An Isolated Stellar-mass Black Hole Detected through Astrometric Microlensing*
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Published:2022-07-01
Issue:1
Volume:933
Page:83
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ISSN:0004-637X
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Container-title:The Astrophysical Journal
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language:
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Short-container-title:ApJ
Author:
Sahu Kailash C.ORCID, Anderson JayORCID, Casertano Stefano, Bond Howard E.ORCID, Udalski AndrzejORCID, Dominik MartinORCID, Calamida AnnalisaORCID, Bellini AndreaORCID, Brown Thomas M.ORCID, Rejkuba MarinaORCID, Bajaj Varun, Kains NoéORCID, Ferguson Henry C.ORCID, Fryer Chris L.ORCID, Yock PhilipORCID, Mróz Przemek, Kozłowski SzymonORCID, Pietrukowicz PawełORCID, Poleski RadekORCID, Skowron JanORCID, Soszyński IgorORCID, Szymański Michał K.ORCID, Ulaczyk KrzysztofORCID, Wyrzykowski ŁukaszORCID, Barry Richard K.ORCID, Bennett David P.ORCID, Bond Ian A., Hirao YukiORCID, Silva Stela IshitaniORCID, Kondo IonaORCID, Koshimoto NaokiORCID, Ranc ClémentORCID, Rattenbury Nicholas J.ORCID, Sumi TakahiroORCID, Suzuki DaisukeORCID, Tristram Paul J., Vandorou AikateriniORCID, Beaulieu Jean-Philippe, Marquette Jean-Baptiste, Cole AndrewORCID, Fouqué PascalORCID, Hill Kym, Dieters Stefan, Coutures Christian, Dominis-Prester DijanaORCID, Bennett Clara, Bachelet EtienneORCID, Menzies John, Albrow MichaelORCID, Pollard Karen, Gould Andrew, Yee Jennifer C.ORCID, Allen William, Almeida Leonardo A.ORCID, Christie Grant, Drummond John, Gal-Yam AvishayORCID, Gorbikov Evgeny, Jablonski Francisco, Lee Chung-UkORCID, Maoz Dan, Manulis Ilan, McCormick Jennie, Natusch Tim, Pogge Richard W.ORCID, Shvartzvald YossiORCID, Jørgensen Uffe G.ORCID, Alsubai Khalid A., Andersen Michael I., Bozza ValerioORCID, Novati Sebastiano Calchi, Burgdorf MartinORCID, Hinse Tobias C.ORCID, Hundertmark MarkusORCID, Husser Tim-Oliver, Kerins EamonnORCID, Longa-Peña Penelope, Mancini LuigiORCID, Penny Matthew, Rahvar SohrabORCID, Ricci DavideORCID, Sajadian SedigheORCID, Skottfelt JesperORCID, Snodgrass ColinORCID, Southworth JohnORCID, Tregloan-Reed Jeremy, Wambsganss JoachimORCID, Wertz Olivier, Tsapras YiannisORCID, Street Rachel A.ORCID, Bramich D. M., Horne KeithORCID, Steele Iain A.
Abstract
Abstract
We report the first unambiguous detection and mass measurement of an isolated stellar-mass black hole (BH). We used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to carry out precise astrometry of the source star of the long-duration (t
E ≃ 270 days), high-magnification microlensing event MOA-2011-BLG-191/OGLE-2011-BLG-0462 (hereafter designated as MOA-11-191/OGLE-11-462), in the direction of the Galactic bulge. HST imaging, conducted at eight epochs over an interval of 6 yr, reveals a clear relativistic astrometric deflection of the background star’s apparent position. Ground-based photometry of MOA-11-191/OGLE-11-462 shows a parallactic signature of the effect of Earth’s motion on the microlensing light curve. Combining the HST astrometry with the ground-based light curve and the derived parallax, we obtain a lens mass of 7.1 ± 1.3 M
⊙ and a distance of 1.58 ± 0.18 kpc. We show that the lens emits no detectable light, which, along with having a mass higher than is possible for a white dwarf or neutron star, confirms its BH nature. Our analysis also provides an absolute proper motion for the BH. The proper motion is offset from the mean motion of Galactic disk stars at similar distances by an amount corresponding to a transverse space velocity of ∼45 km s−1, suggesting that the BH received a “natal kick” from its supernova explosion. Previous mass determinations for stellar-mass BHs have come from radial velocity measurements of Galactic X-ray binaries and from gravitational radiation emitted by merging BHs in binary systems in external galaxies. Our mass measurement is the first for an isolated stellar-mass BH using any technique.
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Subject
Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cited by
52 articles.
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