New astronomical models reveal a “mythical” type of astronomical object, the precursor to “monster” black holes, hidden by the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
These are medium-mass black holes, which are rare in the universe and have puzzled astronomers for decades due to their uncertain origins.
There are two common types of black holes. The first is the stellar black hole, the smallest type, formed when massive stars—those tens of times larger than our Sun—die and collapse into black holes. The second type is the supermassive black hole, also known as monster black holes. For example, Sagittarius A* is the “heart” of the Milky Way galaxy.
Radiation clouds in the center of the Milky Way indicate the presence of many strange and unknown things beyond the giant black hole – (Photo: ESA)
Astronomers have been searching for more medium-mass black holes, believing they are the missing piece to understanding black hole evolution. However, a recent study published on arXiv confirms that they are not far away.
A team led by Dr. Vladimir Strokov from the Astro Space Center at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT – Russia) points out that the central region of the Milky Way could harbor many hidden medium-mass black holes.
According to Live Science, this conclusion was drawn after examining astronomical models based on what is known about our galaxy’s mysterious center.
Black holes are inherently invisible and elusive, and medium-mass black holes at the galaxy’s center are even harder to detect due to the powerful energy from the monster black hole Sagittarius A* obscuring them.
However, there is a way to search for them: through gravitational waves. Black holes may be invisible, but they are often strong enough to warp spacetime, which we can detect by observing unusual deviations in gravitational waves.
The reason medium-mass black holes choose to hide in such a turbulent region of space is explained by scientists based on the most reliable hypothesis regarding their formation: they are stellar black holes that have spent considerable time consuming matter and merging to grow larger.
This hypothesis also suggests that the state of “medium mass” is only temporary. They will continue to consume and merge with one another, eventually becoming monster black holes.
The chaotic space near the monster black hole Sagittarius A* provides all the necessary conditions for stellar black holes to form and gradually grow through the processes of matter consumption and merging.
To obtain direct evidence on this issue, the authors are hopeful about the upcoming launch of LISA, a state-of-the-art gravitational wave detector that the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch in 2037.
Similar black holes have been detected by other gravitational wave observatories worldwide, such as LIGO and Virgo, but they are not strong enough to overcome the obscuration caused by the monster black hole Sagittarius A*.
