Astrophysicists have recorded the longest death of a star in a black hole in the history of observations - the duration of the process exceeded similar cases by more than 10 times. The fact is that a black hole absorbs a star twice the mass of the Sun. According to scientists, during the active observation of the Universe, the death of such a large star in a black hole is observed for the first time. About whether the discovered process can shed light on the formation of black holes of huge mass a billion years after the emergence of the Universe - in the RT material.

• The death of a star near the black hole XJ1500+0154 as imagined by an artist. In the lower part - a photo of what is happening: in the visible spectrum (left), in the X-ray range
• nasa.gov

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The process was recorded by an international team of scientists led by Dachen Lin from the Space Science Center of the University of New Hampshire. Similar events in the memory of scientists took a maximum of about a year, while the process taking place near a black hole called XJ1500 + 0154 began back in 2005. The tidal star has been torn apart, and the supermassive black hole continues to absorb its remnants.

X-ray radiation emitted by fragments of a star heated to millions of degrees, astrophysicists noticed by chance using the XMM-Newton space telescope. At the time, they were studying a cluster of galaxies called NGC 5813 in the constellation Virgo, 105 million light-years from Earth. Strong radiation attracted the attention of scientists at the stage of analyzing images of NGC 5813. In 2008, the Chandra telescope recorded that the intensity of the radiation of an object that accidentally fell into the image and was much farther than the studied cluster of galaxies exceeded the first recorded values ​​by 100 times. In subsequent years, including 2014 and 2016, the Swift telescope received additional data.

The main thing is to eat right

“Most of the observation time, the object is growing rapidly,” said James Gillochon of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “This suggests something unusual: a black hole is swallowing up a star twice the mass of the Sun.”

According to scientists, during the active observation of the Universe, the death of such a large star in a black hole is observed for the first time.

In addition, the researchers noted that the recorded X-ray radiation regularly goes beyond the allowable limits of the so-called Eddington limit. This parameter indicates the ratio of the emitted heated substance and the gravitational force that attracts the substance to the center of the object. Based on how this relationship is violated around the observed black hole, astrophysicists have come to the conclusion that it is growing faster than the rate considered normal. According to them, supermassive black holes could appear in a similar way just a billion years after the formation of the universe. This is an important conclusion, since ancient objects of such a huge mass - billions of times larger than the Sun - have already been recorded, but their occurrence is not completely clear.

Since the 1990s, astronomers have repeatedly observed the decay of a star and its absorption by a black hole. In this process, falling under the force of attraction of a massive object, the star breaks up into fragments. The substance of which it consisted is distributed in the form of a flat disk. Most of it is absorbed by the black hole, and the rest is scattered in space.

In the recorded case, in addition to the death of a massive star, there is another option, no less intriguing. If a star of a more modest size approached the black hole and disintegrated completely, the observed effect would be the same. Usually, complete absorption does not occur, so this event would be seen for the first time in space exploration.

Latest x-rays

The place where the black hole is located, which is already jokingly called the most voracious ever observed, coincides with the alleged location of a cosmic object of huge mass in the center of a small galaxy where stars are actively forming. About detailed pictures of what is happening at such a distance from the Earth - 1.8 billion light years - obviously, there is no need to talk. However, artists presented their vision of the death of a huge star due to a black hole.

In the next few years, experts expect a drop in the intensity of radiation: fragments of a huge star that feeds a black hole will end. Some of them will dissipate in space. Astrophysicists note that the radiation has already begun to decline, but the object still retains incredible brightness.

As the researchers said, knowing about the possibility of processes with properties that have been established, they will begin to search for similar cases. However, they note that they will continue to monitor the XJ1500 + 0154. First, they will be able to track changes in radiation, which, according to their forecasts, will continue for about 10 more years. Secondly, their own conclusions still need further verification.

The term "clinical death" appeared when doctors realized that after a cardiac arrest they had another 3-5 minutes to bring the patient back from the other world. The patient's blood circulation and reflexes are absent at this moment, however, cellular metabolism continues anaerobically. If, before the body's reserves are depleted, the doctors manage to restore the supply of oxygen to at least the brain, then it will probably retain all its functions, and you will get out.

