Growth of Stellar-mass Black Holes in Dense Molecular Clouds and GW190521

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-15-2021

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

Volume

908

Issue

1

First page number:

1

Last page number:

5

Abstract

A stellar-mass black hole can grow its mass noticeably through Bondi accretion, if it is embedded in an extremely dense and massive molecular cloud with slow motion with respect to the ambient medium for an extended period of time. This provides a novel, yet challenging channel for the formation of massive stellar-mass black holes. We discuss how this channel may account for the massive binary black hole merger system GW190521 as observed by LIGO/Virgo gravitational wave detectors as well as the claimed massive black hole candidate LB-1.

Keywords

Black holes; Bondi accretion; Gravitational waves

Disciplines

Astrophysics and Astronomy | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Language

English

UNLV article access

Search your library

Share

COinS