A VLBA-uGMRT search for candidate binary black holes: Study of six X-shaped radio galaxies with double-peaked emission lines

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sebastian, Biny, Caproni, Anderson, Kharb, Preeti, Nayana, A. J., Ali, Arshi, Rubinur, K., O'Dea, Christopher P., Baum, Stefi, Nandi, Sumana
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866910336459735040
author Sebastian, Biny
Caproni, Anderson
Kharb, Preeti
Nayana, A. J.
Ali, Arshi
Rubinur, K.
O'Dea, Christopher P.
Baum, Stefi
Nandi, Sumana
author_facet Sebastian, Biny
Caproni, Anderson
Kharb, Preeti
Nayana, A. J.
Ali, Arshi
Rubinur, K.
O'Dea, Christopher P.
Baum, Stefi
Nandi, Sumana
contents Identifying methods to discover dual AGN has proven to be challenging. Several indirect tracers have been explored in the literature, including X/S-shaped radio morphologies and double-peaked (DP) emission lines in the optical spectra. However, the detection rates of confirmed dual AGN candidates from the individual methods remain extremely small. We search for binary black holes in a sample of six sources that exhibit both X-shaped radio morphology and DP emission lines using the VLBA. Three out of the six sources show dual VLBA compact components, making them strong candidates for binary black hole sources. In addition, we present deep uGMRT images revealing the exquisite details of the X-shaped wings in three sources. We present a detailed precession modeling analysis of these sources. The BH separations estimated from the simplistic geodetic precession model are incompatible with those estimated from emission line offsets and the VLBA separations. However, precession induced by a noncoplanar secondary black hole is a feasible mechanism for explaining the observed X-shaped radio morphologies and the black hole separations estimated from other methods. The black hole separations estimated from the double-peaked emission lines agree well with the VLBA compact component separations. Future multi-frequency VLBA observations will be critical in ruling out or confirming the binary black hole scenario in the three galaxies with dual component detections.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2402_12521
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A VLBA-uGMRT search for candidate binary black holes: Study of six X-shaped radio galaxies with double-peaked emission lines
Sebastian, Biny
Caproni, Anderson
Kharb, Preeti
Nayana, A. J.
Ali, Arshi
Rubinur, K.
O'Dea, Christopher P.
Baum, Stefi
Nandi, Sumana
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
Identifying methods to discover dual AGN has proven to be challenging. Several indirect tracers have been explored in the literature, including X/S-shaped radio morphologies and double-peaked (DP) emission lines in the optical spectra. However, the detection rates of confirmed dual AGN candidates from the individual methods remain extremely small. We search for binary black holes in a sample of six sources that exhibit both X-shaped radio morphology and DP emission lines using the VLBA. Three out of the six sources show dual VLBA compact components, making them strong candidates for binary black hole sources. In addition, we present deep uGMRT images revealing the exquisite details of the X-shaped wings in three sources. We present a detailed precession modeling analysis of these sources. The BH separations estimated from the simplistic geodetic precession model are incompatible with those estimated from emission line offsets and the VLBA separations. However, precession induced by a noncoplanar secondary black hole is a feasible mechanism for explaining the observed X-shaped radio morphologies and the black hole separations estimated from other methods. The black hole separations estimated from the double-peaked emission lines agree well with the VLBA compact component separations. Future multi-frequency VLBA observations will be critical in ruling out or confirming the binary black hole scenario in the three galaxies with dual component detections.
title A VLBA-uGMRT search for candidate binary black holes: Study of six X-shaped radio galaxies with double-peaked emission lines
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.12521