Can supermassive black holes act as cosmic traps for smaller black hole mergers?
Astrophysicists are investigating whether smaller black holes get captured and merge within the swirling gas disks surrounding supermassive black holes. This theory could explain why some observed black hole mergers involve objects too massive to have formed from collapsing stellar cores.
Recent observations from LIGO have revealed black hole mergers that challenge standard models of stellar evolution, as many of these objects appear too heavy to result from simple stellar core collapse. To account for these anomalies, researchers are exploring the possibility that these mergers occur within the extreme environments of quasars.
In 2019, Yang et al. modeled the expected characteristics of black holes merging within these gaseous disks, while McKernan et al. outlined potential methods to test this hypothesis. If confirmed, this process would suggest that supermassive black holes act as gravitational traps, forcing smaller black holes into orbits where they collide and grow.
Source: How To Capture Black Holes