Although there is little hope. The US National Institute of Neurological and Communication Disorders analyzed the statistics of the 9 largest hospitals in the country: 91% of patients who were resuscitated died anyway. Of those who returned to us, 4% "had disorders of higher nervous activity and required outside care." And only 5% recovered completely. We perceive these people as messengers from the other world. And they take full advantage of it. Many reanimated people later say that in their dead form they flew through dark tunnels towards the light, met with divine beings and beloved (deceased) relatives, watched their revival from the side, and, in general, felt great.

Man hears doctors pronounce his death

The cerebral cortex - the one that is responsible for managing mental processes (consciousness, memory, thinking) - is already turned off, like a computer from which the cord has been pulled out. And the person continues to hear and realize what he has heard. What other evidence is needed to confirm that we have an immaterial soul and the possibility of the existence of consciousness separately from the brain?

In fact, “Some areas of the cerebral hemispheres - for example, the cortical section of the auditory analyzer - resist oxygen deficiency longer than others. So, in the process of turning off the brain, complete hearing loss occurs a few seconds later than, for example, turning off the centers of motor activity, ”explains Lev Gerasimov, head of the Laboratory for Life Support Technologies in Critical Conditions at the Research Institute of General Resuscitation of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. According to international standards, a physician should spend no more than 8-10 seconds to ascertain clinical death, because every moment is precious here. If there is a loss of consciousness and cessation of breathing, the doctor must begin resuscitation. It is possible that he will say out loud "clinical death" even before your consciousness completely fades.

It seems to a person that he is falling or, on the contrary, is flying up the dark tunnel towards the light.

This plot is one of the most frequently encountered in the memories of clinical death. Proponents of the supernatural consider this tunnel the gateway between the world of the living and the dead.

In fact, “The brain generates pictures of the afterlife just like hallucinations or dreams. But this happens not in a state of clinical death, but in the moments immediately before its onset and immediately after successful resuscitation - when the brain works in “emergency mode” with malfunctions due to oxygen deficiency, ”Lev Gerasimov continues to patiently dispel myths. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that large-scale hallucinations, which, according to the patient's feelings, can last for many hours, actually take only a couple of seconds. Check it out the next night: in REM sleep, you can "live" for several days, just rolling over from side to side.

Now about the tunnel through which the deceased flies towards the light. The occipital cortex, responsible for our vision, can generate an image without even receiving neural signals from the eyes. In the process of extinction, a person first stops receiving a real “picture”, and then the cortical analyzer stops working. And he does it gradually. The tissues on the periphery are the first to experience oxygen deficiency, the last are the poles of the occipital lobes. During this process, the virtual “field of vision” (recall, the eyes no longer see, but the brain is still producing a picture) narrows until only central or, as it is also called, “tubular” vision remains. And the vestibular analyzer at this moment, due to a lack of oxygen, ceases to adequately perceive information about the position of the body, and it seems to the person that he is moving - for example, flying.

In the next world, a person is waiting for peace and freedom from earthly worries, because in a state of clinical death a person experiences just such sensations.

The American physician and psychotherapist Raymond Moody in his book Life After Life (see reference below) cites the words of a man who returned “from the next world”: “At the time of the injury, I felt a sudden pain, but then the pain disappeared ... I was warm and nice as ever."

In fact, from the point of view of modern medicine, nothing awaits you in the next world. And peace in dying is a temporary state. In response to critical situations, your body usually releases a dose of endorphins into the bloodstream so that you do not experience overwhelming stress (for example, due to pain) and continue to fight to the end. Clinical death takes the 2nd place in the ranking of the most dangerous adventures of your body (in the first place - biological). Therefore, before completely shutting down, your brain literally floods itself with the "hormone of happiness", which causes pleasant sensations. In addition, medications that are administered to the patient in the post-resuscitation period can cause a joyful feeling. Many of these substances are quite suitable for dancing in discotheques.

Behind the tomb

The topic of near-death experiences was popularized by the American physician and psychotherapist Raymond Moody. In 1975, he published the book Life After Life, which contained an analysis of the metaphysical adventures of 150 people who successfully survived clinical death. Moody compiled a list of typical sensations of the temporarily dead - like separation of consciousness from the body or meeting with beloved relatives (at first there were 9 items on the list, in 1977 Moody expanded it to 15 items).

