On the origin of black hole spin in high-mass black hole binaries : Cygnus X-1

• To date, there have been several detections of high-mass black hole binaries in both the Milky Way and other galaxies. For some of these, the spin parameter of the black hole has been estimated. As many of these systems are quite tight, a suggested origin of the spin is angular momentum imparted by the synchronous rotation of the black hole progenitor with its binary companion. Using Cygnus X-1, the best studied high-mass black hole binary, we investigate this possibility. We find that such an origin of the spin is not likely, and our results point rather to the spin being the result of processes during the collapse.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

black hole physics

binaries: close

X-rays: binaries

X-rays: individual: Cygnus X-1

Astronomy and astrophysics

Astronomi och astrofysik

black hole physics

binaries: close

X-rays: binaries

X-rays

individual: Cygnus X-1

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)