OJ 287 Outburst Structure and a Binary Black Hole Model

Lehto, H. J.; Valtonen, M. J.

doi:10.1086/176962

Cited by 350 publications

(515 citation statements)

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“…A simple estimate of the fraction of quasars that would harbour binaries with an orbital period t bin can be obtained from the residence time tres = a/ȧ at each separation a, and the lifetime of bright (LQ/L edd ∼ > 1 Note that in the precessing binary model for OJ287 (Lehto & Valtonen 1996;Valtonen et al 2008), the orbital period is 12.2 yr, the primary is very massive (∼ 1.8×10 10 M ), but the secondary is light (∼ 1.4×10 8 M ). The latter reduces the efficiency of GWs, but increases the impact of a gas disc; as a result, the OJ287 binary is gas-driven, well before decoupling.…”

Section: Binary Fraction Among Quasarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A reduced orbital period for the supermassive black hole binary candidate in the quasar PG 1302-102?

D’Orazio

Haiman

Duffell

et al. 2015

Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.

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Graham et al. have detected a 5.2 yr periodic optical variability of the quasar PG 1302-102 at redshift z = 0.3, which they interpret as the redshifted orbital period (1 + z)t bin of a putative supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB). Here, we consider the implications of a 3 − 8 times shorter orbital period, suggested by hydrodynamical simulations of circumbinary discs (CBDs) with nearly equal-mass SMBHBsWith the corresponding 2−4 times tighter binary separation, PG 1302 would be undergoing gravitational wave dominated inspiral, and serve as a proof that the BHs can be fuelled and produce bright emission even in this late stage of the merger. The expected fraction of binaries with the shorter t bin , among bright quasars, would be reduced by one to two orders of magnitude, compared to the 5.2 yr period, in better agreement with the rarity of candidates reported by Graham et al. Finally, shorter periods would imply higher binary speeds, possibly imprinting periodicity on the light curves from relativistic beaming, as well as measurable relativistic effects on the Fe K α line. The CBD model predicts additional periodic variability on time-scales of t bin and ≈ 0.5t bin , as well as periodic variation of broad line widths and offsets relative to the narrow lines, which are consistent with the observations. Future observations will be able to test these predictions and hence the binary+CBD hypothesis for PG 1302.

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Section: Binary Fraction Among Quasarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A reduced orbital period for the supermassive black hole binary candidate in the quasar PG 1302-102?

D’Orazio

Haiman

Duffell

et al. 2015

Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc.

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“…et al (1988) originally argued that tidal forces from the secondary black hole around the pericenter of its orbit will lead to an increased accretion rate for the primary black hole and thus result in an outburst. Lehto & Valtonen (1996) proposed that the secondary black hole plunges into and through the accretion disk of the primary before and after the pericenter, resulting in the double outburst observed in the light curves (see also Valtonen et al 2006). This procedure however, as argued by Valtaoja et al (2000), is thermal and should not produce an outburst in the radio regime; thus it seems unlikely for the case of 0716+714.…”

Section: Correlation Between Kinematics and Flux-density Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-radial motion in the TeV blazar S5 0716+714

