For nearly 30 years, scientists have been puzzled by a strange “dissonance” in the way black holes give off gravitational waves—the ripples they create in the fabric of space and time.
Now, a scientist from Tokyo Metropolitan University has finally cracked the case, using advanced computer calculations and a new way of thinking about physics.
Black holes are incredibly dense objects in space where even light can’t escape their pull. Thanks to breakthroughs in gravitational wave astronomy, led by global teams like the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration, scientists have been able to detect the ripples black holes send out when they merge or collide.
These discoveries have opened up a whole new way to study black holes.
In 1997, a graduate student named Hisashi Onozawa noticed something odd when he tried to predict how black holes should “ring” after being disturbed, much like how a bell vibrates after being struck.
Scientists expected the vibrations, or “modes,” to behave smoothly and predictably. But Onozawa’s calculations revealed an irregularity—one mode acted strangely, refusing to follow the pattern.
At the time, many thought it was a mistake or a problem with early computers. Yet even with better technology over the years, the strange result remained unexplained.
Now, Associate Professor Hayato Motohashi has solved the mystery.
By using incredibly precise calculations and a new area of theoretical physics called non-Hermitian physics, he discovered that the “dissonance” wasn’t a mistake at all.
Instead, it happens because two different modes interact and resonate with each other, creating unexpected behavior. It’s like two musical notes coming together in an odd way, creating a sound that stands out.
Motohashi also found that this type of mode interaction isn’t rare. It happens quite often across many different modes in black holes. Even more fascinating, the same kind of behavior appears in other areas of physics, like when studying light waves in optical systems.
This breakthrough marks the beginning of a new field called non-Hermitian gravitational physics. It shows that black holes are even more complex and interesting than we thought, and it could help scientists get even more information from gravitational wave detections in the future.
Thanks to this new understanding, researchers are better equipped to unlock deeper secrets about the universe using the massive experiments already underway around the world.
Source: KSR.
