Dense stellar clusters may foster black hole megamergers

When LIGO's twin detectors first picked up faint wobbles in their respective, identical mirrors, the signal didn't just provide first direct detection of gravitational waves—it also confirmed the existence of stellar binary black holes, which gave rise to the signal in the first place.

Stellar binary black holes are formed when two black holes, created out of the remnants of massive stars, begin to orbit each other. Eventually, the black holes merge in a spectacular collision that, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, should release a huge amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves.

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Credit: Northwestern Visualization/Carl Rodriguez

A snapshot of a simulation showing a binary black hole formed in the center of a dense star cluster.

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Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A simulation showing an encounter between a binary black hole (in orange) and a single black hole (in blue) with relativistic effects. Eventually two black holes emit a burst of gravitational waves and merge, creating a new black hole (in red).

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This computer simulation shows the collision of two black holes, a tremendously powerful event recently detected for the first time ever.

 

When two black holes are near each other, they will slowly orbit in a death circle. The larger black hole will eventually devour the other resulting in an enormous discharge of energy akin to the Big Bang.