Sinusoidal Gravitational Waves from the Nuclei of Active Galaxies

TL;DR

This paper explores the generation and evolution of sinusoidal gravitational waves from supermassive binary black holes in active galactic nuclei, considering accretion and orbital dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a model for the evolution of gravitational waves from supermassive binaries accounting for mass accretion and orbital changes.

Findings

Supermassive binaries can produce detectable sinusoidal gravitational waves.

Mass accretion significantly influences the gravitational wave emission.

The evolution of binary parameters affects gravitational wave signatures.

Abstract

It is believed that most quasars and galaxies present two common features: the presence in their core of a supermassive object, and the experience of one or more encounters with other galaxies. In this scenario, it is likely that a substantial fraction of active galactic nuclei harbour a supermassive binary, fueled by an accretion disk. These binaries would certainly be among the strongest sources of sinusoidal gravitational waves. We investigate their evolution considering, simultaneously, the accretion of the black hole's masses from the disk, and the gravitational waves emitted during the orbital motion. We also consider other astrophysical scenarios involving a coalescing binary with non constant masses.