New Study Challenges Existence of Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in Omega Centauri
Researchers find evidence favoring a cluster of stellar-mass black holes at the center of the Milky Way's largest star cluster, refining methods to probe black hole evolution.
- Omega Centauri, the Milky Way's largest star cluster, has long puzzled scientists due to the unexpected high velocities of stars near its center.
- A new study combining stellar velocity data with pulsar acceleration measurements suggests a cluster of stellar-mass black holes, not an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH), is responsible for these anomalies.
- Intermediate-mass black holes, considered the potential 'missing link' between stellar-mass and supermassive black holes, remain unproven but are key to understanding black hole evolution.
- The research utilized pulsars as precise gravitational probes, marking the first time their acceleration data was combined with stellar kinematics in such studies.
- While the findings favor stellar-mass black holes, researchers note that an IMBH smaller than 6,000 times the Sun’s mass could still coexist at Omega Centauri's center.
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