One of the theories about the origin of large black holes says that they are the result of the union of much smaller structures of the same nature. Until we observe “live” the combination of two gravitational phenomena, science can only theorize about it. Recent research from Cardiff University proposes a solution to the puzzle. By paying attention to the spin of black holes and their size, it is possible to determine if they have merged before and how many times they have done so.
The key to the new proposal for observing black holes lies in the novel gravitational wave detectors. When an extremely violent event occurs in the universe, such as the collision of neutron stars or gravitational phenomena, the space-time fabric around it is disturbed, as predicted by the Theory of General Relativity postulated by Albert Einstein. These disturbances are dispersed through the cosmos as if they were waves on the surface of the sea and, if special lasers are used, it is possible to identify them.
The scientists behind the gravitational wave detectors can determine the distance of the phenomenon and whether they were produced by black holes or neutron stars. Since the technology was developed, science can even estimate the size of objects that produce gravitational waves and infer their spin (the intrinsic spin of an object).
The secrets in the spin of a black hole
The team of physicists led by the Cardiff University He realized that the spin of black holes changes once it reaches a certain mass. The identification of the change threshold allows us to calculate the fusions necessary for the phenomenon to behave in the way shown. In other words, measuring the spin can reveal the hidden history of a black hole’s formation.
The experts examined the public catalog of 69 gravitational wave events related to binary black holes. The data is now available thanks to the Laser Interferometry Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo Observatory, an interferometer established in Italy. The work was published in the magazine Physical Review Letters.
“The study provides a powerful, data-driven way to identify the origins of a black hole’s formation history, showing that the way it spins is a strong indicator that it belongs to a group of high-mass black holes that are “They form in densely populated star clusters where small black holes repeatedly collide and merge with each other,” explained Dr. Isobel Romero-Shaw, co-author of the research.
Science accepts that supermassive black holes can have different origins. The merger of smaller black holes is just one of them. Astrophysicists are also actively searching for intermediate-mass gravitational phenomena, or as they nickname them, “the missing links” in black hole evolution. According to this hypothesis, medium-sized structures can be the seed of larger ones. Finally, there is the theory of direct creation from the collapse of clouds of gas and matter in the early years of the universe.
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