Binary Black Hole Merger GW231123 With 190-265m(Sun)

Jul 21, 2025 6:43 AM

Oktay74tn

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Binary Black Hole Merger GW231123 With 190-265m(Sun)
Oktay Yürük aka Oktay74tn, science and tech content
https://imgur.com/user/Oktay74tn

In 2023, two LIGO observatories detected the gravitational wave signal GW231123 at a distance of several billion light-years. Astronomers interpret the signal as a merger of a pair of black holes with a total mass of 190 to 265 solar masses, the highest combined mass ever observed. This event created an intermediate-mass black hole IMBH with a mass of 225 solar masses.

This is the LIGO Observatory in Hanford, USA. LIGO is the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, a large-scale physics experiment that detects cosmic gravitational waves.

This is the signal of the gravitational wave event observed by the detectors in Hanford and Livingston. Despite its short duration of 0.1 second the signal was detected with a high signal to noise ratio.

The two black holes with an estimated mass of 137 and 103 solar masses distort space and time in the surrounding region. Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime that travel through space at the speed of light. The plane of space distortion is orthogonal to the wave propagation direction.

Theoretically, black holes with 60 to 130 solar masses should be rare due to pair-instability supernovae. Massive stars have a very high core temperature of over 300 million Kelvin. Photons are converted in pairs of electrons and positrons. The drop in radiation pressure causes a core collapse and an explosion due to runaway fusion reactions.

This diagram supernovae versus mass and metallicity predicts the outcome. Population III stars with a low metallicity and a mass of 130 to 250 solar masses are in the pink region at the bottom right. They are completely destroyed by a supernova explosion without leaving a remnant behind.

Intermediate-mass black holes could have been formed by mergers of smaller black holes. Or they could be the product of a runaway collision of massive stars in dense star clusters. Or they could be primordial black holes formed in the Big Bang.

The most massive O- and B-type stars with their short lifetimes of a few million years are an important part of the evolution of galaxies. They made a rapid increase in metallicity in the first two billion years after the Big Bang possible.

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Check out https://imgur.com/user/Oktay74tn for many more astronomy and technology videos.

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Everyone in the nearby star systems go "Weeeeeeee!!"

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

During this merger about 15 solar masses were radiated in gravitational waves. As energy equivalent, this was more than ten times the energy radiated by all stars in the visible universe in the same time.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Black holes are fucking terrifying.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Clearly, this proves that there are pigs in space. The snout is right there!

1 year ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

yeah for science!

1 year ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 0

I find the 0.1 s signal that they were able to detect the most fascinating.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

The Great Oink!

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It’s a puppy nose, sniffing everything up into its curiosity.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

(a) If you copy-paste someone's context, make sure you also show the diagrams that are directly references. (b) That video is an "artist's impression".

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

The Dognose nebula

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

inspiral, coalescence, ringdown

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

How does knowing this help me pay my rent?

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Black hole sex is weird.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Boop the singularity!

1 year ago | Likes 165 Dislikes 2

My thoughts exactly

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I came to boop the binary black hole snoot

1 year ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 1

Glad I am not alone

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

This is located in Washington state, richland, if anyone is interested.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Greetings from Richland!

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I live in Richland, where the observatory is located. Been there a couple times and holy shart are those people incredibly smart and dedicated. Just absolutely mind bending.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I would love to visit America one day. I have worked with several people from America. They were all very nice.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I remember going to a symposium on gravitational waves at Cardiff University while studying Astrophysics. They discussed the physics behind the Gravitational Wave detectors and it was fascinating.
It's so cool seeing that it worked.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Seeing this just makes my brain hurt even more after reading a theory that our universe might be inside of a black hole. We're like those Russian dolls...

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

There is another animation on Wikimedia of two black holes from the side https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merging_black_holes-_Side_view.webm .

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Reminds me of cells replicating.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yeah, buddy, ride the waves!

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

We all know who this is. Or should I say... hoo this is.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

How fast is the rotation?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

yes

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You mean the rotation of the resulting black hole?

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yes

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

The spin parameter of the final BH is reported to be 0.84, so the virtual equator of the event horizon is rotating with a substantial fraction of the speed of light, ~200,000 km/s

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The rotation speed is not mentioned but it is relativistic.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

265m ≈ 869 feet, 5 inches

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

UnitConversionBot, please get the context straight.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Ganbatte, unitconversionbot, ganbatte.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

3C ≈ 37 ° Fahrenheit or 280 Kelvin

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

in this context, 3C clearly means 3 times the speed of light...

