Chandra X-ray Center | 30 June 2010
Evidence for a recoiling black hole has been found using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, XMM-Newton, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and several ground-based telescopes. This black hole kickback was caused either by a slingshot effect produced in a triple black hole system, or from the effects of gravitational waves produced after two supermassive black holes merged a few million years earlier.
- An unusual object was discovered in the Cosmic Evolution Survey, a large multi-wavelength study.
- This object, known as CID-42, is the only one out of the 2,600 in the survey that has two very close compact objects seen in optical light.
- By combining data from Chandra and other telescopes, evidence is found for a recoiling black hole in the system.
- Two different scenarios for this possible recoiling black hole are being pursued.