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Where might a stellar-mass black hole be located?

a) In the center of a galaxy
b) In a binary system with a companion star
c) In a star cluster
d) In interstellar space

1 Answer

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Final answer:

A stellar-mass black hole can be located in a binary system with a companion star, a star cluster, or interstellar space, whereas a supermassive black hole is found at the center of a galaxy.

Step-by-step explanation:

A stellar-mass black hole can be located in various environments within a galaxy. While a supermassive black hole is typically found at the center of a galaxy, a stellar-mass black hole may exist in a binary system with a companion star, in a star cluster, or wandering in interstellar space. Furthermore, observational evidence for stellar-mass black holes often arises from binary star systems. Here, the invisible star emits flickering X-ray emission from an accretion disk indicating its presence, and the mass calculated for the invisible object is typically greater than 3 solar masses (Msun), which exceeds the expected mass for a neutron star, thus suggesting it to be a black hole.

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