Black Hole Leftovers: The Remnant Population from Binary Black Hole Mergers

TL;DR

This paper estimates the current population and properties of black hole remnants from binary mergers, based on gravitational-wave data, revealing their distribution, velocities, and retention likelihood in various star clusters.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive estimate of the present-day population and characteristics of black hole remnants from binary mergers using LIGO/Virgo data.

Findings

Estimated remnant black hole density: ~660 Mpc^{-3}

Remnant mass spectrum: exponential with characteristic ~15 M_

Final spin distribution peaked at 0.7

Abstract

The inspiral and merger of two black holes produces a remnant black hole with mass and spin determined by the properties of its parent black holes. Using the inferred population properties of component black holes from the first two and a half observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Virgo, we calculate the population properties of the leftover remnant black holes. By integrating their rate of formation over the age of the universe, we estimate the number density of remnant black holes today. Using simple prescriptions for the cosmic star formation rate and black hole inspiral delay times, we determine the number density of this leftover black hole population to be $660_{-240}^{+440} \mathrm{Mpc}^{-3}$, corresponding to $\sim 60,000$ black hole remnants per Milky-Way-equivalent galaxy. The mass spectrum of these remnants starts at $\sim 10 M_\odot$ and can be approximated by a decreasing exponential with characteristic length $\sim 15 M_\odot$, the final spin distribution is sharply peaked at $\chi_f\sim0.7$, and the kick velocities range from tens to thousands of km/s. These kick velocities suggest that globular clusters and nuclear star clusters may retain up to $3_{-2}^{+3}\%$ and $46_{-15}^{+17}\%$ of their remnant black holes, respectively, while young star clusters would only retain a few tenths of a percent. The estimates in this work assume that none of the remnants participate in subsequent hierarchical mergers. If hierarchical mergers occur, the overall number density would drop accordingly and the remnant mass distribution shape would evolve over time. This population of leftover black holes is an inescapable result from gravitational-wave observations of binary black-hole mergers.