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Thousands of kilometers from our planet there are all kinds of mysteries to discover. Some we end up deciphering them, like that Strange television signal It takes years to solve, but others remain with that halo of singularity. In this group there is everything from Low intensity magnetarsuntil those radio bursts that we detect from time to time. And then there is Oort’s cloud, a fascinating region that has just revealed something surprising.
A spiral in the confines. The edge of the solar system has long been a little explored, obvious border, since it is a vast and enigmatic territory full of ice cream that orbit at extreme distances. Over there, Oort’s clouda region that extends up to 100,000 astronomical units (UA) of the Sun, has been considered a simple sphere of debris Cosmic, but a recent computational study has placed it on the front page. The reason? An unexpected and fascinating structure has been revealed: A spiral structure similar to that of a miniature galaxy.
The finding, directed by astronomer David Nesvorný of the Southwest Research Institute and Posted in The Astrophysical Journal After its diffusion on the ARXIV predimussion server, it reveals that the gravitational force of the Milky Way has shaped the internal Oort cloud in a spiral structure of 15,000 A diameter. This spiral, which has endured since the beginning of the solar system, Challenge the previous conceptions about the morphology of Oort’s own cloud and could redefine our understanding of the evolution of transneptunian objects.
The composition of the Oort cloud. As far as we know, Oort’s cloud has traditionally divided into two regions. The external Oort cloud, located beyond 10,000 UA, is a spheroid of icy bodies that are weakly linked to the sun and suffers frequent gravitational disturbances of nearby stars. From this region come most of the long period comets, those who travel through the solar system in elliptical trajectories after being diverted by gravitational interactions.
On the other hand, the internal Oort cloud is between 1,000 and 10,000 UA, and so far it was believed that it had a more stable and disk -shaped structure. Due to its proximity to the sun, the objects in this area They are more strongly linked to their gravity and are less susceptible to external star disturbances. However, the new computational models have revealed that their shape is not a uniform disc, but a spiral structure with twisted arms and an inclined disk about 30 degrees with respect to the ecliptic plane.
The influence of the Milky Way. Apparently, the key to this unexpected morphology lies in the interaction of the internal Oort cloud with The so -called “galactic tide”a gravitational phenomenon generated by the Milky Way. This force, exerted by the gravitational attraction of the galactic center, nearby stars and possible black holes, especially affects the most distant regions of the solar system.
He Model developed by Nesvorný And his team was prosecuted in NASA’s Pleiades Superordinateusing data on the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. During the simulation, the scientists introduced the gravitational influence of the Sun, the impact of galactic tide and interaction with the Milky Way. Results? It was found that The spiral was formed in the first hundred years after the creation of the Solar System and has remained stable since then, even resisting the nearby step of stars in the last millennia.
Implications and challenges of finding. As the researchers say, one of the most surprising aspects of the study is that the spiral is not a temporary effect or a recent disturbance, but a permanent structure within the internal Oort cloud. Comparison with previous research suggests that this form has been present in multiple previous simulations, although it had not been identified so far.
However, and this is underlined at work, confirming this structure through direct observations is little less than a monumental challenge. Reasons? The enormous distance and low luminosity of objects Oort’s cloud causes even the most advanced telescopes to be unable to detect them directly. In fact, most of the evidence of the Oort cloud comes from the study of long period comets, which limits the possibilities of characterizing its internal structure with precision.
And despite these difficulties, scientists consider that this finding is A crucial step to understand the history of the Solar System. The spiral structure of the internal Oort cloud could provide clues about how the icy bodies in the confines of the solar system were formed and evolved, in addition to helping to understand the impact of the Milky Way in our cosmic neighborhood.
A new horizon in exploration. No doubt, the discovery of this spiral structure in the internal Oort cloud challenges the traditional conception of the already enigmatic edge of the solar system, showing that The severity of the Milky Way has played a crucial role in its formation and evolution. The finding also reinforces the need to develop new methods of observation and space missions dedicated to exploring the regions farthest from the solar system.
If you want also, it enhances the idea we already had, that Oort’s cloud is still an unexplored bordera cosmic file that retains the primitive history of the Solar System. As the researchers indicate, their study could reveal key information on the origin of comets, the dynamics of transneptunian bodies and the interaction of our planetary system with their galactic environment. Next to nothing.
Image | DOLANH, NASA /ESA AND A. FEILD /SPACE TERESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
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