Where to search for supermassive binary black holes
Fuente:
arXiv
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Preprint |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1866913695953584128 |
|---|---|
| author | Marziani, Paola Bon, Edi Bon, Natasa D'Onofrio, Mauro |
| author_facet | Marziani, Paola Bon, Edi Bon, Natasa D'Onofrio, Mauro |
| contents | Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) are the anticipated byproducts of galaxy mergers and play a pivotal role in shaping galaxy evolution, gravitational wave emissions, and accretion physics. Despite their theoretical prevalence, direct observational evidence for SMBBHs remains elusive, with only a handful of candidates identified to date. This paper explores optimal strategies and key environments for locating SMBBHs, focusing on observational signatures in the broad Balmer lines. We present a preliminary analysis on a flux-limited sample of sources belonging to an evolved spectral type along the quasar main sequence, and we discuss the spectroscopic clues indicative of binary activity and highlight the critical role of time-domain spectroscopic surveys in uncovering periodic variability linked to binary systems. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_12664 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Where to search for supermassive binary black holes Marziani, Paola Bon, Edi Bon, Natasa D'Onofrio, Mauro Astrophysics of Galaxies Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) are the anticipated byproducts of galaxy mergers and play a pivotal role in shaping galaxy evolution, gravitational wave emissions, and accretion physics. Despite their theoretical prevalence, direct observational evidence for SMBBHs remains elusive, with only a handful of candidates identified to date. This paper explores optimal strategies and key environments for locating SMBBHs, focusing on observational signatures in the broad Balmer lines. We present a preliminary analysis on a flux-limited sample of sources belonging to an evolved spectral type along the quasar main sequence, and we discuss the spectroscopic clues indicative of binary activity and highlight the critical role of time-domain spectroscopic surveys in uncovering periodic variability linked to binary systems. |
| title | Where to search for supermassive binary black holes |
| topic | Astrophysics of Galaxies Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.12664 |