Related papers: Constraints on Stupendously Large Black Holes
We make a case for the existence for ultra-massive black holes (UMBHs) in the Universe, but argue that there exists a likely upper limit to black hole masses of the order of $M \sim 10^{10} \msun$. We show that there are three strong lines…
Local and distant measurements of the Hubble constant are in significant tension: local measurements of the Hubble constant appear to show a Universe that is significantly contracted when compared to distant measurements. From the point of…
Sufficiently large scalar perturbations in the early Universe can create over-dense regions that collapse into primordial black holes (PBH). This process is accompanied by the emission of scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGW) that…
Even if massive ($10\,M_\odot \lesssim M \lesssim 10^4 M_\odot$) primordial black holes (PBHs) can only account for a small fraction of the dark matter (DM) in the universe, they may still be responsible for a sizable fraction of the…
Black hole (BH) superradiance can provide strong constraints on the properties of ultralight bosons (ULBs). While most of the previous work has focused on the theoretical predictions, here we investigate the most suitable statistical…
The growth of supermassive black holes (SBHs) appears to be closely linked with the formation of spheroids. There is a pressing need to acquire better statistics on SBH masses, since the existing samples are preferentially weighted toward…
The abundance of primordial black holes is currently significantly constrained in a wide range of masses. The weakest limits are established for the small mass objects, where the small intensity of the associated physical phenomenon…
Astrophysical observations of spinning BHs, which span $ 5M_\odot\lesssim M_{\rm BH}\lesssim 5\times 10^8 M_\odot$, can be used to exclude the existence of certain massive bosons via the superradiance phenomenon. In this work, we explore…
The growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) appears to be closely linked with the formation of spheroids. There is a pressing need to acquire better statistics on SMBH masses, since the existing samples are preferentially weighted toward…
While Primordial Black Holes (PBHs) with masses $M_{\rm PBH} \gtrsim 10^{-11} \, M_\odot$ cannot comprise the entirety of dark matter, the existence of even a small population of these objects can have profound astrophysical consequences. A…
The largest observed supermassive black holes (SMBHs) have a mass of M_BH ~ 10^{10} M_sun, nearly independent of redshift, from the local (z~0) to the early (z>6) Universe. We suggest that the growth of SMBHs above a few 10^{10} M_sun is…
As a promising dark matter candidate, primordial black holes (PBHs) lighter than $\sim10^{-18}M_{\odot}$ are supposed to have evaporated by today through Hawking radiation. This scenario is challenged by the memory burden effect, which…
We consider a scenario where supermassive black holes form through direct accumulation of gas at the centre of proto-galaxies. In the first stage, the accumulated gas forms a super-massive star whose core collapses when the nuclear fuel is…
Moduli fields, a natural prediction of any supergravity and superstring-inspired supersymmetry theory, may lead to a prolonged period of matter domination in the early Universe. This can be observationally viable provided the moduli decay…
Primordial black holes are under intense scrutiny since the detection of gravitational waves from mergers of solar-mass black holes in 2015. More recently, the development of numerical tools and the precision observational data have…
We update the constraints on the fraction of the Universe going into primordial black holes in the mass range 10^9--10^17 g associated with the effects of their evaporations on big bang nucleosynthesis and the extragalactic photon…
We use rotation curve kinematics of 1000 spiral galaxies to investigate if these galaxies could host BH (Black Hole) remnants that once powered the QSO phenomenon. The rotation curves of both early and late-type spirals are used to place…
Primordial black holes (PBHs) are a major candidate for dark matter and they have been extensively constrained across most mass ranges. However, PBHs in the mass range of $10^{17}$ - $10^{21}$ g remain a viable explanation for all dark…
We give an explanation for the signal detected by NANOGrav as the stochastic gravitational wave background from binary mergers of primordial "Stupendously Large Black Holes" (SLABs) of mass $M\sim(10^{11}-10^{12})M_{\odot}$, and…
Primordial black holes (PBHs) are a fascinating candidate for being the dark matter, albeit one which has been heavily constrained. This review presents an in depth look at those observational constraints, particularly at their nuances and…