Multi-messenger Approaches to Supermassive Black Hole Binary Detection and Parameter Estimation: Implications for Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Searches with Pulsar Timing Arrays
Pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments are becoming increasingly sensitive to gravitational waves (GWs) in the nanohertz frequency range, where the main astrophysical sources are supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), which are expected to form following galaxy mergers. Some of these individual SMBHBs may power active galactic nuclei, and thus their binary parameters could be obtained electromagnetically, which makes it possible to apply electromagnetic (EM) information to aid the search for a GW signal in PTA data. In this work, we investigate the effects of such an EM-informed search on binary detection and parameter estimation by performing mock data analyses on simulated PTA datasets. We find that by applying EM priors, the Bayes factor of some injected signals with originally marginal or sub-threshold detectability (i.e., Bayes factor $\sim 1$) can increase by a factor of a few to an order of magnitude, and thus an EM-informed targeted search is able to find hints of a signal when an uninformed search fails to find any. Additionally, by combining EM and GW data, one can achieve an overall improvement in parameter estimation, regardless of the source's sky location or GW frequency. We discuss the implications for the multi-messenger studies of SMBHBs with PTAs.
Dissecting the nanohertz gravitational wave sky: Frequency-correlated anisotropy induced by eccentric supermassive black hole binaries
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca（米兰-比可卡大学）；INFN, Sezione di Milano-Bicocca（意大利国家核物理研究所米兰-比可卡分部）；INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari（意大利国家天体物理研究所卡利亚里天文台）；ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy（荷兰射电天文研究所）；Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)（马克斯·普朗克引力物理学研究所（爱因斯坦研究所））；Leibniz Universität Hannover（汉诺威莱布尼茨大学）；European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)（欧洲空间局（ESA）欧洲空间研究与技术中心（ESTEC））
Nanohertz Gravitational-Wave Constraints on Supermassive Binary Black Holes at Cosmic Dawn
Beijing Normal University（北京师范大学）；Curtin University（科廷大学）；Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)（马克斯·普朗克引力物理研究所（爱因斯坦研究所））；Leibniz Universität Hannover（汉诺威莱布尼茨大学）；Monash University（蒙纳士大学）；University of Melbourne（墨尔本大学）
The dynamical evolution of supermassive black-hole binary systems is tethered on large scales to the merger rate of massive galaxies, and on small scales to the stellar and gaseous environments of galactic cores. The population of these systems will create an ensemble gravitational-wave signal at nanohertz frequencies that is detectable by Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTA), such as the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav). By measuring nanohertz gravitational waves, we will be able to definitively demonstrate that supermassive black-hole binaries reach milliparsec s…
Pulsar timing arrays are sensitive to gravitational waves from supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries at orbital separations of << 1pc. There is currently an observational paucity of such systems, although they are central figures in studies of galaxy evolution, merger dynamics, and active nucleus formation. We review the prospects of detecting SMBH binaries through electromagnetic radiative processes thought to be associated with galaxy mergers and late-stage binary evolution. We then discuss the scientific goals of joint pulsar timing and electromagnetic studies of these systems, including …
Successful observations of the seven predicted bremsstrahlung flares from the unique bright blazar OJ 287 firmly point to the presence of a nanohertz gravitational wave (GW) emitting supermassive black hole (SMBH) binary central engine. We present arguments for the continued monitoring of the source in several electromagnetic windows to firmly establish various details of the SMBH binary central engine description for OJ 287. In this article, we explore what more can be known about this system, particularly with regard to accretion and outflows from its two accretion disks. We mainly concentra…
Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) are a natural outcome of galaxy mergers and should form frequently in galactic nuclei. Sub-parsec binaries can be identified from their bright electromagnetic emission, e.g., Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) with Doppler shifted broad emission lines or AGN with periodic variability, as well as from the emission of strong gravitational radiation. The most massive binaries (with total mass >10^8 M_sol) emit in the nanohertz band and are targeted by Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs). Here we examine the synergy between electromagnetic and gravitational wave signatu…
Constraining the origin of the nanohertz gravitational-wave background by pulsar timing array observations of both the background and individual supermassive binary black holes
We use large N-body simulations and empirical scaling relations between dark matter halos, galaxies, and supermassive black holes to estimate the formation rates of supermassive black hole binaries and the resulting low-frequency stochastic gravitational wave background (GWB). We find this GWB to be relatively insensitive ($\lesssim10\%$) to cosmological parameters, with only slight variation between WMAP5 and Planck cosmologies. We find that uncertainty in the astrophysical scaling relations changes the amplitude of the GWB by a factor of $\sim 2$. Current observational limits are already con…
Population statistics of nanohertz gravitational wave sources
Yangtze University（长江大学）；Shanghai Jiao Tong University（上海交通大学）；Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University（上海交大李政道研究所）；Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology（巴塞罗那高等物理研究所（IFAE），巴塞罗那科学技术研究院）；Fudan University（复旦大学）
The quest for binary and dual supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the dawn of the multi-messenger era is compelling. Detecting dual active galactic nuclei (AGN) -- active SMBHs at projected separations larger than several parsecs -- and binary AGN -- probing the scale where SMBHs are bound in a Keplerian binary -- is an observational challenge. The study of AGN pairs (either dual or binary) also represents an overarching theoretical problem in cosmology and astrophysics. The AGN triggering calls for detailed knowledge of the hydrodynamical conditions of gas in the imminent surroundings of the …
The background gas humming and multi-messenger transients of stalled supermassive black hole binaries
