scholarly journals Evolution of gas disc–embedded intermediate mass ratio inspirals in the LISA band

Author(s):  
A Derdzinski ◽  
D D’Orazio ◽  
P Duffell ◽  
Z Haiman ◽  
A MacFadyen

Abstract Among the potential milliHz gravitational wave (GW) sources for the upcoming space-based interferometer LISA are extreme- or intermediate-mass ratio inspirals (EMRI/IMRIs). These events involve the coalescence of supermassive black holes in the mass range 105M⊙ ≲ M ≲ 107M⊙ with companion BHs of much lower masses. A subset of E/IMRIs are expected to occur in the accretion discs of active galactic nuclei (AGN), where torques exerted by the disc can interfere with the inspiral and cause a phase shift in the GW waveform. Here we use a suite of two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with the moving-mesh code DISCO to present a systematic study of disc torques. We measure torques on an inspiraling BH and compute the corresponding waveform deviations as a function of the binary mass ratio q ≡ M2/M1, the disc viscosity (α), and gas temperature (or equivalently Mach number; $\mathcal {M}$). We find that the absolute value of the gas torques is within an order of magnitude of previously determined planetary migration torques, but their precise value and sign depends non-trivially on the combination of these parameters. The gas imprint is detectable by LISA for binaries embedded in AGN discs with surface densities above $\Sigma _0\ge 10^{4-6} \rm \, g cm^{-2}$, depending on q, α and $\mathcal {M}$. Deviations are most pronounced in discs with higher viscosities, and for E/IMRIs detected at frequencies where LISA is most sensitive. Torques in colder discs exhibit a noticeable dependence on the GW-driven inspiral rate as well as strong fluctuations at late stages of the inspiral. Our results further suggest that LISA may be able to place constraints on AGN disc parameters and the physics of disc-satellite interaction.

2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (2) ◽  
pp. 2754-2765 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M Derdzinski ◽  
D D’Orazio ◽  
P Duffell ◽  
Z Haiman ◽  
A MacFadyen

Abstract The coalescence of a compact object with a $10^{4}\hbox{--}10^{7}\, {\rm M_\odot }$ supermassive black hole (SMBH) produces mHz gravitational waves (GWs) detectable by the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). If such an inspiral occurs in the accretion disc of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), the gas torques imprint a small deviation in the GW waveform. Here, we present two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with the moving-mesh code disco of a BH inspiraling at the GW rate in a binary system with a mass ratio q = M2/M1 = 10−3, embedded in an accretion disc. We assume a locally isothermal equation of state for the gas (with Mach number $\mathcal {M}=20$) and implement a standard α-prescription for its viscosity (with α = 0.03). We find disc torques on the binary that are weaker than in previous semi-analytic toy models, and are in the opposite direction: the gas disc slows down, rather than speeds up the inspiral. We compute the resulting deviations in the GW waveform, which scale linearly with the mass of the disc. The SNR of these deviations accumulates mostly at high frequencies, and becomes detectable in a 5 yr LISA observation if the total phase shift exceeds a few radians. We find that this occurs if the disc surface density exceeds $\Sigma _0 \gtrsim 10^{2-3}\rm g\, cm^{-2}$, as may be the case in thin discs with near-Eddington accretion rates. Since the characteristic imprint on the GW signal is strongly dependent on disc parameters, a LISA detection of an intermediate mass ratio inspiral would probe the physics of AGN discs and migration.


1987 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 161-167
Author(s):  
B.M. Peterson

