Compact binary formation in open star clusters – I. High formation efficiency of Gaia BHs and their multiplicities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Gaia BHs, black hole (BH) binaries discovered from data base of an astrometric telescope Gaia, pose a question to the standard binary evolution model. We have assessed whether Gaia BHs can be formed through dynamical capture in open clusters rather than through isolated binary evolution. We have performed gravitational N-body simulations of 100 open clusters with $10^5 \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ in total for each metallicity Z = 0.02, 0.01, and 0.005. We have discovered one Gaia BH-like binary escaping from an open cluster, and found that the formation efficiency of Gaia BHs in open clusters ($\sim 10^{-5} \, \mathrm{M}_\odot ^{-1}$) is larger than in isolated binaries ($\sim 10^{-8} \, \mathrm{M}_\odot ^{-1}$) by 3 orders of magnitude. The Gaia BH-like binary is the inner binary of a triple star system. Gaia BHs can have tertiary stars frequently, if they are formed in open clusters. Combining additional N-body simulations with 8000 open clusters with $8 \times 10^6 \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, we have estimated the number of Gaia BHs in the Milky Way disc to 104–105 (depending on the definitions of Gaia BHs), large enough for the number of Gaia BHs discovered so far. Our results indicate that the discoveries of Gaia BHs do not request the reconstruction of the standard binary evolution model, and that Gaia BHs are a probe for the dynamics of open clusters already evaporated.