Chapter 129: On Par with the Pope

The news that there is a companion star in the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse is indeed shocking.

So much so that the researchers at the Qinghai Astronomical Observatory focused almost all their attention on this news, and thus ignored the data calculation method used in the data in their hands, as well as the precise diameter and mass of Betelgeuse.

After the shock, many people began to pay attention to the calculation method in the literature and the precise data of Betelgeuse and its companion star.

Although they could not understand the calculation formula and calculation process in the data, they could understand the final answer.

Betelgeuse's diameter: [889.00712721D⊙]

Companion star's diameter: [67.456799134D⊙]

Betelgeuse's mass: [23.871]

Companion star's mass: [2.7]

The precise data about Betelgeuse reflected in the eyes of these astronomical researchers, causing their pupils to shrink suddenly.

Although they could not understand the calculation process and could not know whether these answers were correct, these values ​​were all accurate to eight or nine decimal places without exception.

How are such precise data calculated?

Are these answers accurate?

If they are accurate, does it mean that the astronomical community has a new method for calculating stellar parameters?

What about the formula behind it? What about the principle?

Many doubts arise in the minds of these astronomical researchers.

When they think of a new method that can accurately calculate the parameters of celestial bodies in the distant starry sky to eight or nine decimal places in the traditional calculation method, everyone's breathing becomes heavy and rapid.

A new method of accurately calculating celestial bodies is too important for the astronomical community.

It is no exaggeration to say that in the mathematical community, the person who pioneered this method is as important as the Pope of the mathematical community, Alexander Grothendieck.

The Pope established a new foundation on the original geometry, introduced the concept of schematics, established a grand and complete "schema theory", and completely rewrote the discipline of algebraic geometry.

The impact on the mathematical community is unparalleled in modern history.

And today, if it is confirmed that these data on the manuscript paper were calculated using a new method, and the answer is accurate.

Then the influence of the founder of this method on the astronomical community is probably no less than the influence of the Pope on the mathematical community.

Being able to accurately calculate the mass, diameter, volume and other information of a celestial body means that astronomers can have a deeper grasp of the information of this planet.

Take Betelgeuse as an example. If this information can be accurately determined, it can be more accurately determined on this basis that it has reached the stage of life, whether the hydrogen and helium in the core have been completely fused, how long it will take for the supernova to explode, etc.

This is still a star, and it will be more useful on a planet.

Apart from other things, whether it can be determined whether this planet is habitable for humans is of great value.

And this series of key information can be analyzed from the data, provided that the data is accurate.

Thinking of this, many astronomical researchers in the room gathered around and wanted to consult.

It's just that they found the wrong person at the first time and found Liu Xuan from Nanjing University.

Liu Xuan smiled and said, "This mathematical method was not developed by us, but by our junior fellow student at Nanjing University."

"In fact, this observational research project on Betelgeuse is not mine, and I am just here to work."

As he spoke, he pulled Xu Chuan over and introduced him, "This is Xu Chuan, the pride of our Nanjing University Mathematics Department, a super genius, and a bright new star in the mathematics world."

"He is only a freshman now, and he has already proved a world-class mathematical conjecture. He has the hope of winning the Fields Medal in two years."

"This project is similar to the mathematical conjecture he proved before, Weyl- Berry conjecture."

"Of course, it is now called the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem. Using this theorem, we can make accurate calculations of celestial bodies in distant galaxies."

"And there may be a companion star in the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse. In fact, he discovered it. He initially calculated two completely different diameters through data, which led to these subsequent discoveries."

Hearing this, the researchers at the Qinghai Astronomical Observatory all turned their eyes to Xu Chuan. After confirming that the extremely young boy in front of them was the legendary man, they all opened their eyes wide and opened their mouths in disbelief.

Is this the big guy?

For Xu Chuan, the researchers at the astronomical observatory have basically heard of him. After all, he made such a big fuss some time ago. After the proof of the Weyl-Berry conjecture was published in the "Annals of Mathematics", even the news reported his deeds. Even if everyone present has never seen him, they have heard of him.

