Anisotropic gravitational radiation from a coalescing black hole (BH) binary is known to impart recoil velocities of up to ~1000 km/s to the remnant BH. In this context, we study the motion of a recoiling BH inside a galaxy modelled as a Hernquist sphere, and the signature that the hole imprints on the hot gas, using N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations. Ejection of the BH results in a sudden expansion of the gas ending with the formation of a gaseous core, similarly to what is seen for the stars. A cometary tail of particles bound to the BH is initially released along its trail. As the BH moves on a return orbit, a nearly spherical swarm of hot gaseous particles forms at every apocentre: this feature can live up to ~100 Myr. If the recoil velocity exceeds the sound speed initially, the BH shocks the gas in the form of a Mach cone in density near each supersonic pericentric passage. We find that the X-ray fingerprint of a recoiling BH can be detected in Chandra X-ray maps out to a distance of Virgo. For exceptionally massive BHs, the Mach cone and the wakes can be observed out to a few hundred of milliparsec. The detection of the Mach cone is of twofold importance as it can be a probe of high-velocity recoils, and an assessment of the scatter of the MBH - Mbulge relation at large BH masses

Devecchi, B., Rasia, E., Dotti, M., Volonteri, M., Colpi, M. (2009). Imprints of recoiling massive black holes on the hot gas of early-type galaxies. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 394(2), 633-640 [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.14329.x].

Imprints of recoiling massive black holes on the hot gas of early-type galaxies

Dotti, M;Colpi, M
2009

Abstract

Anisotropic gravitational radiation from a coalescing black hole (BH) binary is known to impart recoil velocities of up to ~1000 km/s to the remnant BH. In this context, we study the motion of a recoiling BH inside a galaxy modelled as a Hernquist sphere, and the signature that the hole imprints on the hot gas, using N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations. Ejection of the BH results in a sudden expansion of the gas ending with the formation of a gaseous core, similarly to what is seen for the stars. A cometary tail of particles bound to the BH is initially released along its trail. As the BH moves on a return orbit, a nearly spherical swarm of hot gaseous particles forms at every apocentre: this feature can live up to ~100 Myr. If the recoil velocity exceeds the sound speed initially, the BH shocks the gas in the form of a Mach cone in density near each supersonic pericentric passage. We find that the X-ray fingerprint of a recoiling BH can be detected in Chandra X-ray maps out to a distance of Virgo. For exceptionally massive BHs, the Mach cone and the wakes can be observed out to a few hundred of milliparsec. The detection of the Mach cone is of twofold importance as it can be a probe of high-velocity recoils, and an assessment of the scatter of the MBH - Mbulge relation at large BH masses
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Black hole physics; Galaxies: nuclei; Gravitational waves; Hydrodynamics; Methods: numerical; X-rays: galaxies
English
2009
394
2
633
640
none
Devecchi, B., Rasia, E., Dotti, M., Volonteri, M., Colpi, M. (2009). Imprints of recoiling massive black holes on the hot gas of early-type galaxies. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 394(2), 633-640 [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.14329.x].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/21636
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