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We perform a search for binary black hole mergers with one subsolar massblack hole and a primary component above $2 M_\odot$ in the second observingrun of LIGO/Virgo. Our analysis therefore extends previous searches into a massregion motivated by the presence of a peak in any broad mass distribution ofprimordial black holes (PBHs) around $[2-3] M_\odot$ coming from the equationof state reduction at the QCD transition. Four candidate events are foundpassing a false alarm rate (FAR) threshold of 2 per year, although none arestatistically significant enough for being clear detections. We first derivemodel independent limits on the PBH merging rates assuming a null result of thesearch. Then we confront them to two recent scenarios in which PBHs canconstitute up to the totality of the Dark Matter, explain LIGO/Virgo mergersand the possible observation of a stochastic gravitational-wave background byNANOGrav. We find that these models still pass the rate limits and concludethat the analysis of the O3 and O4 observing runs will be decisive to test thehypothesis of a primordial origin of black hole mergers.

The hunt for sub-solar primordial black holes in low mass ratio binaries is open