Searches for black hole candidates in the era of large-scale optical surveys

Abstract

This thesis uses observations to understand the Galactic population of stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars. We place detailed constraints on the deaths of massive stars, and refine existing, and test new, methods for identifying stellar-mass black holes in binaries with a star. We find the methods tested produce samples dominated by non-black hole systems. Finally, we identify and investigate an exotic triple system in the Large Magellanic Cloud that may host a black hole.