Why Do We See So Few Black Holes in Massive Binaries?

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Karpov, S., Lipunov, V.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Karpov, S.
Lipunov, V.
author_facet Karpov, S.
Lipunov, V.
contents We offer a simple explanation for the small number of black holes observed in pairs with massive stars. In detached massive binaries, spherically symmetric accretion takes place. This accretion could result in effective energy release in the hard band only if the equipartition of the gravitational and magnetic energy of plasma is established (Shvartsmans theorem). However, we show that due to the magnetic exhaust effect this equilibrium is virtually never established for the actual magnetic fields observed on massive stars: Shvartsmans theorem does not work. As a result, it is virtually impossible to detect black holes in detached massive binaries by currently available means (mainly, through X-ray observations).
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_15977
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Why Do We See So Few Black Holes in Massive Binaries?
Karpov, S.
Lipunov, V.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
We offer a simple explanation for the small number of black holes observed in pairs with massive stars. In detached massive binaries, spherically symmetric accretion takes place. This accretion could result in effective energy release in the hard band only if the equipartition of the gravitational and magnetic energy of plasma is established (Shvartsmans theorem). However, we show that due to the magnetic exhaust effect this equilibrium is virtually never established for the actual magnetic fields observed on massive stars: Shvartsmans theorem does not work. As a result, it is virtually impossible to detect black holes in detached massive binaries by currently available means (mainly, through X-ray observations).
title Why Do We See So Few Black Holes in Massive Binaries?
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.15977