Related papers: Trojan Stars in the Galactic Center
Recent observations indicate that the mass of Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) correlate differently with different galaxy stellar components. Comparing such observations with the results of "ab initio" galaxy formation models can provide…
Repeated mergers of stellar-mass black holes (BHs) in dense star clusters can produce intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). In particular, nuclear star clusters at the centers of galaxies have deep enough potential wells to retain most of…
We present the first results of a series of Monte-Carlo simulations investigating the imprint of a central black hole on the core structure of a globular cluster. We investigate the three-dimensional and the projected density profile of the…
We very briefly discuss proposed in the literature possible scenarios for intermediate mass black holes (IMBH) formation in globular clusters. We also discuss the results of the MOCCA simulations of about 2000 models (BigSurvey) regarding…
Several thousand solar masses of molecular, atomic and ionized gas lie in the innermost ~10 pc of our Galaxy. The most relevant structure of molecular gas is the circumnuclear ring (CNR), a dense and clumpy ring surrounding the supermassive…
[abridged] Theoretical investigations have suggested the presence of Intermediate Mass Black Holes (IMBHs, with masses in the 100-10000 Msun range) in the cores of some Globular Clusters (GCs). In this paper we present the first application…
As the closest example of a galactic nucleus, the Galactic center presents an exquisite laboratory for learning about supermassive black holes (SMBH) and their environs. Detailed studies of stellar dynamics deep in the potential well of a…
We assess models for the assembly of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the center of galaxies that trace their hierarchical build-up far up in the dark halo `merger tree'. We assume that the first `seed' black holes (BHs) formed in…
It is widely accepted that black holes (BHs) with masses greater than a million solar masses (Msun) lurk at the centres of massive galaxies. The origins of such `supermassive' black holes (SMBHs) remain unknown (Djorgovski et al. 1999),…
Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) have not been detected beyond any reasonable doubt, despite their potential role as massive seeds for quasars and sources of tidal disruption events, ultra-luminous X-ray sources, dwarf galaxy feedback,…
It has long been thought that nuclear star clusters (NSCs) cannot co-exist with the most massive supermassive black holes (SMBHs), since SMBH mergers - unavoidable for the most massive systems - would scatter away NSC stars. However,…
We explore the signatures that a binary intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) imprints on the velocity and on the angular momentum of globular cluster stars. Simulating 3-body encounters between a star and a binary IMBH, we find that the…
Stars that plunge into the center of a galaxy are tidally perturbed by a supermassive black hole (SMBH), with closer encounters resulting in larger perturbations. Exciting these tides comes at the expense of the star's orbital energy, which…
The origin of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) residing in the centers of most galaxies remains a mystery. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) provided direct imaging of the SMBH Sgr A* at the Milky Way's center, indicating it likely spins…
We present results from dynamical Monte Carlo simulations of dense star clusters near the Galactic center. These clusters sink toward the center of the Galaxy by dynamical friction. During their inspiral, they may undergo core collapse and…
For galaxies hosting supermassive black holes (SMBHs), it has been observed that the mass of the central black hole (M_BH) tightly correlates with the effective or central velocity dispersion (sigma) of the host galaxy. The origin of this…
The most massive galaxies in the Universe also host the largest supermassive black holes (SMBHs), with masses of $10^9 \: \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ and above. During their hierarchical assembly, these galaxies have experienced only a few major…
Studies of the Galactic Centre suggest that in-situ star formation may have given rise to the observed stellar population near the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). Direct evidence for a recent starburst is provided by the currently…
Finding an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) in a globular cluster (GC), or proving its absence, is a crucial ingredient in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The challenge is to identify a unique signature of an IMBH…
Theoretical models suggest that intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) may form and reside in the centers of globular clusters. IMBHs are still elusive to observations, but the accelerations of pulsars may bring along a unique fingerprint of…