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It's crazy we can detect the gravitational effects from something that happened several billion light years away. Even more amazing that these only had a combined mass of up to 265 solar masses.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Yes, that's the point. Plus intermediate-mass black holes are the least understood type of black holes.

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

If this is the largest combined pair mass ever found, does that mean we have not yet detected a black hole merging with a supermassive black hole yet?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Yes. Imagine if you had data from many black hole mergers then you could get a better understanding of the black hole and galaxy co-evolution.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Gravity... Something, something, black hole, something... Did I get it right?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

You missed one black hole- a feat really hard to achieve when you think about it.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

What’s the spot between the holes called?

1 year ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Spaghettification-land... And you don't want to take the rides there, trust me.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

the taint

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

The singularenium.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I am thoroughly blown away. Thank you

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

The image shown here is fiction, imagination that's not even a plausible background of galactic stars. It is not even a "merger" being shown. The actual detection is a blip on a meter.

1 year ago | Likes 74 Dislikes 3

Is it possible at all to depict the exact image or video with current technology to explain the science behind black holes and how they form through going supernova? Is supernova the only way black hole events are formed?

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

It's theorized to not be the only way, just the way we have the most strong evidence for. Enough energy density could cause one. There's a formation involving antimatter theorized to have happened immediately following the big bang (primordial black holes, mentioned in the video.) the supernova works the same way white dwarf form, the star gets low on "fuel", can't create enough energy to resist collapse, the collapse releases an explosion of energy flinging outer layers of the star into space.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Astrophysicist here: science communication matters and is valid. Saying 'there are three states of matter' is fiction. Saying 'hydrogen has a mass of 1' is fiction. 'the sun will eventually expand and consume earth.' Fiction. Most images of the sun. Fiction. 'Water boils at 100°C.' Fiction. 'Space is cold.' Fiction.

None of these things are truly correct, but they are all far far more easily grasped by a general audience than the full technical details. Visualizations are a part of that.

1 year ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Matt Strassler calls these phibs.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

1 year ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 1

Maybe, maybe not. I honestly have no clue but, for the 95% of the people that can't in any way envision what the text above describes (myself included), maybe a picture helps to understand or at a minimum, retain interest in the subject matter.

1 year ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

Can we appreciate that cgi though? Impressive work.

1 year ago | Likes 27 Dislikes 2

We can appreciate the CGI, but we definitely shouldn't be impressed by it. The other reply is right, this isn't an impressive sim or something, it's literally windows 95 screensaver quality. It's a static spin with some distortion. Also, the AI Einstein voice is not great either.

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 3

It's literally him speaking in these, but whatever makes you feel better about yourself.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

This? Not a chance. Sry to disappoint, but this animation is akin to Disney flip cards; it's showing two black circles circling and black holes don't look like 'black holes'.

1 year ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 3

I wish they had picked someone who speaks a bit more clearly and with at least a modicum of enthusiasm.

1 year ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Thank you very much for your feedback. I am a more introverted person but I understand your point.

1 year ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 0

Your flatly delivered thickly accented speaking sounds exactly like the vast majority of scientists talking about their craft. Works for me.

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I had no idea it was you, I am so sorry.
I believe all you need is to do a test reading first and have someone who is good with audio recording lend you a hand. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with you, I just got the impression that you are just reading it off a piece of paper in a poorly setup and/or low quality mic.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

The full script of all my recent videos is in the description field.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

No problem. I test read each paragraph while I write the script. That is a good trick.

1 year ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

For what it's worth, I very much prefer this over some generic A.I. reading and I'm afraid you became a victim of association, since hearing it reminded me of rather dry lectures of the past. I'm grateful you're sharing this and didn't mean to suggest that I can make demands over freely and generously shared content. I thought someone lazily picked out something random from the Internet and didn't care to pick something with better sound quality. You went to the effort of actually contributing..

1 year ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

...of value, which I have infinitely more respect for and where I won't hold minor nitpicks against you. It is a great information piece and I would have made any criticisms much more nuanced, constructive and diplomatic had I known it came from you.

1 year ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

upvotes for everybody!

1 year ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0