New black hole discovered
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New Black Hole Discoveries: Recent Findings and Implications
Binary Black Hole Mergers Detected by LIGO and Virgo
Recent advancements in gravitational wave astronomy have led to the detection of several new binary black hole merger events during the second observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (O2). These discoveries were made using a novel search pipeline and include six new merger events, three of which (GW170121, GW170304, GW170727) have a high probability of being of astrophysical origin (p_astro > 0.98). The most secure event, GW170121, is particularly notable for its negative effective spin parameter, which is inconsistent with being positive at a 95.8% confidence level. These findings nearly double the sample of gravitational wave events from O2, providing a substantial opportunity to explore the statistics of binary black hole populations in the universe.
Discovery of Galactic Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1348−630
On January 26, 2019, a new Galactic black hole candidate, MAXI J1348−630, was discovered using the Gas Slit Camera on the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI). This black hole exhibited two significant outburst peaks and distinct spectral transitions between high/soft and low/hard states, which are characteristic of black hole binaries (BHBs). The low disk temperature and high peak flux in the high/soft state suggest that MAXI J1348−630 may host a relatively massive black hole among known BHBs in our galaxy.
Early Universe Black Holes Detected by JWST
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has recently confirmed the existence of an X-ray luminous supermassive black hole, UHZ-1, at a redshift of z = 10.1. This discovery provides new insights into the seeding and growth models of black holes, given the short time available for their formation and growth in the early universe. The spectroscopic confirmation of UHZ-1 at z = 10.073 ± 0.002 reveals typical star formation features, suggesting heavy obscuration of the central black hole. This finding supports the heavy seeding channel for the formation of supermassive black holes within the first billion years of cosmic evolution.
ASASSN-18ey: A New Black Hole X-Ray Binary
The All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN) discovered a new black hole low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB), ASASSN-18ey (MAXI J1820+070). This discovery was followed by the detection of an X-ray transient by MAXI/GCS. The optical and X-ray luminosities of ASASSN-18ey are consistent with black hole LMXBs, both in outburst and quiescence. The spectroscopic evolution of ASASSN-18ey shows broad, asymmetric, double-peaked Hα emission, typical of low-mass X-ray binaries.
Primordial Black Holes and Dark Matter
Primordial black holes (PBHs) may constitute a significant fraction of cosmological dark matter. Gravitational wave detectors like LIGO have the potential to discover mergers of light primordial black holes, which would provide conclusive evidence of new physics and establish the nature of some fraction of dark matter. The detection of even one such object would be a significant breakthrough in understanding the early universe and the composition of dark matter.
Conclusion
The recent discoveries of new black holes, ranging from binary mergers detected by LIGO and Virgo to early universe black holes observed by JWST, are expanding our understanding of black hole formation, growth, and their role in the cosmos. These findings not only provide insights into the astrophysical processes governing black holes but also open new avenues for exploring fundamental physics and the nature of dark matter.
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