内容摘要：Over 100 years on, scientists have finally confirmed one of Albert Einstein's theories about the nat

Over 100 years on, scientists have finally confirmed one of Albert Einstein's theories about the nature of black holes. 

In 1915, Einstein predicted that black holes should have a 'plunging region' where the forces of gravity are too great for matter to follow a circular path.

Now, scientists have discovered that this region not only exists, but also contains some of the strongest gravitational forces in the Universe.

Researchers from Oxford University Physics captured the very first observations of the moment that matter disappears through this strange boundary.

Dr Andrew Mummery, a physicist at Oxford who led the study, said: 'This is the first look at how plasma, peeled from the outer edge of a star, undergoes its final fall into the centre of a black hole.'

Scientists have finally proved Einstein's 1915 black hole theory was right as they observe the 'plunging zone' around a black hole 

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Black holes are some of the strangest objects known to science and, at their edges, classical physics appears to break down. 

As matter is pulled towards the impossibly dense centre of a black hole, it approaches an area known as the event horizon, beyond which not even light can escape.

As more matter tumbles towards the black hole, it is pulled into a spiralling orbit - like water falling into a plughole - where it is crushed into a glowing ring of super-hot plasma. 

According to the Newtonian view of the Universe, this matter should keep orbiting on a curved path right up to the moment it actually meets the event horizon. 

But, according to Einstein's calculations, the forces of gravity around a black hole are so powerful that particles that get too close will leave their curved paths and plunge directly into the black hole. 

Albert Einstein (pictured) predicted that there would be a region close to the event horizon of a black hole where matter could not continue on a circular path and would instead plunge directly towards the centre 

The researchers developed simulations of how the energy emissions of matter would shift as it passed beyond the plunge region or innermost stable circular orbit (illustrated with a black dotted line). They used these predictions to verify observations taken from X-ray telescopes 

What are black holes? 

Perhaps one of the scariest features of the universe are black holes - regions of spacetime where gravity pulls so much that even light can not get out.

Black holes act as intense sources of gravity that hoover up surrounding dust and gas, as well as planets and even other black holes. 

They are described as 'destructive monsters' because they tear apart stars, consuming anything that comes too close, and hold light captive. 

With light unable to escape black holes, Earth would have little chance either. 

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Dr Mummery says: 'Einstein's theory predicted that this final plunge would exist, but this is the first time we've been able to demonstrate it happening. 

'Think of it like a river turning into a waterfall. Hitherto, we have been looking at the river. This is our first sight of the waterfall.'

The researchers spent years developing mathematical models to predict what would happen as light fell into the plunging zone of a black hole.

These predictions were then compared with X-ray telescopes' observations of black holes around 10,000 light years from Earth.

There has been much debate between astrophysicists for many decades as to whether the so-called plunging region would be detectable. 

But in their paper, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, the researchers claim this is the first time emissions from this region have ever been detected.

These results give us a tantalising glimpse into the final moments of matter's journey into the heart of a black hole. 

Black holes are extremely mysterious objects because they are so difficult to observe. These images taken by the Event Horizon Telescope were some of the first images taken of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy 

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Dr Mummery says: 'This final plunge of plasma happens at the very edge of a black hole and shows matter responding to gravity in its strongest possible form.'

These observations were made with relatively small black holes relatively near to Earth.

However, the team say they think their methods could be a powerful tool for future study.

Dr Mummery says: 'What's really exciting is that there are many black holes in the galaxy, and we now have a powerful new technique for using them to study the strongest known gravitational fields.' 

Later this year, a second Oxford team hopes to move closer to filming the first footage of larger, more distant black holes. 

EINSTEIN'S GENERAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY

Albert Einstein

In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that the laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers, and that the speed of light in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers - known as the theory of special relativity.

This groundbreaking work introduced a new framework for all of physics, and proposed new concepts of space and time.

He then spent 10 years trying to include acceleration in the theory, finally publishing his theory of general relativity in 1915.

This determined that massive objects cause a distortion in space-time, which is felt as gravity.

At its simplest, it can be thought of as a giant rubber sheet with a bowling ball in the centre.

Pictured is the original historical documents related to Einstein's prediction of the existence of gravitational waves, shown at the Hebrew university in Jerusalem

As the ball warps the sheet, a planet bends the fabric of space-time, creating the force that we feel as gravity.

Any object that comes near to the body falls towards it because of the effect.

Einstein predicted that if two massive bodies came together it would create such a huge ripple in space time that it should be detectable on Earth.

It was most recently demonstrated in the hit film film Interstellar.

In a segment that saw the crew visit a planet which fell within the gravitational grasp of a huge black hole, the event caused time to slow down massively.

Crew members on the planet barely aged while those on the ship were decades older on their return.