Moody did not make any scientific conclusions in his works (3 books were published in multi-million copies). However, in a recent interview, the doctor stated literally the following: “Having already interviewed more than a thousand people ... and constantly meeting the same stunning and unusual episodes in their stories, I am ready to say that life after death most likely exists. As a matter of fact, now I have absolutely no doubt that my interlocutors were able to cast a fleeting glance at what is outside our world.

In a state of clinical death, consciousness leaves the physical shell

In the stories of those who descended "on the other side" there is often such a plot: they seem to soar above their body and watch from the sidelines how they are revived. At the same time, a person is not tied to his mortal shell and can move, for example, around a hospital building.

In fact, Sam Pernia, a resuscitator at the University of Southampton (UK), conducted an experiment. He posted vivid, evocative images in intensive care units that can only be seen if you look down from the ceiling. But none of the patients who survived clinical death in these rooms and talked about the exit of consciousness from the physical body saw these drawings. Is this also a hallucination?

In a state of clinical death, a person meets deceased relatives, angels, God and other exotic creatures.

In 2008, the American neurosurgeon Eben Alexander thundered into a hospital bed with a diagnosis of infectious meningitis. After lying in a coma for a week, Eben came to his senses and began to tell everyone about the unforgettable experience of traveling through the afterlife. Alexander moved around the other world on the wing of a huge butterfly, he was accompanied by a woman with high cheekbones and beautiful blue eyes. The neurosurgeon, of course, communicated with his companion through telepathy. Impressed by these experiences, Alexander wrote the book Proof of Paradise, which immediately became a bestseller.

In fact, in a coma, the central nervous system does not turn off completely: the person retains reflexes, some parts of the cerebral cortex may act. So, scientifically speaking, it wasn't death - Alexander was more "here" than "there". Los Angeles neurologist Sam Harris suggested that Alexander, in a coma, was exposed to endogenous dimethyltryptamine (DMT). According to one theory, in the borderline state between life and death, the body produces in industrial quantities not only endorphins, but also this alkaloid - again, to reduce stress levels. DMT brings a person into a special mystical state (the so-called entheogenic, which translates as “become divine from within”), accompanied by powerful auditory and visual hallucinations. South American shamans, for example, use DMT in ayahuasca to communicate with spirits. So Alexander was lucky.

Degree steals

At normal human body temperature (36.5ºС), clinical death lasts 3–5 minutes, depending on the individual characteristics of the organism. Then comes biological death. However, under special conditions (when the body cools, electric shocks, heating), the intermediate state between life and complete destruction can be delayed. For example, a 3ºC decrease in body temperature gives resuscitators a full 10 minutes to work from the moment the patient's heart stops. And in 2008, North American resuscitators revived an 82-year-old man who froze outside to a body temperature of 26ºС. He spent more than 2 hours in a state of clinical death.

Near-Death Experiences Share Similar Memories, Proving the Reality of the Afterlife

A light in the end of a tunnel. A being made of light and love. Adventures of consciousness moving apart from the physical body. This is allegedly faced by any intensive care patient, regardless of gender, age, social status, education and nationality. This is considered to be the strongest argument in favor of the reality of conscious existence after death.

In fact, most of the research on near-death experiences has been and is being done by Western scientists. It is clear that they are studying their compatriots who were brought up in the traditions of one of the Abrahamic religions and share Western cultural values ​​- perhaps that is why their near-death experiences coincide. And, for example, in the book Vipassana Meets Consciousness by Bhavan Vissudhikunavot, a Thai woman describes what happened to her after her heart stopped in a different way: “I felt tired and left the hut. Standing under the coconut tree, I felt a deep sense of beauty. Then I saw the road and followed it. Suddenly I saw two people. They were the servants of the Lord of the Dead Yama. One of them said that they would take me to hell now. I asked to be allowed to go home to warn my relatives. When I entered, there were many people in my hut who were crying. Then I stumbled, fell, and came to life.” And no, mind you, angels with trumpets.

Personal experience

We found a man who agreed to tell you about what he saw and heard while he was dying.

