Chinese scientists have identified hypervelocity stars in the Milky Way

Comprehensive research was conducted by Chinese astronomers to search for hypervelocity stars in the Milky Way. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

These stars are objects that play an important role in accurately measuring distances within our galaxy. They have regular and easily predictable pulsations, serving as a cosmic distance measurement unit.

The research results were published in the scientific journal The Astrophysical Journal. Hypervelocity stars have unique characteristics, moving independently of the galaxy's gravitational pull.

The escape velocity for the Milky Way is approximately 550 km/s, but the velocity of hypervelocity stars is more than twice that, exceeding 1000 km/s. The formation of such stars is often associated with the black hole at the center of the galaxy — Sagittarius A and its influence.

Scientists from Peking University, led by Haochju Fu, aimed to search for hypervelocity objects through PR Lyrae-type stars. These stars are often found among old giant stars located in the galaxy's halo, thick disk, and globular clusters.

By studying their brightness, pulsation period, and chemical composition, it is possible to accurately measure distances. During the research, two large catalogs were analyzed, and out of 165 candidates, 87 of the most reliable hypervelocity stars were identified.

Seven of them have transverse velocities exceeding 800 km/s. Most of these stars were noted to be located near the center of the Milky Way and in the regions of nearby dwarf galaxies.

In the future, with the help of the Gaia satellite and modern spectroscopic observations, the trajectories and origins of such objects will be studied in greater depth. These studies are important for investigating the gravitational potential of the galaxy's center and determining the distribution of dark matter.