Unequal-mass, highly-spinning binary black hole mergers in the stable mass transfer formation channel

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Olejak, Aleksandra, Klencki, Jakub, Xu, Xiao-Tian, Wang, Chen, Belczynski, Krzysztof, Lasota, Jean-Pierre
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866913515310153728
author Olejak, Aleksandra
Klencki, Jakub
Xu, Xiao-Tian
Wang, Chen
Belczynski, Krzysztof
Lasota, Jean-Pierre
author_facet Olejak, Aleksandra
Klencki, Jakub
Xu, Xiao-Tian
Wang, Chen
Belczynski, Krzysztof
Lasota, Jean-Pierre
contents The growing database of gravitational-wave (GW) detections with the binary black holes (BHs) merging in the distant Universe contains subtle insights into their formation scenarios. One of the puzzling properties of detected GW sources is the possible (anti)correlation between mass ratio q of BH-BH binaries and their effective spin. We use rapid binary evolution models to demonstrate that the isolated binary evolution followed by efficient tidal spin-up of stripped helium core produces a similar pattern in Xeff vs q distributions of BH-BH mergers. In our models, the progenitors of unequal BH-BH systems in the stable mass transfer formation scenario are more likely to efficiently shrink their orbits during the second Roche-lobe overflow than the binaries that evolve into nearly equal-mass component systems. This makes it easier for unequal-mass progenitors to enter the tidal spin-up regime and later merge due to GW emission. Our results are, however, sensitive to some input assumptions, especially, the stability of mass transfer and the angular momentum loss during non-conservative mass transfer. We note that mass transfer prescriptions widely adopted in rapid codes favor the formation of BH-BH merger progenitors with unequal masses and moderate separations. We compare our results with detailed stellar model grids and find reasonable agreement after appropriate calibration of the physics models. We anticipate that future detections of unequal-mass BH-BH mergers could provide valuable constraints on the role of the stable mass transfer formation channel. A significant fraction of BH-BH detections with mass ratio q in range (0.4 - 0.7) would be consistent with the mass ratio reversal scenario during the first, relatively conservative mass transfer, and a non-enhanced angular momentum loss during the second, highly non-conservative mass transfer phase.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_12426
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Unequal-mass, highly-spinning binary black hole mergers in the stable mass transfer formation channel
Olejak, Aleksandra
Klencki, Jakub
Xu, Xiao-Tian
Wang, Chen
Belczynski, Krzysztof
Lasota, Jean-Pierre
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
The growing database of gravitational-wave (GW) detections with the binary black holes (BHs) merging in the distant Universe contains subtle insights into their formation scenarios. One of the puzzling properties of detected GW sources is the possible (anti)correlation between mass ratio q of BH-BH binaries and their effective spin. We use rapid binary evolution models to demonstrate that the isolated binary evolution followed by efficient tidal spin-up of stripped helium core produces a similar pattern in Xeff vs q distributions of BH-BH mergers. In our models, the progenitors of unequal BH-BH systems in the stable mass transfer formation scenario are more likely to efficiently shrink their orbits during the second Roche-lobe overflow than the binaries that evolve into nearly equal-mass component systems. This makes it easier for unequal-mass progenitors to enter the tidal spin-up regime and later merge due to GW emission. Our results are, however, sensitive to some input assumptions, especially, the stability of mass transfer and the angular momentum loss during non-conservative mass transfer. We note that mass transfer prescriptions widely adopted in rapid codes favor the formation of BH-BH merger progenitors with unequal masses and moderate separations. We compare our results with detailed stellar model grids and find reasonable agreement after appropriate calibration of the physics models. We anticipate that future detections of unequal-mass BH-BH mergers could provide valuable constraints on the role of the stable mass transfer formation channel. A significant fraction of BH-BH detections with mass ratio q in range (0.4 - 0.7) would be consistent with the mass ratio reversal scenario during the first, relatively conservative mass transfer, and a non-enhanced angular momentum loss during the second, highly non-conservative mass transfer phase.
title Unequal-mass, highly-spinning binary black hole mergers in the stable mass transfer formation channel
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12426