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GW190521

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GW190521
Simulated example of two black holes merging
Date21 May 2019 Edit this on Wikidata
InstrumentLIGO, Virgo[1][2]
Right ascension12h 49m 42.3s[3]
Declination−34° 49′ 29″[3]
EpochJ2000.0
Distance5,300 megaparsecs (17,000 Mly)[4]
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GW190521 (initially recorded as S190521g[5]) is a gravitational wave signal resulting from the merger of two large black holes and was observed by the LIGO and Virgo detectors on 21 May 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC.[6] The event happened around 7 billion years ago and was located 16 billion light years away[7], in location area 765[8] deg2[n 1][9][10] towards Coma Berenices, Canes Venatici, or Phoenix.[1][2][11][12]

At 85 and 66 solar masses, the two black holes which comprised this collision are the largest progenitor masses observed to date. The resulting black hole had a mass equivalent to 142 times that of the sun, making this the first clear detection of an intermediate mass black hole. The remaining 9 solar masses were radiated as energy in the form of gravitational waves.[7][5][4] The signal detected, resembling about four short wiggles, lasted less than one-tenth of a second.[7]

Physical significance

GW190521 is a significant discovery, on account of the masses of the resulting black hole and one or both of the constituents. Only indirect evidence for intermediate mass black holes -- those in the range 102-105 solar masses -- had been observed and it was unclear how they form.[13] Researchers hypothesise "a hierarchical merger, in which the two progenitor black holes themselves may have formed from the merging of two smaller black holes, before migrating together and eventually merging."[7]

Possible electromagnetic counterpart

In June 2020, astronomers, using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) located at Palomar Observatory in California, reported observational details, loosely-associated with the GW190521g trigger, of the merging of two black holes, within the vicinity of a very large third black hole, that, uncharacteristically, emitted a flash of light. If true, the event is claimed to be the first-ever light flare observed in the merger of two black holes by astronomers.[2][11][3][14] Mergers of black holes do not typically emit any light whatsoever. Researchers think a unique event occurred with the three black holes: the third larger supermassive black hole may have affected the merging of the two smaller black holes, sending the newly formed black hole hurtling through the related accretion disk, disrupting the disk material and producing a flare of light. The newly formed black hole was 100 times the mass of the sun and traveled at 200 km/s (120 mi/s) through the disk, according to the astronomers.[15]

According to Matthew Graham, lead astronomer for the study, “This supermassive black hole was burbling along for years before this more abrupt flare. The flare occurred on the right timescale, and in the right location, to be coincident with the gravitational-wave event. In our study, we conclude that the flare is likely the result of a black hole merger, but we cannot completely rule out other possibilities.”[15]

The astronomers predict a repeat flare of light in this source, due to a re-encountering with the related accretion disk, after about 1.6 years.[3] December 2020 is 1.6 years after the black hole merger. If the predicted flare is observed, then the initial claims of the astronomers would be further supported.[15]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The relatively large and distant area of the sky within which it is claimed to be possible to localize the source.

References

  1. ^ a b "Superevent info - S190521g". LIGO. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Cofield, Calla (25 June 2020). "Black Hole Collision May Have Exploded With Light". NASA. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Graham, M.J.; et al. (2020). "Candidate Electromagnetic Counterpart to the Binary Black Hole Merger Gravitational-Wave Event S190521g". Physical Review Letters. 124 (25): 251102. arXiv:2006.14122. Bibcode:2020PhRvL.124y1102G. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.251102. PMID 32639755. S2CID 220055995.
  4. ^ a b Abbott, R.; et al. (2 September 2020). "Properties and Astrophysical Implications of the 150 M ⊙ Binary Black Hole Merger GW190521". The Astrophysical Journal. 900 (1): L13. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aba493.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ a b Abbott, R.; et al. (2 September 2020). "GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M ⊙". Physical Review Letters. 125 (10): 101102. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.101102.
  6. ^ "GW trigger S190521g ('GW 190521')". University of Leicester. 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d Staff (2 September 2020). "GW190521: The Most Massive Black Hole collision Observed To Date" (PDF). LIGO Scientific Collaboration. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  8. ^ Mo, Geoffrey (21 May 2020). "GCN Circular - Number: 24640 - LIGO/Virgo S190521g: Updated sky localization". NASA. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  9. ^ Greco, G.; et al. (2020). "Handling gravitational-wave sky maps for EM-followUP observations - Second ASTERICS Virtual Observatory School" (PDF). Asterics2020.eu. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  10. ^ Berry, Christopher (10 August 2018). "Sky-localization of Gravitaional wave observations". CplBerry.com. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  11. ^ a b Overbye, Dennis (25 June 2020). "Two Black Holes Colliding Not Enough? Make It Three - Astronomers claim to have seen a flash from the merger of two black holes within the maelstrom of a third, far bigger one". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  12. ^ Gradute Center, CUNY (25 June 2020). "Black hole collision may have exploded with light". Phys.org. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  13. ^ Miller, M. Coleman; Colbert, E. J. M. (2004). "Intermediate-Mass Black Holes". International Journal of Modern Physics D. 13 (1): 1. arXiv:astro-ph/0308402. Bibcode:2004IJMPD..13....1M. doi:10.1142/S0218271804004426. S2CID 118959484.
  14. ^ "Black hole collision may have exploded with light". ScienceDaily. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  15. ^ a b c Carpineti, Alfredo (25 June 2020). "Astronomers May Have Observed The First Flare From A Black Hole Collision". IFLScience. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
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