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The evolution of a supermassive retrograde binary embedded in an accretion disk

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Ivanov, PB 
Papaloizou, JCB 
Paardekooper, S-J 
Polnarev, AG 

Abstract

In this note we discuss the main results of a study of a massive binary with unequal mass ratio, q, embedded in an accretion disk, with its orbital rotation being opposed to that of the disk. When the mass ratio is sufficiently large, a gap opens in the disk, but the mechanism of gap formation is very different from the prograde case. Inward migration occurs on a timescale of t_ev ~ M_p/(dot M), where M_p is the mass of the less massive component (the perturber), and dot M is the accretion rate. When q<< 1, the accretion takes place mostly onto the more massive component, with the accretion rate onto the perturber being smaller than, or of order of, q^(1/3)M. However, this rate increases when supermassive binary black holes are considered and gravitational wave emission is important. We estimate a typical duration of time for which the accretion onto the perturber and gravitational waves could be detected.

Description

Keywords

astro-ph.HE, astro-ph.HE, astro-ph.GA

Journal Title

Baltic Astronomy

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2543-6376

Volume Title

24

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH