A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Discovery of a dormant 33 solar-mass black hole in pre-release Gaia astrometry
Authors: Panuzzo, P.; Mazeh, T.; Arenou, F.; Holl, B.; Caffau, E.; Jorissen, A.; Babusiaux, C.; Gavras, P.; Sahlmann, J.; Bastian, U.; Wyrzykowski, Ł.; Eyer, L.; Leclerc, N.; Bauchet, N.; Bombrun, A.; Mowlavi, N.; Seabroke, G. M.; Teyssier, D.; Balbinot, E.; Helmi, A.; Brown, A. G. A.; Vallenari, A.; Prusti, T.; de Bruijne, J. H. J.; Barbier, A.; Biermann, M.; Creevey, O. L.; Ducourant, C.; Evans, D. W.; Guerra, R.; Hutton, A.; Jordi, C.; Klioner, S. A.; Lammers, U.; Lindegren, L.; Luri, X.; Mignard, F.; Nicolas, C.; Randich, S.; Sartoretti, P.; Smiljanic, R.; Tanga, P.; Walton, N. A.; Aerts, C.; Bailer-Jones, C. A. L.; Cropper, M.; Drimmel, R.; Jansen, F.; Katz, D.; Lattanzi, M. G.; Soubiran, C.; Thévenin, F.; van Leeuwen, F.; Andrae, R.; Audard, M.; Bakker, J.; Blomme, R.; Castañeda, J.; De Angeli, F.; Fabricius, C.; Fouesneau, M.; Frémat, Y.; Galluccio, L.; Guerrier, A.; Heiter, U.; Masana, E.; Messineo, R.; Nienartowicz, K.; Pailler, F.; Riclet, F.; Roux, W.; Sordo, R.; Gracia-Abril, G.; Portell, J.; Altmann, M.; Benson, K.; Berthier, J.; Burgess, P. W.; Busonero, D.; Busso, G.; Cacciari, C.; Cánovas, H.; Carrasco, J. M.; Carry, B.; Cellino, A.; Cheek, N.; Clementini, G.; Damerdji, Y.; Davidson, M.; de Teodoro, P.; Delchambre, L.; Dell’Oro, A.; Fraile Garcia, E.; Garabato, D.; García-Lario, P.; Haigron, R.; Hambly, N. C.; Harrison, D. L.; Hatzidimitriou, D.; Hernández, J.; Hestroffer, D.; Hodgkin, S. T.; Jamal, S.; Jevardat de Fombelle, G.; Jordan, S.; Krone-Martins, A.; Lanzafame, A. C.; Löffler, W.; Lorca, A.; Marchal, O.; Marrese, P. M.; Moitinho, A.; Muinonen, K.; Nuñez Campos, M.; Oreshina-Slezak, I.; Osborne, P.; Pancino, E.; Pauwels, T.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Riello, M.; Rimoldini, L.; Robin, A. C.; Roegiers, T.; Sarro, L. M.; Schultheis, M.; Smith, M.; Sozzetti, A.; Utrilla, E.; van Leeuwen, M.; Weingrill, K.; Abbas, U.; Ábrahám, P.; Abreu Aramburu, A.; Ahmed, S.; Altavilla, G.; Álvarez, M. A.; Anders, F.; Anderson, R. I.; Anglada Varela, E.; Antoja, T.; Baig, S.; Baines, D.; Baker, S. G.; Balaguer-Núñez, L.; Balog, Z.; Barache, C.; Barros, M.; Barstow, M. A.; Bartolomé, S.; Bashi, D.; Bassilana, J.-L.; Baudeau, N.; Becciani, U.; Bedin, L. R.; Bellas-Velidis, I.; Bellazzini, M.; Beordo, W.; Bernet, M.; Bertolotto, C.; Bertone, S.; Bianchi, L.; Binnenfeld, A.; Blanco-Cuaresma, S.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Blazere, A.; Boch, T.; Bossini, D.; Bouquillon, S.; Bragaglia, A.; Braine, J.; Bratsolis, E.; Breedt, E.; Bressan, A.; Brouillet, N.; Brugaletta, E.; Bucciarelli, B.; Butkevich, A. G.; Buzzi, R.; Camut, A.; Cancelliere, R.; Cantat-Gaudin, T.; Capilla Guilarte, D.; Carballo, R.; Carlucci, T.; Carnerero, M. I.; Carretero, J.; Carton, S.; Casamiquela, L.; Casey, A.; Castellani, M.; Castro-Ginard, A.; Ceraj, L.; Cesare, V.; Charlot, P.; Chaudet, C.; Chemin, L.; Chiavassa, A.; Chornay, N.; Chosson, D.; Cooper, W. J.; Cornez, T.; Cowell, S.; Crosta, M.; Crowley, C.; Cruz Reyes, M.; Dafonte, C.; Dal Ponte, M.; David, M.; de Laverny, P.; De Luise, F.; De March, R.; de Torres, A.; del Peloso, E. F.; Delbo, M.; Delgado, A.; Delisle, J.