The existence of binary supermassive black holes may be even rarer than scientists originally thought, according to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Results from a study at Brandels University found that fewer than 1.3 percent of galaxies with radio emission have ever experienced mergers of two supermassive black holes, which is five times lower than previous estimates, according to Sci-News.
Binary supermassive black holes originate when two galaxies that contain supermassive black holes collide, causing the black holes to come into orbit of each other and eventually collide. The collision of two supermassive black holes will give us the answers to many questions and secrets in the realm of gravitational research, as previously reported by HNGN.
The study used gravitational waves emitted from "X-shaped radio galaxies," which possess strange structures that indicate they may have harbored a collision between two binary black holes.
"Gravitational waves represent the next great frontier in astrophysics, and their detection will lead to new insights on the Universe," said David Roberts, lead author of the research. "It's important to have as much information as possible about the sources of these waves."
There are currently two binary black holes located in Markarian 231, the closest quasar to Earth, as previously reported by HNGN. These black holes could be used to advance our knowledge of the universe using gravitational waves.
"It will be very important to relate gravitational waves to objects we see through electromagnetic radiation, such as radio waves, in order to advance our understanding of fundamental physics," said Roberts.
