TESIFA · Tracking the Evolution and dynamicS of Intermediate-mass black holes to Forecast their upcoming observAtions
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2023-11-01 → 2026-10-31
- EU contribution
- €288,859
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Tracking the Evolution and dynamicS of Intermediate-mass black holes to Forecast their upcoming observAtions
Observational evidence suggests that massive black holes – with masses from about a hundred thousands to ten billion times the mass of the sun – inhabit the centre of many massive galaxies across the cosmic times. However, there is still poor understanding on how these objects grew and reached such high masses. In this framework, it is important to study the so-called intermediate mass black holes, with masses from hundreds to roughly hundred thousands the mass of the sun. These may inhabit the centre of less massive stellar systems and be more common at large distances from us, but they are much harder to observe via standard, electromagnetic telescopes. Yet, building a better knowledge on the population of intermediate mass black holes can inform us on what are the properties of the original seeds from which supermassive black holes have grown, and their growth history. Supermassive black holes can not only grow by eating up gas in their vicinity, but also, they can disrupt and cannibalize stars passing too close to them; this phenomenon is called ‘tidal disruption event’. This latter growth channel has been poorly investigated in the scientific community, especially for intermediate mass black holes. These lighter objects can also grow through tidal disruption events, but most of the theory developed to study this accretion channel is only valid for the supermassive counterparts. TESIFA aims to investigate how efficiently intermediate mass black holes can grow through tidal disruption events. This will help us understand how long black holes last in the intermediate-mass category, and make predictions for future observatories able to detect tidal disruptions, such as Vera Rubin. Furthermore, the knowledge developed in the project will be fundamental to foresee the events observed by future gravitational wave detectors, such as LISA and the Einstein Telescope; those will detect the merger between intermediate mass black holes, observing them directly for the first time.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
In the next few years, electromagnetic and gravitational-wave facilities will uncover the elusive population of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), the likely progenitors of present-day supermassive black holes. The upcoming detections promise to revolutionise our understanding of the black-hole population across the cosmic epochs; in preparation for this exciting future, it is now fundamental to shed light on the debated dynamical processes governing the growth of IMBHs. TESIFA is the long-awaited program that will clarify the timespan black holes spend in the intermediate-mass range, thus allowing for a solid interpretation of the upcoming IMBH detections. Leveraging the emergent picture according to which IMBHs primarily grow via stellar accretion, TESIFA will numerically model the rates of tidal disruption events (TDEs, thousands of which will be detected by the Vera Rubin Observatory starting next year) and gravitational-wave-induced extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs, accessible to the planned LISA mission) about IMBHs. By combining this approach with state-of-the-art observations of nearby stellar systems, TESIFA will place novel constraints on the local IMBH population. Furthermore, TESIFA will investigate the ratio between TDE and EMRI rates as a function of the host galaxy properties, so that the observed TDE rates could be used to forecast LISA EMRI rates. Overall, TESIFA will lay the foundation for understanding the IMBH demographics and best exploiting their upcoming observations.At Princeton University, the fellow will work alongside world-leading experts in the field of IMBH observations; she will learn the challenges affecting the observations of IMBHs and their hosts, as well as the capabilities and limits of electromagnetic facilities. The planned training will perfectly complement the fellows extensive numerical expertise, making her a well rounded scientist and placing her at the forefront of the research targeting IMBHs.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO-BICOCCA · MilanoCoordinatorItaly
- TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · Princeton, NjUnited States
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101105915
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e511c50c88&appId=PPGMS
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e517a52125&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union