But no one expected that this genius would come to their astronomical observatory, a poor place where no one would do shit.

But it was no wonder that they didn't recognize him. Since arriving at the Qinghai Astronomical Observatory, Xu Chuan had been a recluse, except for meeting a deputy station chief on the first day, and had not interacted with the researchers at the astronomical station.

Although he wanted to communicate with astronomical researchers, the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem accurately calculated celestial information and whether Betelgeuse really had a companion star had not been fully confirmed.

It was okay to wait until the confirmation was confirmed before communicating, so there was no contact with these researchers. This led to the fact that most researchers at the Qinghai Astronomical Observatory did not know him.

At first, everyone thought he was a student from Nanjing University, and was brought here by several doctoral students to see the world, so they didn't care.

As a result, no one expected that this person was actually the real owner.

The top scorer in the college entrance examination, IMO + IPHO double gold medal, solved a world-class mathematical conjecture when he was 18 years old. This resume can make people dazzling, not to mention that all of them are piled on one person.

"Oh my god, the legendary Chuan Shen actually came to our astronomical station where there is no shit."

"You really don't recognize the big man. You didn't recognize him right in front of me."

"Boss, can you tell me how these data are calculated?"

"Boss, can you sign for me! I want to go back and give it to my son, and bless him not to fail in mathematics."

"."

In the computing center, a group of astronomical researchers from the astronomical station surrounded Xu Chuan and flattered him like they were free.

Of course, most people ask how the data of Betelgeuse and its companion stars are calculated.

On the one hand, it is passion.

Those who can enter the unpopular industry of astronomy and conduct in-depth research are basically passionate about this industry.

Just like mathematics, if you don’t love mathematics, you can’t study it at all;

The same is true for astronomy. Nowadays, this industry is actually quite unpopular, and the salary and benefits are actually average even if you enter major universities or research stations.

Moreover, you often have to go to the wilderness to observe various data. In summer, you are bitten to death by mosquitoes, and in winter, you are frozen to death in the cold wind outside. You can’t eat or sleep well. It’s second only to geological exploration. If you don’t have a little love, you may not be able to continue.

On the other hand, scientific researchers are also people, they also have families and lives. If they can master a new skill, they can bring them higher wages and bonuses. If they have the opportunity to master it, they will naturally not let it go.

Xu Chuan didn’t mind explaining the method of Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem to accurately calculate celestial information.

But these things are indeed too profound for these scientific researchers at the astronomical station.

Even mathematicians in the mathematics community find it very difficult to accept these things, and they can’t learn them in a short period of time.

So even if he talked, he just talked about some superficial things.

No way, if he went a little deeper, these researchers would be confused.

As for whether astronomers will use the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem to accurately calculate the information of celestial bodies in the universe in the future, that is a matter for the future.

In the computing center, everyone chatted for a while and then dispersed. After all, it was already past two in the morning.

Some went to do observational research, some went to sleep, and as for Xu Chuan and several doctoral students from Nanjing University, they were sorting out the observation data of this scientific research experiment to prepare for the subsequent paper release and press release.

This time they can be said to have made a big one. How can they be worthy of these days of busyness if they don't shock the astronomical community?

And there are some differences between the publication of results in the astronomical community and the publication of results in the mathematical community.

The results in the mathematical community, from world-class mathematical conjectures, the seven millennium problems, to the papers of graduate students and doctoral students, generally everyone likes to publicly throw them on preprint servers first.

For example, preprint websites such as arXiv, BioRxiv, ChemRxiv, and The Winnower.

The purpose of doing this is, on the one hand, to prevent plagiarism.

A good research result is first published on the preprint server, so that some editors, reviewers and others with academic misconduct can be prevented from stealing your research results during the long submission process.

On the other hand, it allows others to see your paper and expand the influence of the paper.

