Overview
- In a new arXiv analysis, researchers identify a low‑mass, rapidly spinning subpopulation of binary black holes—peaked near about 16 solar masses—that includes GW241011 and GW241110 and is consistent with second‑generation (hierarchical) mergers.
- By separating likely higher‑generation mergers, the preprint infers a dip in the primary mass distribution of first‑generation black holes between roughly 12 and 20 solar masses.
- A peer‑reviewed study in The Astrophysical Journal Letters led by Ore Gottlieb uses end‑to‑end GRMHD simulations to show that magnetic fields in post‑collapse disks can drive powerful outflows that reduce the final black‑hole mass, enabling formation inside the pair‑instability gap.
- The simulations indicate extreme magnetic cases can eject up to about half of the progenitor’s mass and predict a linkage between final mass and spin, with possible gamma‑ray bursts offering a testable signature.
- Recent LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA events with rapid spins and unequal masses, including GW241011’s precise Kerr and higher‑harmonic signatures, bolster dynamical assembly interpretations while motivating targeted multimessenger follow‑ups.