Optical and UV Flares from Binary Black Hole Mergers in Active Galactic Nuclei

TL;DR

This paper models optical and UV flares from binary black hole mergers in active galactic nuclei, suggesting observable electromagnetic counterparts with specific time delays and detection prospects for upcoming surveys.

Contribution

It introduces physically motivated light-curve models for merger-driven flares in AGNs, linking gravitational wave events to potential electromagnetic signals.

Findings

Flares can be detected 10-100 days after GW events in AGNs with $10^{6-8}$ M$_\\odot$.

Optical counterparts could be observed up to redshifts of $z \\sim 1.2$ by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

Model constrains multi-messenger observables like spin, mass ratio, and time delay.

Abstract

Stellar mass, binary black hole (BBH) mergers dominates the sources of gravitational wave (GW) events so far detected by the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA (LVK) experiment. The origin of these BBHs is unknown, and no electromagnetic (EM) counterpart has been undoubtedly associated to any of such GW events. The thin discs of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) might be viable environments where BBHs can form and at the same time produce observable radiation feedback. This paper presents new physically motivated light-curve (LC) solutions for thermal flares driven by the remnant of a BBH merger within the disc of an AGN. Following previous analyses, we consider that the BBH likely creates an under-density cavity in the disc prior to its coalescence. Depending on the merger conditions, the black hole (BH) remnant can leave the cavity, interact with the unperturbed disc, and drive a transient BH wind. The wind expels disc material that expands above and below the disc plane and we consider the emission of these plasma ejections as the EM counterpart to the merger GW. We model the LC of such eruptions as mini supernovae explosions finding that stellar mass merger remnants can drive distinguishable flares in optical and UV bands, with time lags of $\sim 10-100$ days after the GW event, when occurring in AGN with central engines of $\sim 10^{6-8}$ M$_\odot$. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory can potentially detect the optical component of these EM counterparts up to redshifts of $z \sim 0.7 - 1.2$, accordingly. The present model provide constraints on multi-messenger observables, such as the binary effective spin, mass ratio, remnant mass, and the time delay of the EM signature. These constraints are useful to localise flaring AGNs as sources of multi-messenger emission following GW alerts.