It can also allow the article to be cited by other scholars earlier. Many articles in Nature and Science will do this.

This has become a default consensus in the academic community.

At least in the three major fields that Xu Chuan is familiar with, namely mathematics, physics, and materials, this is how it is done.

After all, you have to know that the average review cycle and publication cycle of traditional journal papers is more than 30 days, and some even take several years.

If the author chooses not to publish the results of the paper during this period, the research progress in this field will appear "outdated", and the open communication method of preprints makes academic exchanges smoother, and certain hot areas can develop rapidly.

In addition, some manuscripts that are purely for expressing their own academic views are generally unlikely to be accepted by formal journals, but preprint servers will accept them, providing a publishing platform.

Therefore, the mathematical community generally makes the results public first, and then goes through the review process.

This is how Xu Chuan proved the weak Weyl-Berry conjecture. He first posted it on arXiv and then submitted it to Advances in Mathematics.

As for the comprehensive process of the Weyl-Berry conjecture, there is no proof because it was publicly proved at the Princeton Mathematics Conference, so there is no need to worry about this aspect.

The situation in the astronomy community is more complicated, but it can be roughly divided into two categories according to the type of telescope.

One is a general telescope, and the other is a special telescope.

General telescopes are used by all astronomers in the world. Applications for use are usually collected before the observation season. The scientific committee evaluates the applications, selects good research topics, and allocates observation time.

Astronomers who get the observation time can set out for observation according to the allocated time; after the observation, they will get the original data through disk or network.

However, this data is only available to the applicant himself. He can use this data to publish a paper after research and analysis, and other people are restricted from applying.

However, this restricted application is valid for a period of time. Once the time is up, the observer must open this part of the data to the public.

Different telescopes may have slightly different validity periods, some for 1 year, some for 1 and a half years, and some for 2 years. This is not certain.

Dedicated telescopes are arbitrary.

You can choose to make it public and let the world study together, or you can keep it private and study it yourself.

There is no way. A large number of achievements in the astronomical community are actually observational and data collection in nature.

For example, this observation of the companion star inside the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse collected a lot of data about Betelgeuse, and then Xu Chuan used this data to calculate the existence of a companion star in the hydrogen envelope of Betelgeuse.

If these observational data and abnormal data are published, it is assumed that you have made the data public, and other scholars can also use it.

The surplus value and achievements dug out from these data do not belong to the observer of the data, but to the digger.

At most, others will thank you when they publish their achievements.

But if you don't publish them, you can use these abnormal data to slowly discover other things in them.

Therefore, some achievements in the astronomical community will basically not be published on the preprint server before they are completely completed.

Either publish a paper directly after the research is completed, or hold a press conference directly for major achievements, or hide it and slowly study it yourself.

As for Xu Chuan, the results will probably be made public directly.

Not only the observed companion star of Betelgeuse, but also a method paper on the precise calculation of the information of celestial bodies in the universe using the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem.

These things will be made public directly.

On the one hand, there is nothing to hide.

It can only be said that it is basically impossible to transform these observational data and theoretical data into scientific research results.

Could it be that you used the Xu-Weyl-Berry theorem to accurately calculate that a certain Earth-like planet is suitable for human survival and then you can directly migrate there?

Don't dream. The farthest probe launched by humans is Voyager 1. It has been launched forty years and has not even flown out of the solar system.

If the Oort Cloud is used as the boundary of the solar system, it will take another 300,000 years to fly out of the solar system.

It's too early to think about immigration now.

On the other hand, it's also a return of favor.

Regarding the observation of Betelgeuse, from the establishment of scientific research projects to the application and use of astronomical observatory equipment in southern Yunnan and Qinghai and the rapid queue-jumping, the upper level gave him the green light almost all the way.

You know, the application and queue for large telescopes alone will not be completed without several months or half a year.

Although there is a factor of increasing influence and winning the Fields Medal, it is undeniable that this saved him a lot of time and energy.