Britzen¹,

Kam²,

Witzel³

et al. 2009

A&A

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Context. Flat-spectrum radio sources often show a core-jet structure on pc-scales. Individual jet components reveal predominantly outward directed motion. For the BL Lac object S5 0716+714 conflicting apparent velocities have been reported in the literature. This object is an intra-day variable source and suited to investigate a possible correlation between kinematic properties and flux-density variability on different timescales. Aims. We study the kinematics in the pc-scale jet of S5 0716+714 to determine the apparent speeds of the jet components based on a much improved data set. In addition, we search for correlations between the radio flux-density light curves and the morphological changes detected along the VLBI jet. Methods. We (re-)analyze 50 VLBI observations obtained with the VLBA at 5 different frequencies (5-43 GHz) between 1992.73 and 2006.32. The data have been parameterized using circular Gaussian components. We analyze the jet component motion in detail taking care not only to account for motion in the radial but also in the orthogonal direction. We study the evolution of the jet ridge line and investigate the spectral properties of the individual components. We search for correlations between radio band light curves and the kinematic properties of the jet components. Results. We present an alternative kinematic scenario for jet component motion in S5 0716+714. We present evidence for the apparent stationarity of jet components (with regard to their core separation) with time. Jet components, however, do seem to move significantly non-radially with regard to their position angle and in a direction perpendicular to the major axis of the jet. We discuss a possible correlation between the long-term radio flux-density variability and apparent jet component motions. Conclusions. In S5 0716+714 an alternative motion scenario is proposed. With regard to the core separation, rather stationary components can fit the VLBI observations well. A new model to explain the observed motion with regard to the position angle is required. Based on the correlation between the longterm radio flux-density variability and the position angle evolution of a jet component, we conclude that a geometric contribution to the origin of the long-term variability might not be negligible. Subluminal motion has been reported for most of the TeV blazars. Our analysis also confirms this finding for the case of S5 0716+714. This result increases the number of TeV blazars showing apparent subluminal motion to 7.

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“…A BBH system may produce a precessing jet base (e.g., Yokosawa & Inoue 1985;Romero et al 2003;Roland et al 2008;Kaastra & Roos 1992) and thus a bent jet. The detected periodicities in the light curves may also be caused by a BBH (e.g., Lehto & Valtonen 1996;Sillanpaa et al 1988;Qian et al 2007;Caproni & Abraham 2004). Finally, there is a number of more indirect evidence possibly connected to these systems (e.g., Komossa 2006).…”

Section: Binary Black Hole System Properties and Identification Criteriamentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The source OJ287 is another famous example, that has correlated variability in the radio, optical, and infrared (see e.g., Fan & Lin 1999). OJ287 is a prominent candidate BBH system (Sillanpaa et al 1988;Lehto & Valtonen 1996;Pietilä 1998;Valtonen et al 1999;Liu & Wu 2002;Valtonen 2007). …”

Section: Periodicities In the Lightcurvesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing the merger-driven evolution of active galaxies using the CJF sample

Karouzos¹,

Britzen²,

Eckart

et al. 2010

A&A

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Context. For the evolution of large-scale structures in the Universe, it is unclear whether active galaxies represent a phase that each galaxy undergoes, and whether and to which extent the evolution of black holes at their centers is important. Binary black hole (BBH) systems may play a key role in our understanding of the above questions. Aims. We investigate the Caltech-Jodrell Bank flat-spectrum (CJF) sample to identify evidence that supports the merger-driven evolution scheme of active galaxies, and search for tracer-systems of active galactic nucleus (AGN) evolution and possible BBH candidates. We discuss the strength of and uncertainty in the evidence and formulate a set of selection criteria to detect such tracer-systems. Methods. We conduct an extensive literature search for all available multiwavelength data, particularly in the optical and infrared regime, and morphological information about the CJF sources. We perform a statistical analysis of the properties of this sample. Results. We find 1 ULIRG (Mrk 231) included in the CJF prototype of a transitory system. In total, 28.6% of the CJF sources with z ≤ 0.4 are distorted or have a companion. Given the unbiased sample used here, this provides strong evidence of the ubiquity of the merger phenomenon in the context of active galaxies. We find a correlation between the radio and the near-infrared luminosity of the high-luminosity sources, interpreted in the context of the interplay between a star-formation and AGN component. We find a connection between variability and evolutionary transitory systems, as selected on the basis of their near-infrared colors. We select 28 sources that trace the different evolution phases of an AGN, as well as a number of the most promising BBH candidates. We find 4 sources with almost periodical variability in the optical and radio on similar timescales.

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OJ 287 Outburst Structure and a Binary Black Hole Model

Cited by 350 publications

References 0 publications

A reduced orbital period for the supermassive black hole binary candidate in the quasar PG 1302-102?

A reduced orbital period for the supermassive black hole binary candidate in the quasar PG 1302-102?

Non-radial motion in the TeV blazar S5 0716+714

Tracing the merger-driven evolution of active galaxies using the CJF sample

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