Detection of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in Globular Clusters Using Gravitational Lensing

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of gravitational lensing to detect intermediate-mass black holes in globular clusters by analyzing how their presence affects lensing separation angles.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method using gravitational lensing to identify IMBHs in globular clusters, estimating measurable effects on lensing angles.

Findings

IMBHs cause milliarcsecond level changes in lensing separation angles

Mass distribution in globular clusters varies significantly with central IMBH presence

Gravitational lensing can serve as a new observational tool for IMBH detection

Abstract

Recent observations suggest the presence of supermassive black holes at the centers of many galaxies. The existence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) in globular clusters has also been predicted. We focus on gravitational lensing as a new way to explore these entities. It is known that the mass distribution of a self-gravitating system such as a globular cluster changes greatly depending on the presence or absence of a central massive object. After considering possible mass distributions for a globular cluster belonging to the Milky Way galaxy, we estimate that the effect on the separation angle of gravitational lensing due to an IMBH would be of milliarcsecond order.