Related papers: Relativistic encounters in dense stellar systems
This is a pedagogical review of recent results on the interactions of central massive black holes with stars very near them, focused on the black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Table of contents: [1] Introduction [2] Stellar dynamics…
Massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) are binary systems formed by black holes with mass exceeding millions of solar masses, expected to form and evolve in the nuclei of galaxies. The extreme compact nature of such objects determines a loud…
To unlock the full spectrum of astrophysical and cosmological applications of gravitational-wave detections, it is essential to localise the associated black-hole mergers to high precision inside their host galaxies. One possible method to…
Coincident detections of electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational wave (GW) signatures from coalescence events of supermassive black holes are the next observational grand challenge. Such detections will provide the means to study…
We investigate how central black holes (BHs) inhabited in galactic dark halos could affect strong gravitational lensing. The distribution of integral lensing probability with image separations are calculated for quasars of redshift 1.5 by…
The observations of gravitational waves (GWs) have revealed the existence of black holes (BHs) above $30M_\odot$. A variety of scenarios have been proposed as their origin. Among the scenarios, we consider the population III (Pop~III) star…
To explain both the dynamics of a globular cluster and its production of gravitational waves from coalescing binary black holes, it is necessary to understand its population of dynamically-formed (or, `three-body') binaries. We provide a…
The hierarchical scenario of structure formation describes how objects like galaxies and galaxy clusters are formed by mergers of small objects. In this scenario, mergers of galaxies can lead to the formation of massive black hole (MBH)…
We introduce a new technique to search for gravitational wave events from compact binary mergers that produce a clear signal only in a single gravitational wave detector, and marginal signals in other detectors. Such a situation can arise…
In a star cluster with a sufficiently large escape velocity, black holes (BHs) that are produced by BH mergers can be retained, dynamically form new BH binaries, and merge again. This process can repeat several times and lead to significant…
Understanding the formation and evolution of stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) requires a thorough investigation of the key physical processes involved. While one pathway involves the isolated evolution of massive binary stars,…
We study the formation rate of binary black hole mergers formed through gravitational-wave emission between unbound, single black holes in globular clusters. While the formation of these binaries in very dense systems such as galactic…
The latest detection of GW231123, a binary black hole (BH) merger with exceptionally large masses and high spins for the incoming components, has been suggested as a smoking gun for hierarchical formation. In this scenario, a first…
The orbits of two black holes which are initially unbound can be transformed into bound orbits by emitting gravitational waves during close encounters in a star cluster, which is called a gravitational wave (GW) capture. The effects of spin…
Any abundance of black holes that was present in the early universe will evolve as matter, making up an increasingly large fraction of the total energy density as space expands. This motivates us to consider scenarios in which the early…
The high rate of black hole (BH) mergers detected by LIGO/Virgo opened questions on their astrophysical origin. One possibility is the dynamical channel, in which binary formation and hardening is catalyzed by dynamical encounters in…
We show how the concurrent implementation of the exact solutions of the Einstein equations, of the equations of motion of the test particles, and of the relativistic estimate of the emission of gravitational waves from test particles, can…
Next-generation ground-based gravitational wave observatories will observe mergers of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) out to high redshift. Such IMBHs can form through runaway tidal encounters in the cores of dense stellar clusters.…
Massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) form through galaxy mergers and are among the loudest sources of gravitational waves (GWs) in the universe. If the binary inspiral time is long, a subsequent galaxy merger can introduce a third black…
Gravitational waves (GWs) from the inspiral of compact remnants (CRs) into massive black holes (MBHs) will be observable to cosmological distances. While a CR spirals in, 2-body scattering by field stars may cause it to fall into the MBH…