Record-Breaking Black Hole Merger Detected by LIGO

Scientists from the international LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration have detected the largest black hole merger to date, forming a black hole approximately 225 times the Sun's mass and surpassing the previous record of 140 solar masses. The merging black holes, weighing around 103 and 137 solar masses, were spinning nearly at the maximum rate allowed by Einstein’s theory of relativity. This November 2023 event, named GW231123, challenges current models of black hole formation, as such massive black holes are not expected to form through standard stellar evolution, suggesting they may originate from previous mergers. The brief and intense gravitational wave signal has raised new questions about intermediate-mass black holes and the existence of the so-called 'mass gap.' The detection underscores the importance and capability of the global gravitational-wave observatory network. Scientists from multiple countries, including India, contributed to this milestone, which highlights the need for advanced data analysis to understand these phenomena.