Alexander Sobolev. 38 years old, entrepreneur (Moscow):

I experienced a state of clinical death when I studied at the Ryazan Airborne School. My platoon participated in reconnaissance group competitions. This is a 3-day marathon for survival with extreme physical exertion (no sleep and virtually no rest), which ends with a 10-kilometer march in full gear. I approached this last stage not in the best shape: the day before I cut my foot with some kind of snag while crossing the river, we were constantly on the move, my leg hurt a lot, the bandage fell off, the bleeding resumed, I was in a fever. But I ran almost all 10 km, and I still don’t understand how I did it, and I don’t remember it well. A few hundred meters before the finish line, I passed out, and my comrades brought me there in their arms (by the way, participation in the competition was credited to me). The doctor diagnosed "acute heart failure" and began to revive me. I have the following memories of the period when I was in a state of clinical death: I not only heard what others were saying, but also watched what was happening from the sidelines. I saw how something was injected into my heart, I saw how a defibrillator was used to revive me. And in my mind, the picture was like this: my body and doctors are on the stadium field, and my relatives are sitting in the stands and watching what is happening. In addition, it seemed to me that I could control the resuscitation process. There was a moment when I got tired of lying around - and I immediately heard the doctor say that I had a pulse. Then I thought: now there will be a general formation, everyone will tense up, but I deceived everyone and I can lie down - and the doctor shouted that my heart had stopped again. Finally I decided to return. I will add that I did not feel fear when I watched how I was revived, and in general, I did not treat this situation as a matter of life and death. It seemed to me that everything is in order, life goes on as usual.

All the facts below can be called medical records, except in quotation marks. Anyway…

1. The highest body temperature

In 1980, in Atlanta, a kind of record was set for the highest body temperature - 46.5C. Thank God, the patient survived, having been in the hospital for more than 3 weeks. That's just ... Now I specifically looked at the thermometer, there the maximum temperature is 42C. I wonder how it was measured? Yes, and at 43C a person no longer lives. It remains to believe in the word.

2. The lowest body temperature

But the lowest body temperature was recorded in a little girl in 1994 in Canada. Carly stayed in the cold - 22C for about 6 hours. After such a random "walk" her temperature was 14.2C. However, at 24C, irreversible changes in the body already occur. Well, yes, anything can happen.

3. Mania of swallowing

What kind of mental disorders do not occur in people! For example, one 42-year-old lady suffered from an obsessive condition in which she swallowed everything that came to hand. 2,533 items were removed from her stomach, including 947 pins. At the same time, the patient practically did not feel anything, except for a slight discomfort in the abdomen.

4. Mania of chewing

There is another "interesting" mental disorder in which patients like to chew their hair. When chewing, some part of the hair necessarily enters the stomach. Here is such a ball of hair, weighing only 2.35 kg. was taken from the stomach of one patient.

5. Tablet mania

When you get sick, you have to take medicine, whether you like it or not. And there are lovers to drink pills with or without. Something stabbed somewhere, everything, a pill at once! Here is one citizen from Zimbabwe who took 565,939 pills for 21 years. I wonder who counted them?

6. Insulin Mania

And the British S. Davidson made 78,900 insulin injections in his entire life.

7. Commitment to operations

The American C. Jensen was even less fortunate. For 40 years, he underwent 970 surgical interventions to remove tumors.
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8. The longest operation

The longest operation in the history of surgery was an operation to remove an ovarian cyst. Its duration was 96 hours! The cyst itself weighed 140 kg, and the patient weighed 280 kg before the operation.

9. The biggest cardiac arrest

In medicine, it is believed that after a five-minute cardiac arrest, irreversible processes occur in the brain. In the cold period, the time of clinical death may increase slightly. However, life stubbornly and repeatedly proves the fallacy of such a scientific opinion. After one Norwegian fisherman fell over a fence and spent time in cold water, his body temperature dropped to 24C. But the heart did not beat for 4 hours! The man not only started the heart, but even after that he completely recovered.

10 Most Cardiac Arrests

But the racer David Purley heart stopped 6 times. After racing in 1977 he had to brake hard and for just 66cm. reduce speed from 173 km per hour to zero. Due to the huge overload, he received 3 dislocations and 29 fractures.
May none of us ever become such a dubious champion!

