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Title: New limits from microlensing on Galactic black holes in the mass range 10 M⊙ < M < 1000 M⊙

Journal Article · · Astronomy and Astrophysics
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [3];  [2];  [2];  [4];  [1];  [2];  [5];  [2];  [2];  [6];  [7];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [5]
  1. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Orsay (France)
  2. Univ. Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
  3. Univ. Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Univ. of Paris (France)
  4. International Space University (Germany); Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Strasbourg (France)
  5. Sorbonne Univ., Paris (France)
  6. Univ. Bordeaux (France)
  7. Univ. Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

We searched for long-duration microlensing events originating from intermediate-mass black holes (BH) in the halo of the Milky Way, using archival data from the EROS-2 and MACHO photometric surveys towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We combined data from these two surveys to create a common database of light curves for 14.1 million objects in the LMC, covering a total duration of 10.6 years, with flux series measured in four wide passbands. We carried out a microlensing search on these light curves, complemented by the light curves of 22.7 million objects, observed only by EROS-2 or only by MACHO, over about 7 years, with flux series measured in only two passbands. A likelihood analysis, taking into account the LMC self-lensing and Milky Way disk contributions, allows us to conclude that compact objects with masses in the range 10 – 100 M⊙ cannot make up more than ~15% of a standard halo total mass (at a 95% confidence level). Our analysis sensitivity weakens for heavier objects, although we still rule out the possibility of ~50% of the halo being made of ~1000 M⊙ BHs. Combined with previous EROS results, an upper limit of ~15% of the total halo mass can be obtained for the contribution of compact halo objects in the mass range 10–6 – 102 M⊙.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
1906695
Journal Information:
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Journal Name: Astronomy and Astrophysics Vol. 664; ISSN 0004-6361
Publisher:
EDP SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
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