’s in an article where Dr. Loeb was interviewed related to this topic. Also, I feel like this item is being mentioned twice in this context. I know that I did mention interstellar objects, when I was drafting general timelines from my vantage point. * I have more questions, but so far I have dedicated 2 hours relating to this item today. I also have to come back and work on the structure and formatting of this blogpost as I wrote this myself. Getting AIs to write stuff, can often lead to the essential meaning being lost.

Anyhow, super interesting area of research!

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