Intermediate Black Holes

Intermediate black holes are a theoretical class of black holes that are larger than stellar-mass black holes but smaller than supermassive black holes. They are thought to have masses ranging from hundreds to thousands of times that of the Sun.

Formation

Intermediate black holes may form through a variety of processes, including the direct collapse of massive gas clouds, the runaway merging of stellar-mass black holes in dense star clusters, or the accumulation of material in the centers of globular clusters.

Observational Challenges

One of the main challenges in studying intermediate black holes is the difficulty in detecting them directly. Their intermediate mass makes them fainter and harder to observe than supermassive black holes, and their smaller size makes them less likely to interact with their environment, leaving fewer observable signatures.

Study Guide

1. What are intermediate black holes?
2. How do intermediate black holes form?
3. What are the observational challenges in studying intermediate black holes?

For further study, consider researching the ongoing efforts to detect and characterize intermediate black holes, as well as the implications of their existence for our understanding of the formation and evolution of black holes.