New information from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has provided the strongest evidence yet for Intermediate-size black holes(ISBHs) in the Space. Hubble confirmed that this “intermediate-mass” black hole is found inside a dense star cluster.
Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) are a long-sought “missing link” in the black hole evolution. There have been a few other IMBHs found till date. But, they are smaller than the larger/supermassive black holes that lie at the core(s) of a larger galaxy(s) but are larger than the stellar-mass black holes formed by the collapse of a number of massive stars.
IMBHs are a little difficult to identify as they are smaller in size and are less active than the supermassive black holes, as well as have a weaker gravitational pull, which means that they can’t be easily spotted gozzling up other stars. Astronomers are hence left to wait for that one rare moment that might tear apart a star that came too close.
“Intermediate-size black holes are hard to find objects, and so it is critical to carefully consider and rule out other alternative explanations for each candidate,” said Dacheng Lin of the University of New Hampshire who is the principal investigator of the study.
“That is what Hubble has allowed us to do for our candidate,” he further said.
Some new data from the Hubble Space Telescope indicate a hidden black hole that is hidden inside a dense star cluster (report: NASA/PA).
“This new black hole discovered is over 50,000 times the mass of our Sun.” This information was said by the astronomy scientists who published a paper in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The team was following up work from the European Space Agency’s X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission and Nasa’s Chandra X-ray Observatory after they have identified a powerful flare of an X-ray in the year 2006.
Natalie Webb, from the Universite de Toulouse in France, Said that “Adding further X-ray observations helped us to apprehend the total energy output.”
Webb further said, “This will help us to understand what type of star was damaged by the black hole.”
Scientists say that confirming one IMBH/ISBH makes way to the possibility of many others hiding undetected in the dark.
Webb added that “Studying the origin and evolution of the IMBHs will ultimately give an answer as to how these supermassive black holes that we find in the massive galaxy centers came into existence.”
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