Giant Black Holes Likely Grow by Chains of Mergers in Dense Star Clusters
TL;DR
New analysis of GWTC4 gravitational-wave data suggests the universe’s heaviest black holes did not form directly from collapsing stars but grew through successive mergers in crowded star clusters, creating a distinct high-mass population with spins indicative of hierarchical growth. The study also finds evidence for a pair-instability mass gap near 45 solar masses, shedding light on stellar evolution and the nuclear reactions inside massive stars.
- Scientists Just Discovered How the Universe Builds Monster Black Holes SciTechDaily
- How do the biggest black holes in the universe form? Ripples in spacetime provide a clue Space
- Built not born: Huge black holes form in mergers, study says EarthSky
- These monster black holes did not form the usual way—their history of violence is written into spacetime ripples Phys.org
- Scientists have detected a forbidden zone in space where planets should not behave this way, and the discovery changes what we thought about how worlds are born ECOticias.com
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