Recoil Velocities from Equal-Mass Binary-Black-Hole Mergers

Abstract

The final evolution of a binary-black-hole system gives rise to a recoil velocity if an asymmetry is present in the emitted gravitational radiation. Measurements of this effect for nonspinning binaries with unequal masses have pointed out that kick velocities $\sim 175 km / s$ can be reached for a mass ratio $≃ 0.36$ . However, a larger recoil can be obtained for equal-mass binaries if the asymmetry is provided by the spins. Using two independent methods we show that the merger of such binaries yields velocities as large as $\sim 440 km / s$ for black holes having unequal spins that are antialigned and parallel to the orbital angular momentum.

Received 29 January 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.041102

Authors & Affiliations

Michael Koppitz¹, Denis Pollney¹, Christian Reisswig¹, Luciano Rezzolla^1,2, Jonathan Thornburg¹, Peter Diener^3,2, and Erik Schnetter³

¹Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
²Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
³Center for Computation and Technology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA

Observable Signatures of a Black Hole Ejected by Gravitational-Radiation Recoil in a Galaxy Merger

Abraham Loeb

Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 041103 (2007)

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Physical Review Letters