New limits from microlensing on Galactic Black Holes in the mass range $10M_{\odot}<M<1000M_{\odot}$
Abstract
We have searched for long duration microlensing events originating from intermediate mass Black Holes (BH) in the halo of the Milky Way, using archival data from EROS-2 and MACHO photometric surveys towards the Large Magellanic Cloud. We combined data from these two surveys to create a common database of light curves for 14.1 million objects in LMC, covering a total duration of 10.6 years, with flux series measured through four wide passbands. We have carried out a microlensing search on these light curves, complemented by the light curves of 22.7 million objects, observed by EROS-2 only or MACHO only over about 7 years, with flux series measured through only two passbands. A likelihood analysis, taking into account LMC self lensing and Milky Way disk contributions allows us to conclude that compact objects with masses in the range cannot make up more than of a standard halo total mass (at confidence level). Our analysis sensitivity weakens for heavier objects, although we still exclude that of the halo be made of BHs. Combined with previous EROS results, an upper limit of of the total halo mass can be obtained for the contribution of compact halo objects in the mass range .
Cite
@article{arxiv.2202.13819,
title = {New limits from microlensing on Galactic Black Holes in the mass range $10M_{\odot}<M<1000M_{\odot}$},
author = {T. Blaineau and M. Moniez and C. Afonso and J. -N. Albert and R. Ansari and E. Aubourg and C. Coutures and J. -F. Glicenstein and B. Goldman and C. Hamadache and T. Lasserre and L. LeGuillou and E. Lesquoy and C. Magneville and J. -B. Marquette and N. Palanque-Delabrouille and O. Perdereau and J. Rich and M. Spiro and P. Tisserand},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.13819},
year = {2022}
}
Comments
9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics