Revealing Black Holes with Gaia

Breivik, Katelyn; Chatterjee, Sourav; Larson, Shane L.

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa97d5

Cited by 100 publications

(144 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…that the Gaia satellite offers excellent prospects for identifying OB+BH binaries this way (Breivik et al 2017;Mashian & Loeb 2017;Yalinewich et al 2018;Yamaguchi et al 2018). Furthermore, a BH companion induces a photometric variability to an OB star in several ways (Zucker, et al 2007, Masuda & Hotokezaka 2019.…”

Section: Ob+bh Binary Detection Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of OB star−black hole systems derived from detailed binary evolution models

Langer

Schürmann

Stoll

et al. 2020

A&A

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Context. The recent gravitational wave measurements have demonstrated the existence of stellar mass black hole binaries. It is essential for our understanding of massive star evolution to identify the contribution of binary evolution to the formation of double black holes. Aims. A promising way to progress is investigating the progenitors of double black hole systems and comparing predictions with local massive star samples such as the population in 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Methods. To this purpose, we analyse a large grid of detailed binary evolution models at LMC metallicity with initial primary masses between 10 and 40 M , and identify which model systems potentially evolve into a binary consisting of a black hole and a massive main sequence star. We then derive the observable properties of such systems, as well as peculiarities of the OB star component. Results. We find that ∼3% of the LMC late O and early B stars in binaries are expected to possess a black hole companion, when assuming stars with a final helium core mass above 6.6 M to form black holes. While the vast majority of them may be X-ray quiet, our models suggest that these may be identified in spectroscopic binaries, either by large amplitude radial velocity variations ( ∼ > 50 km s −1 ) and simultaneous nitrogen surface enrichment, or through a moderate radial velocity ( ∼ > 10 km s −1 ) and simultaneously rapid rotation of the OB star. The predicted mass ratios are such that main sequence companions could be excluded in most cases. A comparison to the observed OB+WR binaries in the LMC, Be/X-ray binaries, and known massive BH binaries supports our conclusion. Conclusions. We expect spectroscopic observations to be able to test key assumptions in our models, with important implications for massive star evolution in general, and for the formation of double-black hole mergers in particular.

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Section: Ob+bh Binary Detection Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of OB star−black hole systems derived from detailed binary evolution models

Langer

Schürmann

Stoll

et al. 2020

A&A

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For neutron stars and black holes, astrometry -if precise enough -provides perhaps the most straightforward observations for deriving constraints on masses; such mass constraints may be the only way to determine the nature of the dark companion to a radial velocity variable, particularly if the dark companions are radio and X-ray dark. Furthermore, population synthesis studies (e.g., Breivik et al 2017) indicate the Galaxy ought to be flush with such long-period binaries. Radial velocity follow-up to identify these is both observationally expensive and technically demanding.…”

Section: Detection and Initializationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weighing the Darkness: Astrometric Mass Measurement of Hidden Stellar Companions Using Gaia

Andrews

Breivik

Chatterjee³

2019

ApJ

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In astrometric binaries, the presence of a dark, unseen star can be inferred from the gravitational pull it induces on its luminous binary companion. While the orbit of such binaries can be characterized with precise astrometric measurements, constraints made from astrometry alone are not enough to measure the component masses. In this work, we determine the precision with which Gaia can astrometrically measure the orbits and -with additional observations -the component masses, for luminous stars hosting hidden companions. Using realistic mock Gaia observations, we find that Gaia can precisely measure the orbits of binaries hosting hidden brown-dwarfs out to tens of pc and hidden white dwarf and neutron star companions at distances as far as several hundred pc. Heavier black hole companions may be measured out to 1 kpc or farther. We further determine how orbital period affects this precision, finding that Gaia can characterize orbits with periods as short as 10 days and as long as a few 10 3 days, with the best measured orbits having periods just short of Gaia's mission lifetime. Extending Gaia's nominal five-year mission lifetime by an additional five years not only allows for the measurement of longer period orbits, but those longer period binaries can be seen at even greater distances.

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“…We investigate two populations in our results: all detached CO-GSs that are detectable by Gaia at present, and the present population of '2M0521-like' CO-GSs. For the Gaia-detectable population, we use the conservative constraints from Breivik et al (2017) which require the CO-GS to have an orbital period shorter than the Gaia mission length of 5 years and a projected binary separation that is 3 times greater than the Gaia single pointing position error.…”

Section: Definition Of 2m0521-like Co-gs Binariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraining Compact Object Formation with 2M0521

Breivik

Chatterjee

Andrews

2019

ApJL

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We show that the recently discovered binary 2M05215658+4359220 (2M0521), comprised of a giant star (GS) orbiting a suspected black hole (BH) in a ∼ 80 day orbit, may be instrumental in shedding light on uncertain BH-formation physics and can be a test case for studying wind accretion models. Using binary population synthesis with a realistic prescription for the star formation history and metallicity evolution of the Milky Way, we analyze the evolution of binaries containing compact objects (COs) in orbit around GSs with properties similar to 2M0521. We find ∼ 10 2 − 10 3 CO-GS binaries in the Milky Way observable by Gaia and 0 − 12 BH-GS and 0 − 1 neutron star-GS binaries in the Milky Way with properties similar to 2M0521. We find that all CO-GSs with P orb < 5 yr, including 2M0521, go through a common envelope (CE) and hence form a class of higher mass analogs to white dwarf post-CE binaries. We further show how the component masses of 2M0521-like binaries depend strongly on the supernova-engine model we adopt. Thus, an improved measurement of the orbit of 2M0521, imminent with Gaia's third data release, will strongly constrain its component masses and as a result inform supernova-engine models widely used in binary population synthesis studies. These results have widespread implications for the origins and properties of CO binaries, especially those detectable by LIGO and LISA. Finally, we show that the reported X-ray non-detection of 2M0521 is a challenge for wind accretion theory, making 2M0521-like CO-GS binaries a prime target for further study with accretion models.

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Revealing Black Holes with Gaia

Cited by 100 publications

References 44 publications

Properties of OB star−black hole systems derived from detailed binary evolution models

Properties of OB star−black hole systems derived from detailed binary evolution models

Weighing the Darkness: Astrometric Mass Measurement of Hidden Stellar Companions Using Gaia

Constraining Compact Object Formation with 2M0521

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