Black Hole Binaries: The Journey From Astrophysics To Physics

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

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Scientific paper

In 1986, a new class of black hole binary was discovered which differs from Cygnus X-1 in two key respects: the optical companion is a low-mass star, and the compact X-ray source is transient with yearlong outbursts that are followed by decades of quiescence. These systems are often referred to as X-ray novae. Presently, a total of 20 X-ray novae are known to contain a massive compact X-ray source that is almost certainly a black hole. I will discuss the measurement of black hole mass; relativistically broadened Fe K emission lines; quasi-periodic X-ray oscillations (100-450 Hz); relativistic radio and X-ray jets; evidence for the existence of the event horizon; and a current frontier topic, namely, the measurement of black hole spin. Astrophysics has a long history of impacting physics: for example, Newton's and Einstein's theories of gravity, the solar neutrino puzzle, and the ongoing research on dark matter and dark energy. I will sketch a scenario for the potential impact of black hole binaries on physics.

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