General Relativity Aces a Test at Supermassive Black Hole

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SUMMARY

Einstein's general theory of relativity has successfully passed a critical test at the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, utilizing the orbits of nearby stars. This groundbreaking observation, reported by astronomer Ken Croswell, reveals no evidence of a fifth fundamental force, reinforcing the validity of general relativity. The study highlights the significant role of relativistic corrections, which account for approximately 100 km/s in the radial velocity changes of star S-02, expected to reach ~5000 km/s within 1-2 months in spring 2018.

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  • Familiarity with supermassive black holes
  • Knowledge of stellar dynamics and orbital mechanics
  • Basic grasp of relativistic corrections in astrophysics
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  • Explore the methods used to measure radial velocity in stars
  • Investigate the characteristics of supermassive black holes
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General relativity passes test at Milky Way’s central black hole

by Ken Croswell

For the first time, astronomers use stars orbiting a supermassive black hole to test Einstein's general theory of relativity, finding no sign of a fifth fundamental force.

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New Scientist
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
arXiv

S-02 will change its radial velocity by ~5000 km/s within 1-2 months in spring 2018, and relativistic corrections contribute ~100 km/s to it.
 

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