Massive Stellar Triples Leading to Sequential Binary Black Hole Mergers in the Field

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterResearchpeer-review

Stellar triples with massive stellar components are common and can lead to sequential binary black hole mergers. Here we outline the evolution toward these sequential mergers and explore these events in the context of gravitational-wave astronomy and the pair-instability mass gap. We find that binary black hole mergers in the pair-instability mass gap can be of triple origin and therefore are not exclusively formed in dense dynamical environments. We discuss the sequential merger scenario in the context of the most massive gravitational-wave sources detected to date: GW170729 and GW190521. We propose that the progenitor of GW170729 is a low-metallicity field triple. We support the premise that GW190521 could not have been formed in the field. We conclude that triple stellar evolution is fundamental to the understanding of gravitational-wave sources and likely other energetic transients as well.

Original languageEnglish
Article number19
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume907
Issue number1
Number of pages12
ISSN2041-8205
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2021

    Research areas

  • Astrophysical black holes, PRESUPERNOVA EVOLUTION, COMPACT OBJECTS, RATES, STARS, SINGLE

Links

ID: 258899278