Tag

Mass Gap

All articles tagged with #mass gap

space15 days ago•4 min saved

Giant Black Holes Likely Grow by Chains of Mergers in Dense Star Clusters

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.

via SciTechDaily|

#black-holes #gravitational-waves #mass-gap

space20 days ago•73 min saved

Massive black holes may form in crowded star clusters through successive mergers

A new study of 153 black hole mergers from GWTC4 finds two distinct populations: lighter black holes born from massive-star collapses and heavier ones likely created by hierarchical mergers in dense star clusters, supporting a predicted mass gap around 45 solar masses and suggesting the largest black holes grow primarily via cluster mergers rather than direct stellar collapse.

via Space|

#black-holes #globular-clusters #gravitational-waves

science6 months ago•5 min saved

Scientists Uncover Explanation for 'Impossible' Black Hole Mergers

Scientists have explained the 'impossible' merger of massive, rapidly spinning black holes by considering the role of magnetic fields in the evolution of progenitor stars, revealing that magnetic forces can influence black hole mass and spin, and potentially produce black holes within the mass gap observed in previous theories.

via Space|

#black-holes #gravitational-waves #magnetic-fields

science6 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Uncover Groundbreaking Image of Black Hole Pairing

Scientists propose that magnetic fields during stellar collapse can eject mass from black holes, explaining the formation of unexpectedly large black holes within the 'mass gap' and potentially resolving the mystery of a recent, unusual black hole merger detected by LIGO.

via Gizmodo|

#black-holes #ligo #magnetic-fields

science10 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Discover Record-Breaking Black Hole Collision Challenging Physics

Scientists using the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network have detected a black hole merger resulting in a 255-solar-mass black hole, which challenges current understanding of stellar evolution and black hole formation, especially since such massive black holes are thought to be impossible to form directly from stars. The black holes involved were also spinning near the maximum limit, adding to the mystery and pushing the limits of current detection technology.

via Yahoo Home|

#black-hole #gravitational-waves #ligo

science10 months ago•7 min saved

Record-Breaking Black Hole Merger Detected by Space Observatory

Astronomers observed the most massive black hole collision to date, GW231123, involving black holes likely formed through previous mergers, challenging existing theories of black hole formation and highlighting the rapid advancement of gravitational wave astronomy.

via CNN|

#black-hole-merger #black-holes #gravitational-waves

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists record the largest black hole merger ever observed

Scientists detected the largest black hole merger ever, resulting in a black hole 225 times the sun's mass, challenging existing theories about black hole formation, especially in the mass gap between stellar and supermassive black holes, using gravitational wave data from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration.

via Live Science|

#black-hole-merger #gravitational-waves #intermediate-mass-black-holes

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists record the largest black hole merger ever observed

Scientists have detected the largest black hole merger ever, resulting in a black hole 225 times the mass of the sun, challenging existing theories about black hole formation, especially in the mass gap between stellar and supermassive black holes, using gravitational wave data from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration.

via Yahoo|

#black-hole-merger #cosmic-events #gravitational-waves

astronomy2 years ago•3 min saved

"Unprecedented Discovery: Neutron Star Merges with Enigmatic Cosmic Object, Unveiled by Gravitational Waves"

Astronomers have detected a rare merger between a neutron star and a lightweight mystery object, possibly a surprisingly lightweight black hole, shedding light on the existence of objects in the "mass gap" region. The signal was detected roughly 650 million light-years from Earth by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) collaboration, indicating a collision that occurred about 650 million years ago. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the mass gap and suggests a more complex evolution of heavy neutron stars into black holes. The finding was presented at the American Physical Society meeting and is awaiting peer review.

via Livescience.com|

#astronomy #black-hole #gravitational-waves

astronomy2 years ago•4 min saved

"Unveiling the Enigmatic Collision: Neutron Star Merges with Mystery Object"

The LIGO/VIRGO/KAGRA collaboration has detected a gravitational wave signal indicating a merger between a neutron star and a mysterious intermediate-mass object, possibly a low-mass black hole, falling within the "mass gap" range. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the emptiness of the mass gap and has implications for the understanding of binary evolution and electromagnetic counterparts to compact-object mergers. The detection suggests an increase in the expected rate of neutron star–black hole mergers with electromagnetic counterparts, shedding light on the properties of compact objects like black holes and neutron stars.

via Ars Technica|

#astronomy #black-holes #gravitational-waves

astronomy2 years ago•3 min saved

"Mysterious Outer Space Signal Sparks Excitement"

Scientists have detected an "extremely exciting" gravitational-wave signal from the distant universe, believed to have been caused by the merger of a neutron star with a mystery object in the "mass gap" – an object between the heaviest known neutron star and the lightest known black hole. The nature of this mystery object, located 650 million light-years away, remains unknown, but researchers hope that further examination of similar events could provide insights into its formation and nature. This discovery, reported at the American Physical Society's meeting, suggests that the "mass gap" may be less empty than previously thought, with implications for understanding supernova explosions and potential light shows resulting from black hole interactions with neutron stars.

via The Independent|

#astronomy #astrophysics #black-hole