The Maximum Black Hole Mass at Solar Metallicity

We analyse the current knowledge and uncertainties in detailed stellar evolution and wind modelling to evaluate the mass of the most massive stellar black hole (BH) at solar metallicity. Contrary to common expectations that it is the most massive stars that produce the most massive BHs, we find that the maximum MBHMax 30 ± 10\,M_ is found in the canonical intermediate range between MZAMS 30 and 50\,M_ instead. The prime reason for this seemingly counter-intuitive finding is that very massive stars (VMS) have increasingly high mass-loss rates, leading to substantial mass evaporation before they expire as stars, ending as lighter BHs than their canonical O-star counterparts.