MOCCA-SURVEY Database I. Intermediate mass black holes in Milky Way globular clusters and their connection to supermassive black holes

Understand

In this paper we explore the interplay between intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) and their nursing globular clusters (GCs), taking advantage of over 2000 Monte Carlo GC models.

• We find that the average density of IMBHs sphere of influence can be uniquely connected to the host GCs luminosity and half-light radius via a fundamental plane.
• We propose a statistical approach to systematically identify potential Galactic GCs harbouring either an IMBH or a massive subsystem comprised of stellar BHs.
• Our models show that the IMBH is often bound to a stellar companion or a stellar BH, which can lead to tidal disruption events or to low-frequency gravitational waves.