-B.; Demouchy, C.; Denis, E.; Dharmawardena, T. E.; Di Giacomo, F.; Diener, C.; Distefano, E.; Dolding, C.; Dsilva, K.; Enke, H.; Fabre, C.; Fabrizio, M.; Faigler, S.; Fatović, M.; Fedorets, G.; Fernández-Hernández, J.; Fernique, P.; Figueras, F.; Fouron, C.; Fragkoudi, F.; Gai, M.; Galinier, M.; Garcia-Serrano, A.; García-Torres, M.; Garofalo, A.; Gerlach, E.; Geyer, R.; Giacobbe, P.; Gilmore, G.; Girona, S.; Giuffrida, G.; Gomboc, A.; Gomez, A.; González-Santamaría, I.; Gosset, E.; Granvik, M.; Gregori Barrera, V.; Gutiérrez-Sánchez, R.; Haywood, M.; Helmer, A.; Hidalgo, S. L.; Hilger, T.; Hobbs, D.; Hottier, C.; Huckle, H. E.; Jiménez-Arranz, Ó.; Juaristi Campillo, J.; Kaczmarek, Z.; Kervella, P.; Khanna, S.; Kontizas, M.; Kordopatis, G.; Korn, A. J.; Kóspál, Á; Kostrzewa-Rutkowska, Z.; Kruszyńska, K.; Kun, M.; Lambert, S.; Lanza, A. F.; Lebreton, Y.; Lebzelter, T.; Leccia, S.; Lecoutre, G.; Liao, S.; Liberato, L.; Licata, E.; Livanou, E.; Lobel, A.; López-Miralles, J.; Loup, C.; Madarász, M.; Mahy, L.; Mann, R. G.; Manteiga, M.; Marcellino, C. P.; Marchant, J. M.; Marconi, M.; Marín Pina, D.; Marinoni, S.; Marshall, D. J.; Martín Lozano, J.; Martin Polo, L.; Martín-Fleitas, J. M.; Marton, G.; Mascarenhas, D.; Masip, A.; Mastrobuono-Battisti, A.; McMillan, P. J.; Meichsner, J.; Merc, J.; Messina, S.; Millar, N. R.; Mints, A.; Mohamed, D.; Molina, D.; Molinaro, R.; Molnár, L.; Monguió, M.; Montegriffo, P.; Monti, L.; Mora, A.; Morbidelli, R.; Morris, D.; Mudimadugula, R.; Muraveva, T.; Musella, I.; Nagy, Z.; Nardetto, N.; Navarrete, C.; Oh, S.; Ordenovic, C.; Orenstein, O.; Pagani, C.; Pagano, I.; Palaversa, L.; Palicio, P. A.; Pallas-Quintela, L.; Pawlak, M.; Penttilä, A.; Pesciullesi, P.; Pinamonti, M.; Plachy, E.; Planquart, L.; Plum, G.; Poggio, E.; Pourbaix, D.; Price-Whelan, A. M.; Pulone, L.; Rabin, V.; Rainer, M.; Raiteri, C. M.; Ramos, P.; Ramos-Lerate, M.; Ratajczak, M.; Re Fiorentin, P.; Regibo, S.; Reylé, C.; Ripepi, V.; Riva, A.; Rix, H.-W.; Rixon, G.; Robert, G.; Robichon, N.; Robin, C.; Romero-Gómez, M.; Rowell, N.; Ruz Mieres, D.; Rybicki, K. A.; Sadowski, G.; Sagristà Sellés, A.; Sanna, N.; Santoveña, R.; Sarasso, M.; Sarmiento, M. H.; Sarrate Riera, C.; Sciacca, E.; Ségransan, D.; Semczuk, M.; Shahaf, S.; Siebert, A.; Slezak, E.; Smart, R. L.; Snaith, O. N.; Solano, E.; Solitro, F.; Souami, D.; Souchay, J.; Spitoni, E.; Spoto, F.; Squillante, L. A.; Steele, I. A.; Steidelmüller, H.; Surdej, J.; Szabados, L.; Taris, F.; Taylor, M. B.; Teixeira, R.; Tepper-Garcia, T.; Thuillot, W.; Tolomei, L.; Tonello, N.; Torra, F.; Torralba Elipe, G.; Trabucchi, M.; Trentin, E.; Tsantaki, M.; Turon, C.; Ulla, A.; Unger, N.; Valtchanov, I.; Vanel, O.; Vecchiato, A.; Vicente, D.; Villar, E.; Weiler, M.; Zhao, H.; Zorec, J.; Zucker, S.; Župić, A.; Zwitter, T.; Gaia Collaboration
Publisher: EDP Sciences
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Journal name in source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Article number: L2
Volume: 686
ISSN: 0004-6361
eISSN: 1432-0746
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202449763(external)
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/456822767(external)
Preprint address: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.10486(external)
