Physics Colloquium
A new era of stellar black-hole discoveries: how we find them and what they teach us
Tomer Shenar
Tel Aviv University
Abstract
Understanding the formation and demographics of stellar-mass black holes is central to many areas of physics and astronomy. More than 100 million black holes are predicted to exist in the Milky Way alone. Yet, in stark contrast, only a few dozen have been identified, typically through the bright X-ray emission produced when they accrete material from a companion star.
Modern techniques based on high-precision astrometry, spectroscopy, and photometry are now revealing a new population of X-ray–quiet, or dormant, black holes. Together with systems discovered through gravitational waves, these objects show that X-ray binaries represent only the visible tip of a much larger hidden population. I will discuss emerging methods for detecting dormant stellar-mass black holes and explore what these systems teach us about stellar evolution, binary interaction, and supernova physics.
Modern techniques based on high-precision astrometry, spectroscopy, and photometry are now revealing a new population of X-ray–quiet, or dormant, black holes. Together with systems discovered through gravitational waves, these objects show that X-ray binaries represent only the visible tip of a much larger hidden population. I will discuss emerging methods for detecting dormant stellar-mass black holes and explore what these systems teach us about stellar evolution, binary interaction, and supernova physics.