Scientists are investigating the origins of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), which are often found at the centers of galaxies. The formation of these colossal entities remains a mystery; they may have either formed massive in the early Universe or grown over time by consuming surrounding matter and merging with other black holes. Current gravitational wave detections have primarily involved smaller black holes, with detection of waves from larger SMBH pairs remaining challenging due to their extremely low frequencies. Future advancements, such as the ESA’s space mission LISA, aim to improve sensitivity to these frequencies.
A novel approach proposed by researchers involves using signals from small black hole pairs to indirectly detect supermassive black holes. This method treats the small black hole binary as a beacon that can reveal hidden SMBH pairs by identifying subtle modulations in the gravitational waves they emit. This could enable the detection of supermassive black hole binaries with masses between 10 million and 100 million times that of our Sun, even across vast distances. The idea emphasizes the need for next-generation gravitational detectors, particularly focusing on deci-Hz frequency ranges to better explore these cosmic enigmas.
