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Frequency and Abundance of Binary sUpermassive bLack holes from Optical Variability Surveys (FABULOVS): Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of Radial-Velocity Selected Binary Candidates

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Department of Astronomy
Location
134 Astronomy Building
Virtual
wifi event
Date
Jan 27, 2025   12:00 - 1:00 pm  
Speaker
Liam Nolan
Contact
Daniel Franco
E-Mail
danielf9@illinois.edu
Phone
217-300-6769
Views
3
Originating Calendar
Astronomy Journal Club

Sub-parsec (sub-pc) binary supermassive black holes (BSBHs) should be common from galaxy mergers, yet direct evidence has been elusive. We present WFC3/IR imaging for a sample of 8 candidate sub-pc BSBHs at redshifts z~0.1-0.5, as well as cross-comparison with a sample of archival ordinary quasars. The targets were identified from ordinary quasars and kinematically offset quasars whose broad H-beta lines are significantly offset (by >~ a few hundred km/s) from the systemic redshifts. We directly test the prediction that the host galaxies of BSBHs should have a higher fraction of disturbed morphologies and younger stellar bulges (high Sersic indices) from recent interactions than those of control quasars. After careful subtraction of the central quasar light, our candidate sample shows a statistically undifferentiated average asymmetry, indicative of similar numbers of late-stage mergers. This result opens questions as to the timescale differences between host and BH mergers.

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