Gravitational waves from giant black-hole collisions reveal long-sought 'ringing'

 In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have uncovered evidence of the long-sought vibrations produced by the Largest black-hole merger ever detected. The colossal collision, seen on May 21, 2019, appeared to create a black hole 150 times the mass of the Sun, challenging established theories. The latest findings bring forth a new frontier in understanding the universe, providing a stringent test for Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.

• The research, published in Physical Review Letters, delves into the aftermath of the massive merger. Physicist Badri Krishnan, a study co-author, expressed his astonishment at witnessing such a measurement in his lifetime. The discovery opens up a new avenue in gravitational-wave astronomy, pushing the boundaries of our comprehension.
• Among the routine black-hole mergers detected since 2015, the standout event, GW190521, defied expectations. Its merging frequency was so low that it entered the sensitivity range of the LIGO and Virgo detectors only during its last two orbits. Unaffiliated with the LIGO–Virgo collaboration, researchers seized the opportunity to explore whether gravitational waves from this event could carry information from the moments immediately after the merger.

• The resulting black hole assumes a crooked shape at the collision point, quickly stabilizing into a lowest-energy, symmetrical form within milliseconds. Like a bell ringing with specific frequencies, the stabilizing black hole 'rings down,' emitting gravitational waves with frequencies determined by its mass and spin.

The reanalysis of data from the GW190521 event revealed two distinct ringdown frequencies, indicating a resulting black hole of around 250 solar masses—significantly heavier than initially suggested by the LIGO–Virgo team. This discovery challenges existing paradigms and opens avenues for a deeper understanding of the mysterious cosmic dance of black holes.🌌