Recently, a unique medical case occurred in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China: as a result of a heart attack, a 44-year-old man was in a state of clinical death for 50 minutes, but then his heart "worked" again thanks to effective measures taken by doctors.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, this event, which can be considered a miracle, took place in the city of Urumqi. On July 27, during a routine medical examination, the patient suddenly lost consciousness, then he showed signs of death: cardiac and respiratory arrest, as well as mydriasis (dilated pupils). Doctors immediately began to provide him with emergency care.

Thanks to their efforts, after 50 minutes, the patient again showed signs of restoration of the work of the heart and respiratory organs, but he was still unconscious.

According to the doctors, although the patient was saved, the fate of the "man-plant" will most likely await him due to too long a stoppage of the heart and respiratory organs. However, another miracle happened the next day - the patient regained consciousness. Now the state of the lucky one is stable.

Recall that clinical death is the last stage of dying. According to the definition of academician V.A. Negovsky, "clinical death is no longer life, but it is not yet death. This is the emergence of a new quality - a break in continuity. In a biological sense, this state resembles suspended animation, although it is not identical to this concept."

Clinical death is a reversible condition and the mere fact of cessation of breathing or blood circulation is not proof of the onset of death. Signs of clinical death include: no breathing, no heartbeat, generalized pallor or generalized cyanosis, and no pupillary response to light.

The duration of clinical death is determined by the period during which the higher parts of the brain (subcortex and especially the cortex) are able to maintain viability in the absence of oxygen. The first term of clinical death lasts only 5-6 minutes. This is the time during which the higher parts of the brain remain viable in the absence of oxygen supply.

All world practice shows that if this period is exceeded, it is possible to revive people, but as a result, partial dysfunction of the brain or its complete failure occurs.

But there may be a second term of clinical death, which doctors have to deal with when providing assistance or in special conditions. The second term of clinical death can last tens of minutes and resuscitation will be very effective. The second period of clinical death is observed when special conditions are created to slow down the processes of degeneration of the higher parts of the brain with insufficient oxygen supply.

The other day in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China, an
unique medical case: a 44-year-old suffered a heart attack
the man was in a state of clinical death for 50 minutes, but then
the heart "worked" again thanks to the effective measures taken by the doctors.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, this is an event that can be considered
miraculously, happened in the city of Urumqi. July 27 during regular medical
examination, the patient suddenly lost consciousness, then he had signs
death: cardiac and respiratory arrest, as well as mydriasis (extension
pupil). Doctors immediately began to provide him with emergency care. Thanks to
their 50-minute efforts, the patient again showed signs of recovery
work of the heart and respiratory organs, but he was still unconscious.
According to doctors, although the patient was saved, but most likely he will be
wait for the fate of the "man-plant" due to too long suspension of work
heart and respiratory organs. However, another miracle happened the next day.
day - the patient regained consciousness. Now the state of "lucky" is stable.
Recall that clinical death is the last stage of dying. By definition
Academician V.A. Negovsky, "clinical death is no longer life, but
is not yet death. This emergence of a new quality is a break in continuity.
In a biological sense, this state resembles suspended animation, although not identical.
this concept." Clinical death is a reversible condition and itself
the fact of cessation of breathing or blood circulation is not evidence
the onset of death. Signs of clinical death include:
breathing, no heartbeat, generalized pallor or generalized
cyanosis, as well as the lack of pupillary response to light. Duration of clinical
death is determined by the period during which the higher parts of the brain
(subcortex and especially the cortex) are able to remain viable under conditions
absence of oxygen. The first term of clinical death lasts only 5-6 minutes.
This is the time during which the higher parts of the brain retain
their viability in the absence of an oxygen supply. All world practice
indicates that if this period is exceeded, the revival of people is possible,
but the result is partial brain dysfunction or complete
brain failure. But there may be a second term of clinical death, with
which doctors have to deal with when providing care or in special
conditions. The second term of clinical death can last tens of minutes
and resuscitation will be very effective. Second term clinical
death is observed when special conditions are created to slow down the processes
degeneration of the higher parts of the brain with insufficient oxygen supply.