Evidence Mounts for Hierarchical Black Hole Mergers

Different analyses of gravitational-wave observations are converging on evidence for a distinct population of massive black hole binaries produced through repeated mergers. Throughout the Universe, pairs of orbiting black holes emit ripples in spacetime that propagate across the cosmos. These gravitational waves carry away orbital energy, causing the black holes to slowly spiral closer together. … Continue reading Evidence Mounts for Hierarchical Black Hole Mergers