Recent observations of spectral variability in active galactic nuclei have established the connection between the broad emission-line and optical continuum flux changes. The inferred size of the broad-line region is at least an order of magnitude smaller than conventional estimates based on photoionization models, which leads to new conclusions about the nature of the broad-line region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (2) ◽  
pp. 2538-2560 ◽  
Author(s):  
J M M Neustadt ◽  
T W-S Holoien ◽  
C S Kochanek ◽  
K Auchettl ◽  
J S Brown ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present the discovery of ASASSN-18jd (AT 2018bcb), a luminous optical/ultraviolet(UV)/X-ray transient located in the nucleus of the galaxy 2MASX J22434289–1659083 at z = 0.1192. Over the year after discovery, Swift UltraViolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT) photometry shows the UV spectral energy distribution of the transient to be well modelled by a slowly shrinking blackbody with temperature $T \sim 2.5 \times 10^{4} \, {\rm K}$, a maximum observed luminosity of $L_{\rm max} = 4.5^{+0.6}_{-0.3}\times 10^{44} \, {\rm erg \,s}^{-1}$, and a radiated energy of $E = 9.6^{+1.1}_{-0.6} \times 10^{51} \, {\rm erg}$. X-ray data from Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and XMM–Newton show a transient, variable X-ray flux with blackbody and power-law components that fade by nearly an order of magnitude over the following year. Optical spectra show strong, roughly constant broad Balmer emission and transient features attributable to He ii, N iii–v, O iii, and coronal Fe. While ASASSN-18jd shares similarities with tidal disruption events (TDEs), it is also similar to the newly discovered nuclear transients seen in quiescent galaxies and faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs).


2003 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 463-464
Author(s):  
Keiichi Wada ◽  
Colin A. Norman

The structure of obscuring matter in the environment of active galactic nuclei with associated nuclear starbursts is investigated using 3-D hydrodynamical simulations, in which the multi-phase inhomogeneous interstellar matter and its interaction with the supernovae are consistently followed. A globally stable, torus-like, but highly inhomogeneous and turbulent structure is found. To achieve the high column densities as suggested by observations of some Seyfert 2 galaxies with nuclear starbursts, the viewing angle should be larger than about 70° from the pole-on for a 108M⊙ massive black hole. We propose that nuclear starbursts and the mass of the black hole that determines the geometry of the obscuring torus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (2) ◽  
pp. 2575-2586
Author(s):  
Amr A El-Zant ◽  
Zacharias Roupas ◽  
Joseph Silk

ABSTRACT Fuzzy dark matter (FDM) consisting of ultralight axions has been invoked to alleviate galactic-scale problems in the cold dark matter scenario. FDM fluctuations, created via the superposition of waves, can impact the motion of a central supermassive black hole (SMBH) immersed in an FDM halo. The SMBH will undergo a random walk, induced by FDM fluctuations, that can result in its ejection from the central region. This effect is strongest in dwarf galaxies, accounting for wandering SMBHs and the low detection rate of active galactic nuclei in dwarf spheroidal galaxies. In addition, a lower bound on the allowed axion masses is inferred both for Sagitarius A* and heavier SMBH; to avoid ejection from the galactic centres, axion masses of the order of 10−22 eV or lighter are excluded. Stronger limits are inferred for merging galaxies. We find that the event rate of SMBH mergers in FDM haloes and the associated SMBH growth rates can be reduced by at least an order of magnitude.


1997 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 159-162
Author(s):  
Shai Kaspi

AbstractWe present 5 years of results from a spectrophotometric monitoring program of 28 quasars. The typical sampling intervals are several months. We show the light curves obtained for two quasars, PG 0804+762 and PG 0953+414. Both sources show Balmer emissionline variations which follow those of the continuum with a time lag of order 100 days. This is the first reliable measurement of such a lag in active galactic nuclei with luminosity L > 1045 erg s−1. The broad-line region (BLR) size that is implied is almost an order of magnitude larger than that measured in several Seyfert 1 galaxies and is consistent with the hypothesis that the BLR size grows as L0.5.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 1460192
Author(s):  
VOLKER GAIBLER

Considerable asymmetries in jets from active galactic nuclei (AGN) and associated double radio sources can be caused by an inhomogeneous interstellar medium of the host galaxy. These asymmetries can easily be estimated by 1D propagation models, but hydrodynamical simulations have shown that the actual asymmetries can be considerably larger. With a set of smaller-scale hydrodynamical simulations we examine these asymmetries, and find they are typically a factor of ~ 3 larger than in 1D models. We conclude that, at high redshift, large asymmetries in radio sources are expected in gas-rich galaxies with a clumpy interstellar medium.


2008 ◽  
Vol 689 (2) ◽  
pp. 762-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. Dewangan ◽  
S. Mathur ◽  
R. E. Griffiths ◽  
A. R. Rao

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