Direct detection of black holes via electromagnetic radiation

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2014

Authors

Sobrinho, JLG (Author) Other; Augusto, P (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Vol. 441

Pages: 2878-2884

ISSN: 0035-8711

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-M0B

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stu786

Abstract (EN): Many black hole (BH) candidates exist, ranging from supermassive (similar to 10(6)-10(10) M-aS (TM)) to stellar masses (similar to 1-100 M-aS (TM)), all of them identified by indirect processes. Although there are no known candidate BHs with substellar masses, these might have been produced in the primordial Universe. BHs emit radiation composed of photons, gravitons and, later in their lives, massive particles. We explored the detection of such BHs with present-day masses from 10(-22) to 10(-11) M-aS (TM). We determined the maximum distances (d) at which the current best detectors should be placed in order to identify such isolated BHs. Broadly, we conclude that in the visible and ultraviolet BHs can be directly detected at d a parts per thousand(2) 10(7) m while in the X-ray band the distances might reach similar to 10(8) m (of the order of the Earth-Moon distance) and in the gamma-ray band BHs might even be detected from as far as similar to 0.1 pc. Since these results give us realistic hopes of directly detecting BHs, we suggest the scrutiny of current and future space mission data to reach this goal.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7