Numerical Simulations of Wet Black Hole Binaries and their Electromagnetic Signatures

COFFEE_KLATCH · Invited

Abstract

The detection of electromagnetic signatures from the coalescence of supermassive black hole binaries will have a tremendous impact for our understanding of the growth and evolution of these massive compact objects. Given current uncertainties, a great challenge in this endevour is to uniquely define the gaseous environment surrounding these binaries, in particular during their last inspiral and merger. What is almost certain is that the properties of the gas in the vicinity of the holes are likely to be bracketed between two scenarios: a hot and turbulent gas cloud and a rotationally supported circumbinary disk. I will present results from the first fully general relativistic, hydrodynamical study of the late inspiral and merger of binaries with equal mass and spinning supermassive black holes immersed in a gas cloud. In particular, I will show the potential electromagnetic signatures arising from these merger events.

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Authors

  • Milind Purohit

    Univ of South Carolina, Benedict College, Sc 29204, Univ. South Carolina, Benedict College, Univ South Carolina, GA Tech, Central Microscopy Research Facility, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA, Department of Chemistry, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, USA, Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, Department of Physics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, College of William \& Mary, Harvard University, Benedict College, SC 29204, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Applied Science, Bielefeld, Germany, Francis Marion University, Physics Dept., Emory University, Emory University, Formerly Emory University, currently UCLA, Physics Department, Georgia State University, Univ. of Georgia, Dept. of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina, Pr, Dr, Derpartment of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, FL-32307, Department of Physics, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Naval Research Laboratory, University of Alabama, Tsinghua University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, Jagellonian Univ., Univ. of Bonn, North Carolina A\&T State Univ., North Carolina Central Univ., Duke Univ. and TUNL, Georgia State University, Dept of Physics, Emory University, Cell Biology Department, Emory University, Physics Department, Emory University, University of South Carolina