Multiwavelength detectability of isolated black holes in the Milky Way
Abstract
Isolated black holes in our Galaxy have eluded detection so far. We present here a comprehensive study on the detectability of isolated stellar-mass astrophysical black holes that accrete interstellar gas from molecular clouds in both the local region and the Central Molecular Zone. We adopt a state-of-the-art model for the accretion physics backed up by numerical simulations, and study the number of observable sources in both the radio and X-ray band, as a function of a variety of parameters. We discuss in particular the impact of the astrophysical uncertainties on our prediction for the number of bright X-ray sources in the central region of the Galaxy. We finally consider future developments in the radio domain and assess the potential of SKA to detect a population of astrophysical black holes accreting gas in our Galaxy.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- August 2021
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2012.10421
- Bibcode:
- 2021MNRAS.505.4036S
- Keywords:
-
- astroparticle physics;
- black hole physics;
- ISM: jets and outflows;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena