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A Very Massive Stellar Black Hole in the Milky Way Galaxy
November 27, 2001VLT ISAAC Uncovers an Enigmatic Microquasar
One of the most enigmatic stellar systems in our Milky Way Galaxy has
been shown to harbour a very massive black hole. With 14 times more
mass than the Sun, this is the heaviest known stellar black hole in
the Galaxy.
Using the ISAAC instrument on the VLT 8.2-m ANTU telescope at the ESO
Paranal Observatory, an international team of astronomers peered into
a remote area of the Milky Way to probe the binary system GRS
1915+105, located almost 40,000 light-years away.
They were able to identify the low-mass star that feeds the black hole by
means of a steady flow of stellar material. A detailed follow-up study
revealed how this star revolves around its hungry companion. The analysis
of the orbital motion then made it possible to estimate the mass of the
black hole.
The observation of the heavy black hole in GRS 1915+105 is opening up
fundamental questions about how massive stellar black holes form, and
whether or not such objects rotate around their own axes.
The team consists of Jochen Greiner, Mark McCaughrean (Astrophysical
Institute Potsdam, Germany) and Jean-Gabriel Cuby (European Southern
Observatory, Chile).
Read the details in ESO Press Release 24/01 (with three illustrations
and all weblinks), available at
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2001/pr-24-01.html
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
Paranal Observatory, an international team of astronomers peered into
a remote area of the Milky Way to probe the binary system GRS
1915+105, located almost 40,000 light-years away.
They were able to identify the low-mass star that feeds the black hole by
means of a steady flow of stellar material. A detailed follow-up study
revealed how this star revolves around its hungry companion. The analysis
of the orbital motion then made it possible to estimate the mass of the
black hole.
The observation of the heavy black hole in GRS 1915+105 is opening up
fundamental questions about how massive stellar black holes form, and
whether or not such objects rotate around their own axes.
The team consists of Jochen Greiner, Mark McCaughrean (Astrophysical
Institute Potsdam, Germany) and Jean-Gabriel Cuby (European Southern
Observatory, Chile).
Read the details in ESO Press Release 24/01 (with three illustrations
and all weblinks), available at
http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-2001/pr-24-01.html
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
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