AstroUnit

Astronomers J. Scholtz and J. Unwin in a new study investigated the anomalous orbits of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and excess in microlensing events using the 5-year Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) and came to the conclusion that these gravitational anomalies can be explained if a tiny primordial black hole with a mass few times that of the Earth were to be lurking in the outskirts of the Solar System. According to the leading Planet 9 hypothesis, it is believed that a super Earth-sized rogue planet must be present to shepherd the orbits of the TNOs. However, the new study suggested that the probability of the Sun capturing a primordial black hole is comparable to the capturing of a rogue planet and suggested ways by which the scenario could be verified or falsified.    An Artist's illustration of the Solar system. Credit:  pixel4k Until now, two distinct but seemingly interconnected gravitational anomalies have been detected with no consensus reg...

 A new study proposed an interesting and robust test that can be used to infer the origin of solar mass black holes. Solar mass black holes are not expected to form from the conventional stellar evolution but can be produced naturally via neutron star (NS) implosions from the capture of small primordial black holes (PBHs) or from the accumulation of dark matter (DM). The study reports that the mass distribution of such solar-mass BHs would be similar to that of the NSs. This would differ from the mass distribution of black holes in the solar-mass range predicted either by conventional stellar evolution or early universe PBH production.  An artist's impression of IGR J17091-3624: The stellar-mass black hole with the fastest Wind. Source:  Chandra Solar mass black holes should not be confused with stellar-mass black holes. A stellar-mass black hole is a black hole formed by the gravitational collapse of a star. They have masses between 5 to several tens of solar m...