In a study fit for Valentine’s Day, Northwestern University astrophysicists discovered that binary black holes — when formed in crowded clusters of stars — align their spins before merging together.
As the black holes orbit one another, each object has its own spin. Previous research indicated these spins should be chaotic and random. However, in a study accepted for publication by The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the Northwestern scientists found binary black holes tend to spin in the same general direction as the pair’s overall orbital motion.
The study was led by CIERA graduate student Fulya Kıroğlu. The video was created by study collaborator Jamie Lombardi from Allegheny College.
Read more in the Northwestern news story.
Credit: Jamie Lombardi / Allegheny College
- Science