- July 22, 2024, 2:00 pm US/Central
- Curia II
- Andrès Banares Hernandez, IAC
- Host: Elena Pinetti
Abstract:
We perform a combined analysis of stellar kinematics and line-of-sight accelerations of millisecond pulsars to investigate the mass contents of Omega Centauri. We consider multiple mass components, such as stellar remnants, an intermediate-mass black hole, and dark matter. By self-consistently incorporating multiple independent datasets, we obtain stringent constraints on these mass distributions. Our results favor an extended central mass of ~ 2 – 3 x 10^5 Msun, emulating a cluster of stellar remnants, over an IMBH, with a 3-sigma upper limit of 6,000 Msun on its mass. Pulsar timing observations provide significant constraints, favoring a central mass distribution that is ~ 20% more massive and extended. Additionally, we observe a clear linear scaling between pulsar distribution and stellar encounter rates, showing excellent agreement with MSP formation models and highlighting the effectiveness of this novel methodology in exploring the structure of globular clusters.