scholarly journals Massive Black Hole Binaries: Dynamical Evolution and Observational Signatures

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dotti ◽  
A. Sesana ◽  
R. Decarli
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Wave Spectra ◽  
Galaxy Mergers ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Open Issues

The study of the dynamical evolution of massive black hole pairs in mergers is crucial in the context of a hierarchical galaxy formation scenario. The timescales for the formation and the coalescence of black hole binaries are still poorly constrained, resulting in large uncertainties in the expected rate of massive black hole binaries detectable in the electromagnetic and gravitational wave spectra. Here, we review the current theoretical understanding of the black hole pairing in galaxy mergers, with a particular attention to recent developments and open issues. We conclude with a review of the expected observational signatures of massive binaries and of the candidates discussed in literature to date.

scholarly journals Formation of counter-rotating and highly eccentric massive black hole binaries in galaxy mergers

2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (1) ◽  
pp. 498-510
Author(s):  
Imran Tariq Nasim ◽  
Cristobal Petrovich ◽  
Adam Nasim ◽  
Fani Dosopoulou ◽  
Fabio Antonini
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Orbital Plane ◽  
Equal Mass ◽  
Galaxy Mergers ◽  
High Eccentricity ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Binary Evolution

ABSTRACT Supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries represent the main target for missions such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna and Pulsar Timing Arrays. The understanding of their dynamical evolution prior to coalescence is therefore crucial to improving detection strategies and for the astrophysical interpretation of the gravitational wave data. In this paper, we use high-resolution N-body simulations to model the merger of two equal-mass galaxies hosting a central SMBH. In our models, all binaries are initially prograde with respect to the galaxy sense of rotation. But, binaries that form with a high eccentricity, e ≳ 0.7, quickly reverse their sense of rotation and become almost perfectly retrograde at the moment of binary formation. The evolution of these binaries proceeds towards larger eccentricities, as expected for a binary hardening in a counter-rotating stellar distribution. Binaries that form with lower eccentricities remain prograde and at comparatively low eccentricities. We study the origin of the orbital flip by using an analytical model that describes the early stages of binary evolution. This model indicates that the orbital plane flip is due to the torque from the triaxial background mass distribution that naturally arises from the galactic merger process. Our results imply the existence of a population of SMBH binaries with a high eccentricity and could have significant implications for the detection of the gravitational wave signal emitted by these systems.

scholarly journals Dynamical Evolution and Merger Timescales of LISA Massive Black Hole Binaries in Disk Galaxy Mergers

2018 ◽  
Vol 868 (2) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fazeel M. Khan ◽  
Pedro R. Capelo ◽  
Lucio Mayer ◽  
Peter Berczik
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Disk Galaxy ◽  
Galaxy Mergers ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Black Hole Binaries

scholarly journals Probing the assembly history and dynamical evolution of massive black hole binaries with pulsar timing arrays

2017 ◽  
Vol 468 (1) ◽  
pp. 404-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siyuan Chen ◽  
Hannah Middleton ◽  
Alberto Sesana ◽  
Walter Del Pozzo ◽  
Alberto Vecchio
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Pulsar Timing

scholarly journals Erratum: Probing the assembly history and dynamical evolution of massive black hole binaries with pulsar timing arrays

2017 ◽  
Vol 469 (2) ◽  
pp. 2455-2456
Author(s):  
Siyuan Chen ◽  
Hannah Middleton ◽  
Alberto Sesana ◽  
Walter Del Pozzo ◽  
Alberto Vecchio
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Pulsar Timing

scholarly journals On the eccentricity evolution of massive black hole binaries in stellar backgrounds

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (1) ◽  
pp. L114-L119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Bonetti ◽  
Alexander Rasskazov ◽  
Alberto Sesana ◽  
Massimo Dotti ◽  
Francesco Haardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Dynamical Evolution ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Massive Black Holes ◽  
Black Hole Binaries ◽  
Simple Extrapolation ◽  
Sgr A ◽  
The Masses ◽  
Three Body

ABSTRACT We study the dynamical evolution of eccentric massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) interacting with unbound stars by means of an extensive set of three-body scattering experiments. Compared to previous studies, we extend the investigation down to a MBHB mass ratio of q = m2/m1 = 10−4, where m1 and m2 are the masses of the primary and secondary hole, respectively. Contrary to a simple extrapolation from higher mass ratios, we find that for q ≲ 10−3 the eccentricity growth rate becomes negative, i.e. the binary circularizes as it shrinks. This behaviour is due to the subset of interacting stars captured in metastable counter-rotating orbits; those stars tend to extract angular momentum from the binary, promoting eccentricity growth for q > 10−3, but tend to inject angular momentum into the binary driving it towards circularization for q < 10−3. The physical origin of this behaviour requires a detailed study of the orbits of this subset of stars and is currently under investigation. Our findings might have important consequences for intermediate massive black holes (IMBHs) inspiralling on to MBHs (e.g. a putative $10^3\,\rm M_{\odot }$ black hole inspiralling on to Sgr A*).

scholarly journals Super-massive black hole binaries in gas-rich environments

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S295) ◽  
pp. 265-265
Author(s):  
Jorge Cuadra
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Galaxy Mergers ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Alternative Scenario ◽  
Black Hole Binaries

AbstractBlack hole binaries form after major galaxy mergers, but their fate is unclear as hardening due to stars gets inefficient at sub-parsec distances. We model an alternative scenario in which the merger is driven by the interaction of the binary with the surrounding gas.†

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