Measuring the Accreting Stellar and Intermediate Mass Black Hole Populations in the Galaxy and Local Group

TL;DR

This paper discusses a proposed wide-field X-ray and optical/IR survey to census accreting stellar and intermediate mass black holes in the Galaxy and Local Group, shedding light on their populations and evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach for a Galaxy-wide census of accreting black holes and neutron stars using a wide-field X-ray survey with follow-up observations.

Findings

Potential to significantly improve black hole population estimates

First comprehensive census of accreting black holes in the Galaxy

Enhanced understanding of black hole formation and evolution

Abstract

The population of stellar black holes (SBHs) in the Galaxy and galaxies generally is poorly known in both number and distribution. SBHs are the fossil record of the massive stars in galaxy evolution and may have produced some (if not all) of the intermediate mass (\gsim100\Msun) black holes (IMBHs) and, in turn, the central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galactic nuclei. For the first time, a Galaxy-wide census of accreting black holes, and their more readily recognizable tracer population, accreting neutron stars (NSs), could be measured with a wide-field hard X-ray imaging survey and soft X-ray and optical/IR prompt followup -- as proposed for the EXIST mission.