Intermediate Mass Black Hole Formation in compact Young Massive Star Clusters

TL;DR

This study uses detailed N-body simulations to demonstrate that intermediate mass black holes can rapidly form in dense young star clusters through stellar collisions and accretion processes, with implications for understanding black hole origins.

Contribution

The paper presents new simulation results showing rapid IMBH formation in compact star clusters via VMS growth and stellar collisions, extending previous models with detailed dynamics.

Findings

IMBHs up to ~350 M_sun can form within 15 Myr in dense clusters.

Higher formation efficiency observed in more compact clusters.

IMBHs can undergo mergers with stellar-mass black holes within 100 Myr.

Abstract

Young dense massive star clusters are a promising environment for the formation of intermediate mass black holes (IMBHs) through collisions. We present a set of 80 simulations carried out with Nbody6++GPU of 10 initial conditions for compact $\sim 7 \times 10^4 M_{\odot}$ star clusters with half-mass radii $R_\mathrm{h} \lesssim 1 pc$, central densities $\rho_\mathrm{core} \gtrsim 10^5 M_\odot pc^{-3}$, and resolved stellar populations with 10\% primordial binaries. Very massive stars (VMSs) with masses up to $\sim 400 M_\odot$ grow rapidly by binary exchange and three-body scattering events with main sequences stars in hard binaries. Assuming that in VMS - stellar BH collisions all stellar material is accreted onto the BH, IMBHs with masses up to $M_\mathrm{BH} \sim 350 M_\odot$ can form on timescales of $\lesssim 15$ Myr. This process was qualitatively predicted from Monte Carlo MOCCA simulations. Despite the stochastic nature of the process - typically not more than 3/8 cluster realisations show IMBH formation - we find indications for higher formation efficiencies in more compact clusters. Assuming a lower accretion fraction of 0.5 for VMS - BH collisions, IMBHs can also form. The process might not work for accretion fractions as low as 0.1. After formation, the IMBHs can experience occasional mergers with stellar mass BHs in intermediate mass-ratio inspiral events (IMRIs) on a 100 Myr timescale. Realised with more than $10^5$ stars, 10 \% binaries, the assumed stellar evolution model with all relevant evolution processes included and 300 Myr simulation time, our large suite of simulations indicates that IMBHs of several hundred solar masses might form rapidly in massive star clusters right after their birth while they are still compact.