Related papers: A potential mass-gap black hole in a wide binary w…
We report the discovery of a candidate binary system consisting of a black hole (BH) and a red giant branch star from the Gaia DR3. This binary system is discovered from 64108 binary solutions for which both astrometric and spectroscopic…
Mass distribution of black holes in low-mass X-ray binaries previously suggested the existence of a $ \sim 2-5M_{\odot} $ mass gap between the most massive neutron stars and the least massive black holes, while some recent evidence appears…
All stellar mass black holes have hitherto been identified by X-rays emitted by gas that is accreting onto the black hole from a companion star. These systems are all binaries with black holes below 30 M$_{\odot}$$^{1-4}$. Theory predicts,…
Stellar-mass black holes have been detected by radial-velocity observations in star/black hole binaries. These allow only the determination of the mass function. Tracking the astrometric orbits of the visible components of the star/black…
Stellar models indicate that the core compactness of a star, which is a common proxy for its explodability in a supernova, does not increase monotonically with the star's mass. Rather, the core compactness dips sharply over a range of…
A small group of X-ray binaries currently provides the best evidence for the existence of stellar-mass black holes. These objects are interacting binary systems where the X-rays arise from accretion of material onto a compact object (i.e.…
Up to now, most stellar-mass black holes were discovered in X-ray emitting binaries, in which the black holes are formed through a common-envelope evolu tion. Here we give evidence for the presence of a massive black hole candidate as a…
We use dynamical mass measurements of 16 black holes in transient low-mass X-ray binaries to infer the stellar black hole mass distribution in the parent population. We find that the observations are best described by a narrow mass…
We study the prospect of the Gaia satellite to identify black hole binary systems by detecting the orbital motion of the companion stars. Taking into account the initial mass function, mass transfer, common envelope phase, interstellar…
With its exquisite astrometric precision, the latest Gaia data release includes $\sim$$10^5$ astrometric binaries, each of which have measured orbital periods, eccentricities, and the Thiele-Innes orbital parameters. Using these and an…
We investigate the lack of observed low mass black hole binary systems at short periods ( < 4 hours) by comparing the observed orbital period distribution of 17 confirmed low mass Black hole X-ray Binaries (BHXBs) with their implied period…
The formation of stellar mass black holes is still very uncertain. Two main uncertainties are the amount of mass ejected in the supernova event (if any) and the magnitude of the natal kick the black hole receives at birth (if any). Repetto…
Recently, several non-interacting black hole-stellar binaries have been identified in Gaia data. For example, Gaia BH1, where a Sun-like star is in a moderate eccentricity (e=0.44), 185-day orbit around a black hole. This orbit is difficult…
We report spectroscopic and photometric follow-up of a dormant black hole (BH) candidate from Gaia DR3. The system, which we call Gaia BH2, contains a $\sim 1M_{\odot}$ red giant and a dark companion with mass $M_2 = 8.9\pm 0.3\,M_{\odot}$…
We report the discovery of the first likely black hole in a non-interacting binary system with a field red giant. By combining radial velocity measurements from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) with…
In recent years, the existence of a gap in the mass spectrum of compact objects formed from stellar collapse, between the heaviest neutron stars and the lightest black holes, has been a matter of significant debate. The presence or absence…
We examine the distribution of masses of black holes in transient low mass X-ray binary systems. A Bayesian analysis suggests that it is probable that six of the seven systems with measured mass functions have black hole masses clustered…
A $33\,M_\odot$ black hole (BH) was recently discovered in an 11.6-year binary only 590 pc from the Sun. The system, Gaia BH3, contains a $0.8\,M_\odot$ low-metallicity giant ($\rm [M/H]=-2.2$) that is a member of the ED-2 stellar stream.…
Gravitational waves from black-hole merging events have revealed a population of extra-galactic BHs residing in short-period binaries with masses that are higher than expected based on most stellar evolution models - and also higher than…
Here we report a measurement of the orbital period and mass function of GRS 1915+105 which allow us to deduce a mass of 14 +- 4 solar masses for its black hole. This large mass provides a challenge for black hole formation scenarios in…