S8 Ep1179: Salvatore Vitale and Calin Plunkett of MIT explain hierarchical merging, a process where black holes merge repeatedly to create l

The John Batchelor Show · Jul 31, 2026 · 14m

Salvatore Vitale and Calin Plunkett of MIT explain hierarchical merging, a process where black holes merge repeatedly to create larger "monsters." By analyzing gravitational waves from 155 binary pairs, they discovered that 14% are second-generation black holes, born from previous mergers rather than stellar collapse. These second-generation black holes are characterized by rapid spin and mass asymmetry, providing clues to how supermassive black holes form in galaxies. (7)1897 WISCONSIN, LENS BY ALVIN CLARK AND SONS