Emission Lines as a Tool in Search for Supermassive Black Hole Binaries and Recoiling Black Holes

TL;DR

This paper discusses how emission lines can be used to identify supermassive black hole binaries and recoiling black holes, emphasizing the importance of electromagnetic signatures for detection and cosmology.

Contribution

It reviews current observational evidence and highlights how improved theoretical models of signatures can aid future searches for these systems.

Findings

Existing evidence supports emission line signatures as indicators of SBHBs.

Advances in theory can improve detection strategies.

Combining EM and gravitational wave data enhances cosmological measurements.

Abstract

Detection of electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of pre-coalescence binaries has very important implications for our understanding of the evolution of these systems as well as the associated accretion physics. In addition, a combination of EM and gravitational wave signatures observed from coalescing supermassive black hole binaries (SBHBs) would provide independent measurements of redshift and luminosity distance, thus allowing for high precision cosmological measurements. However, a statistically significant sample of these objects is yet to be attained and finding them observationally has proven to be a difficult task. Here we discuss existing observational evidence and how further advancements in the theoretical understanding of observational signatures of SBHBs before and after the coalescence can help in future searches.