(ORDO NEWS) — For the first time, scientists report finding a collision between two black holes in high-eccentricity orbits.
This could help explain why some of the black hole collisions recorded by the LIGO Scientific collaborations Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration are characterized by masses far exceeding the values allowed by the theory.
The eccentric orbits are a sign that black holes may have repeatedly devoured other objects through random collisions in areas densely populated by black holes, such as the cores of galaxies.
Scientists examined the most massive gravitational wave binaries known to date, GW190521, to determine whether the orbits of the colliding bodies were eccentric.
“According to estimates, the masses of black holes are over 70 solar masses each. This is well above the upper mass limit, the value of which is derived from the current theory of stellar evolution, said Carlos Lousto, professor at the School of Mathematical Sciences and fellow at the CCRG.
“This appears to be a curious case of a second-generation binary system of black holes, and opens up new possibilities for the formation of black holes in dense clusters of stars.”
A team of researchers, including Dr. Lusteau, decided to study the GW190521 system, which consists of two black holes, to understand how eccentric the orbits of the black holes that formed this pair were.
The authors found that this collision is best explained by a model that includes precession and orbits with high and eccentricity. To reach this conclusion, the team ran hundreds of supercomputer simulations at US regional and national labs over the course of about a year.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.