Gravitational Waves Reveal Black Hole Ancestry Through Spin Analysis

Gravitational waves are unlocking the origins of black holes, linking spin shifts to sequential mergers in star clusters.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 3 February 2025 12:23 IST

Gravitational Waves Reveal Black Hole Ancestry Through Spin Analysis

Photo Credit: NASA/Hubble Heritage Team

Galaxies like the Sombrero could reveal supermassive black hole mergers via gravitational waves.

Highlights

Scientists analyse 69 gravitational wave events to study black holes
Black hole spin shifts indicate repeated mergers in star clusters
Findings refine black hole formation models for future research

Ripples in spacetime, known as gravitational waves, are being used to determine the ancestry of black holes. These waves, first theorised by Albert Einstein, are offering insights into how black holes form and evolve. Scientists have uncovered that the spin of a black hole can indicate whether it originated from repeated mergers in densely packed star clusters. This finding has the potential to transform our understanding of black hole formation and growth.

Study Links Black Hole Spin to Ancestry

According to a study published in Physical Review Letters, a team of researchers led by Fabio Antonini from Cardiff University's School of Physics and Astronomy examined 69 gravitational wave events. The findings suggest that when a black hole reaches a certain mass, its spin undergoes a shift. This change aligns with models that propose black holes grow through sequential mergers in star clusters.

As reported by Live Science, Isobel Romero-Shaw, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, stated that the study provides a data-driven method to identify a black hole's origin. The spin of high-mass black holes was found to be a strong indicator of their formation in regions where smaller black holes frequently collide and merge.

Noida Student Discovers Asteroid, Earns Recognition from NASA

Gravitational Waves as Cosmic Identifiers

Gravitational waves are generated when massive objects, such as black holes, accelerate through space. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo Observatory have detected multiple signals from black hole mergers since 2015, confirming Einstein's predictions. The study highlights that gravitational waves can be read like a cosmic birth certificate, revealing the formation history of black holes.

Thomas Callister, a researcher at the University of Chicago, mentioned that the results will aid in refining computer simulations of black hole formation. With upcoming observatories such as the Einstein Telescope and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), further discoveries are anticipated in the field of black hole research.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.