High-Priority Compact-Object Candidates in Young Clusters from the \textit{Gaia} DR3 Non-Single-Star Catalog
Abstract
The search for massive compact objects such as black holes (BHs) or neutron stars (NSs) in star clusters is longstanding challenge in astrophysics, yet no definitive identification of such compact objects in young clusters has been reported. In this Letter, we construct a sample of high-priority candidates for follow-up investigation. By cross-matching the cluster catalog with the Gaia Non-Single-Star database and estimating companion masses, we identify 13 systems with companion masses exceeding 1.4~M⊙, three of which have masses above 2.1~M⊙. Applying our newly developed Astrometric Mass-Ratio Function (AMRF) classification based on cluster-specific isochrones, we identify three systems whose companions cannot readily be explained by a single main-sequence star or an unresolved close binary. These systems have inferred companion masses exceeding 2.1~M⊙, suggesting that they may be high-mass compact-object candidates. Joint Gaia and radial velocity orbit fitting for a comparison subset yields companion masses broadly consistent with the astrometric estimates, supporting the use of our framework for target prioritization. These unconfirmed systems are valuable targets for multi-epoch spectroscopy, high-resolution imaging, and future Gaia epoch astrometry.
Versions
Related
- A Sample of Long-Period Binaries with Dormant Compact-Object Candidates from LAMOST DR13 MRS and Gaia DR3
- A Sample of Long-period Binaries with Dormant Compact-object Candidates from LAMOST DR13 MRS and Gaia DR3
- Identifying Compact Object Candidates using Gaia DR3 Astrometric Accelerations and Jerks
- Spectroscopic follow-up of compact object binary candidates from Gaia DR3: White dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, and the parallax zeropoint
- Spectroscopic follow-up of compact object binary candidates from Gaia DR3: White dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, and the parallax zeropoint
BibTeX
@misc{liu2026highpriority,
title = {{High-Priority Compact-Object Candidates in Young Clusters from the \textitGaia DR3 Non-Single-Star Catalog}},
author = {Dejian Liu and Kangteng Chang and Yao Huang and Yingjie Li and Xianjin Shen and Zehao Lin and Jingjing Li and Zhenyu Wu and Jianrong Shi and Ye Xu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.39925},
eprint = {2609.39925},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39925},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - High-Priority Compact-Object Candidates in Young Clusters from the \textit{Gaia} DR3 Non-Single-Star Catalog
AU - Dejian Liu
AU - Kangteng Chang
AU - Yao Huang
AU - Yingjie Li
AU - Xianjin Shen
AU - Zehao Lin
AU - Jingjing Li
AU - Zhenyu Wu
AU - Jianrong Shi
AU - Ye Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.39925
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39925
AB - The search for massive compact objects such as black holes (BHs) or neutron stars (NSs) in star clusters is longstanding challenge in astrophysics, yet no definitive identification of such compact objects in young clusters has been reported. In this Letter, we construct a sample of high-priority candidates for follow-up investigation. By cross-matching the cluster catalog with the Gaia Non-Single-Star database and estimating companion masses, we identify 13 systems with companion masses exceeding 1.4~M_⊙, three of which have masses above 2.1~M_⊙. Applying our newly developed Astrometric Mass-Ratio Function (AMRF) classification based on cluster-specific isochrones, we identify three systems whose companions cannot readily be explained by a single main-sequence star or an unresolved close binary. These systems have inferred companion masses exceeding 2.1~M_⊙, suggesting that they may be high-mass compact-object candidates. Joint Gaia and radial velocity orbit fitting for a comparison subset yields companion masses broadly consistent with the astrometric estimates, supporting the use of our framework for target prioritization. These unconfirmed systems are valuable targets for multi-epoch spectroscopy, high-resolution imaging, and future Gaia epoch astrometry.
ER -