Optical QPOs with dual periodicities 1103days and 243days in the blue quasar SDSS J100438.8+151056

TL;DR

This paper reports the detection of two optical quasi-periodic oscillations in a blue quasar, suggesting the possible existence of a binary or triple supermassive black hole system on sub-parsec scales.

Contribution

It identifies dual periodicities in the quasar's light curves and discusses their implications for binary or triple black hole systems, using multiple analysis methods and combined survey data.

Findings

Detection of two significant periodicities at 1103 and 243 days

Estimation of black hole mass and system separation

Potential evidence for a triple black hole system

Abstract

This manuscript investigates the possible existence of a binary supermassive black holes (BSMBH) system in the blue quasar SDSS J100438.8+151056 (=SDSS J1004+1510) at z=0.219 based on the detection of robust optical QPOs. We determine QPOs using multiple analysis methods applied to the CSS-V, ZTFg/r band light curves, and additionally, combined with the characteristics of broad emission lines and explores potential mechanisms for the QPOs, including jet and disk precession models. Two distinct periodicities, $1103\pm260$days and $243\pm29$days, are identified in the ZTF g/r-band light curves with confidence level exceeding $5\sigma$, through four different techniques. Meanwhile, the $1103\pm260$days periodicity is also clearly detected in the CSS V-band light curve. The optical periodicities suggest a BSMBH system candidate in SDSS J1004+1510, with an estimated total virial BH mass of $(1.13\pm0.14)\times10^8 M_{\odot}$ and a space separation of $0.0053\pm0.0016$pc for the periodicity of $1103\pm260$days. The second periodicity of $243\pm29$days could be attributed to harmonic oscillations, considering $(1103\pm260)/(243\pm29)\sim4.54\pm0.47$ with large scatters. However, if the periodicity of $243\pm29$days was from an independent QPO, a triple BH system candidate on sub-pc scale could be probably expected, with space separations of $0.00036\pm0.00004$pc between a close BSMBH system and of $0.0053\pm0.0016$pc between the BSMBH system and the third BH, after considering similar BH mass of the third BH as the total mass of the central BSMBH. These findings strongly demonstrate that combined light curves from the different sky survey projects can lead to more reliable QPOs candidates to be detected, and also indicate higher quality light curves could be helpful to find probably potential QPOs with multiple periodicities leading to rare detections of candidates for sub-pc triple BH systems.