Black holes and neutron stars may collide unseen in dense star clusters

Jan 16, 2020
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They're overstating the importance of the cluster. A black hole doesn't need to be in a cluster to be large enough to swallow a neutron star whole and thus trigger a "lightless" collision. Yes, you're more likely to find a large black hole in a dense cluster, but you're more likely to find everything in a dense cluster. In other words, it's not a requirement. I see nothing here that indicates the cluster is necessary to trigger these sorts of collisions.
 

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