Measuring the accreting stellar and intermediate mass black hole populations in the Galaxy and Local Group

Authors
  • J. Grindlay
  • D. Barret
  • T. Belloni
  • S. Corbel
  • P. Kaaret
  • B. Allen
  • A. Bazzano
  • E. Berger
  • G. Bignami
  • P. Caraveo
  • A. De Luca
  • P. Fabbiano
  • M. Finger
  • M. Feroci
  • J. Hong
  • G. Jernigan
  • M. van der Klis
  • C. Kouveliotou
  • A. Kutyrev
  • A. Loeb
  • A. Paizis
  • G. Pareschi
  • G. Skinner
  • R. Di Stefano
  • P. Ubertini
  • C.A. Wilson-Hodge
Publication date 2010
Book title Astro2010: The astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey
Publisher Washington, D.C.: The National Academies, Board on Physics and Astronomy
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy (API)
Abstract
The population of stellar black holes (SBHs) in the Galaxy and galaxies generally is poorly known in both number and distribution. SBHs are the fossil record of the massive stars in galaxy evolution and may have produced some (if not all) of the intermediate mass (≳100M⊙) black holes (IMBHs) and, in turn, the central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galactic nuclei. For the first time, a Galaxy-wide census of accreting black holes, and their more readily recognizable tracer population, accreting neutron stars (NSs), could be measured with a wide-field hard X-ray imaging survey and soft X-ray and optical/IR prompt followup -- as proposed for the EXIST mission.
Document type Conference contribution
Language English
Published at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/bpa/BPA_050603
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