Context. Gravitational waves from black-hole (BH) merging events have revealed a population of extra-galactic BHs residing in short-period binaries with masses that are higher than expected based on most stellar evolution models-And also higher than known stellar-origin black holes in our Galaxy. It has been proposed that those high-mass BHs are the remnants of massive metal-poor stars.
Aims. Gaia astrometry is expected to uncover many Galactic wide-binary systems containing dormant BHs, which may not have been detected before. The study of this population will provide new information on the BH-mass distribution in binaries and shed light on their formation mechanisms and progenitors.
Methods. As part of the validation efforts in preparation for the fourth Gaia data release (DR4), we analysed the preliminary astrometric binary solutions, obtained by the Gaia Non-Single Star pipeline, to verify their significance and to minimise false-detection rates in high-mass-function orbital solutions.
Results. The astrometric binary solution of one source, Gaia BH3, implies the presence of a 32.70 ± 0.82 M⊙ BH in a binary system with a period of 11.6 yr. Gaia radial velocities independently validate the astrometric orbit. Broad-band photometric and spectroscopic data show that the visible component is an old, very metal-poor giant of the Galactic halo, at a distance of 590 pc.
Conclusions. The BH in the Gaia BH3 system is more massive than any other Galactic stellar-origin BH known thus far. The low metallicity of the star companion supports the scenario that metal-poor massive stars are progenitors of the high-mass BHs detected by gravitational-wave telescopes. The Galactic orbit of the system and its metallicity indicate that it might belong to the Sequoia halo substructure. Alternatively, and more plausibly, it could belong to the ED-2 stream, which likely originated from a globular cluster that had been disrupted by the Milky Way. © 2024 Authors.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
Funding information in the publication:
This work has made use of data from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission Gaia (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia), processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (DPAC, https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac/consortium). Funding for the DPAC has been provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia Multilateral Agreement. Based on observations made with the Mercator Telescope, operated on the island of La Palma by the Flemish Community, at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. Based on observations obtained with the HERMES spectrograph, which is supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium, the Research Council of KU Leuven, Belgium, the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS), Belgium, the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the Observatoire de Genève, Switzerland and the Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany. This publication has also made use of observations collected with the SOPHIE spectrograph on the 1.93-m telescope at Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS), France (program 23B.PNPS.AREN) using support by the French Programme National de Physique Stellaire (PNPS). Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory under ESO programme 106.21JJ.001.
