Stellar-Mass Black Holes and Their Progenitors

J. M. Miller, P. Uttley, K. Nandra, D. Barret, G. Matt, F. Paerels, M. Mendez, M. Diaz Trigo, M. Cappi, S. Kitamoto, M. Nowak, J. Wilms, R. Rothschild, R. Smith, M. Weisskopf, Y. Terashima, Y. Ueda

Published 2009-02-26Version 1

If a black hole has a low spin value, it must double its mass to reach a high spin parameter. Although this is easily accomplished through mergers or accretion in the case of supermassive black holes in galactic centers, it is impossible for stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries. Thus, the spin distribution of stellar-mass black holes is almost pristine, largely reflective of the angular momentum imparted at the time of their creation. This fact can help provide insights on two fundamental questions: What is the nature of the central engine in supernovae and gamma-ray bursts? and What was the spin distribution of the first black holes in the universe?