US EditionLIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Release Data on Record 225-Solar-Mass Black Hole Merger
UNITED STATES, JUL 14 – The merger created a black hole 225 times the Sun's mass, challenging stellar evolution models and suggesting black holes may form through previous mergers, scientists said.
- On November 23, 2023, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration recorded GW231123, a gravitational wave signal from the largest black hole collision observed to date.
- This detection occurred during the LVK network's fourth observing run and follows the previous record set by GW190521 in 2021, which totaled 140 solar masses.
- The merger combined black holes of approximately 100 and 140 solar masses, spinning near Einstein's spin limit, producing a 225-solar-mass black hole and strong gravitational waves.
- Mark Hannam noted that this merging pair of black holes is the largest detected via gravitational wave signals to date, posing significant questions about how such massive black holes are formed.
- Researchers, including Gregorio Carullo, stated that unraveling the intricate signal will take years, while data release will allow continued study despite proposed facility reductions.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Scientists detect most massive black hole merger ever — and it birthed a monster 225 times as massive as the sun
New gravitational wave findings from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration report the discovery of the largest black hole merger ever. It could lead to evidence of an extremely rare type of black hole.
The discovery from a cooperation between international observers. It is a starting point for scientific research: the black holes moved at a speed close to the theoretical limit established by Albert Einstein's general relativity, i.e. about 400 thousand times that of terrestrial rotation.
Thanks to the collaboration between the observers Virgo, Ligo and Kagra (ANSA)
The Ligo interferometers managed to detect the gravitational waves emulated by the fusion of two black holes that gave rise to a star of a mass 200 times greater than that of the Sun.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
