A case for a binary black hole system revealed via quasi-periodic outflows

Warning

This publication doesn't include Faculty of Sports Studies. It includes Faculty of Science. Official publication website can be found on muni.cz.
Authors

PASHAM Dheeraj R. TOMBESI Francesco SUKOVÁ Petra ZAJAČEK Michal RAKSHIT Suvendu COUGHLIN Eric KOSEC Peter KARAS Vladimír MASTERSON Megan MUMMERY Andrew HOLOIEN Thomas W.-S. GUOLO Muryel HINKLE Jason RIPPERDA Bart WITZANY Vojtěch SHAPPEE Ben KARA Erin HORESH Assaf VAN VELZEN Sjoert SFARADI Itai KAPLAN David BURGER Noam MURPHY Tara REMILLARD Ronald STEINER James F. WEVERS Thomas ARCODIA Riccardo BUCHNER Johannes MERLONI Andrea MALYALI Adam FABIAN Andy FAUSNAUGH Michael DAYLAN Tansu ALTAMIRANO Diego PAYNE Anna FERRARAA Elizabeth C.

Year of publication 2024
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Science Advances
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj8898
Keywords RADIATION PRESSURE INSTABILITY; ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI; PHOTON IMAGING CAMERA; INITIAL MASS FUNCTION; TIDAL DISRUPTION; SEYFERT-GALAXIES; XMM-NEWTON; NUMERICAL SCHEME; ACCRETION-DISC; EVOLUTION
Description Binaries containing a compact object orbiting a supermassive black hole are thought to be precursors of gravitational wave events, but their identification has been extremely challenging. Here, we report quasi-periodic variability in x-ray absorption, which we interpret as quasi-periodic outflows (QPOuts) from a previously low-luminosity active galactic nucleus after an outburst, likely caused by a stellar tidal disruption. We rule out several models based on observed properties and instead show using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations that QPOuts, separated by roughly 8.3 days, can be explained with an intermediate-mass black hole secondary on a mildly eccentric orbit at a mean distance of about 100 gravitational radii from the primary. Our work suggests that QPOuts could be a new way to identify intermediate/extreme-mass ratio binary candidates.
Related projects:

You are running an old browser version. We recommend updating your browser to its latest version.

More info