Universitat Politècnica de València（巴伦西亚理工大学）；Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics（马克斯·普朗克地外物理研究所）；Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Galileo Galilei”, Univ. di Padova（帕多瓦大学伽利略·伽利莱物理与天文学系）；Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute（费森可夫天文物理研究所）
The paucity of observed supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) may imply that the gravitational wave background (GWB) from this population is anisotropic, rendering existing analyses sub-optimal. We present the first constraints on the angular distribution of a nanohertz stochastic GWB from circular, inspiral-driven SMBHBs using the $2015$ European Pulsar Timing Array data [Desvignes et al. (in prep.)]. Our analysis of the GWB in the $\sim 2 - 90$ nHz band shows consistency with isotropy, with the strain amplitude in $l>0$ spherical harmonic multipoles $\lesssim 40\%$ of the monopole value.…
Pulsar timing array (PTA) collaborations in North America, Australia, and Europe, have been exploiting the exquisite timing precision of millisecond pulsars over decades of observations to search for correlated timing deviations induced by gravitational waves (GWs). PTAs are sensitive to the frequency band ranging just below 1 nanohertz to a few tens of microhertz. The discovery space of this band is potentially rich with populations of inspiraling supermassive black-holes binaries, decaying cosmic string networks, relic post-inflation GWs, and even non-GW imprints of axionic dark matter. This…
Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are Galactic-scale gravitational wave (GW) detectors consisting of precisely-timed pulsars distributed across the sky. Within the decade, PTAs are expected to detect the nanohertz GWs emitted by close-separation supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), thereby opening up the low frequency end of the GW spectrum for science. Individual SMBHBs which power active galactic nuclei are also promising multi-messenger sources; they may be identified via theoretically predicted electromagnetic (EM) signatures and be followed up by PTAs for GW observations. In this work, we…
Supermassive black hole binaries in the multi-messenger context of ground and spaceborne VLBI
Delft University of Technology（代尔夫特理工大学）；Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE)（甚长基线干涉测量欧洲联合研究所）；Niels Bohr Institute（尼尔斯·玻尔研究所）；Space Telescope Science Institute（太空望远镜科学研究所）；Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学）；Space Initiatives Inc（太空倡议公司）
Hundreds of millions of supermassive black hole binaries are expected to contribute to the gravitational-wave signal in the nanohertz frequency band. Their signal is often approximated either as an isotropic Gaussian stochastic background with a power-law spectrum, or as an individual source corresponding to the brightest binary. In reality, the signal is best described as a combination of a stochastic background and a few of the brightest binaries modeled individually. We present a method that uses this approach to efficiently create realistic pulsar timing array datasets using synthetic cata…
Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) will enable the detection of nanohertz gravitational waves (GWs) from a population of supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) in the next $\sim 3-7$ years. In addition, PTAs provide a rare opportunity to probe exotic physics. Potential sources of GWs in the nanohertz band include, cosmic strings and cosmic superstrings, inflation and, phase transitions in the early universe. GW observations will also make possible tests of gravitational theories that, by modifying Einstein's theory of general relativity, attempt to explain the origin of cosmic acceleration and reco…
Active galactic nuclei (AGN) with relativistic jets, powered by gas accretion onto their central supermassive black hole (SMBH), are unique laboratories for studying the physics of matter and elementary particles in extreme conditions that cannot be realized on Earth. For a long time since the discovery of AGN, photons were the only way to probe the underlying physical processes. The recent discovery of a very high energy neutrino, IceCube-170922A, coincident with a flaring blazar, TXS 0506+056, provides the first evidence that AGN jets are multi-messenger sources; they are capable of accelera…
Decades long monitoring of millisecond pulsars, which exhibit highly stable rotational periods, in pulsar timing array experiments is on the threshold of discovering nanohertz stochastic gravitational wave background. This paper describes the Indian Pulsar timing array (InPTA) experiment, which employs the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) for timing an ensemble of millisecond pulsars for this purpose. We highlight InPTA's observation strategies and analysis methods, which are relevant for a future PTA experiment with the more sensitive Square Kilometer Array (SKA) telescope. We…
Decade-long timing observations of arrays of millisecond pulsars have placed highly constraining upper limits on the amplitude of the nanohertz gravitational-wave stochastic signal from the mergers of supermassive black-hole binaries ($\sim 10^{-15}$ strain at $f = 1/\mathrm{yr}$). These limits suggest that binary merger rates have been overestimated, or that environmental influences from nuclear gas or stars accelerate orbital decay, reducing the gravitational-wave signal at the lowest, most sensitive frequencies. This prompts the question whether nanohertz gravitational waves are likely to b…
Supermassive binary black holes at sub-parsec orbital separations have yet to be discovered, with the possible exception of blazar OJ~287. In parallel to the global hunt for nanohertz gravitational waves from supermassive binaries using pulsar timing arrays, there has been a growing sample of candidates reported from electromagnetic surveys, particularly searches for periodic variations in optical light curves of quasars. However, the periodicity search is prone to false positives from quasar red noise and quasi-periodic oscillations from the accretion disc of a single supermassive black hole-…
After large galaxies merge, their central supermassive black holes are expected to form binary systems whose orbital motion generates a gravitational wave background (GWB) at nanohertz frequencies. Searches for this background utilize pulsar timing arrays, which perform long-term monitoring of millisecond pulsars (MSPs) at radio wavelengths. We use 12.5 years of Fermi Large Area Telescope data to form a gamma-ray pulsar timing array. Results from 35 bright gamma-ray pulsars place a 95\% credible limit on the GWB characteristic strain of $1.0\times10^{-14}$ at 1 yr$^{-1}$, which scales as the o…
Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) are on the verge of detecting low-frequency gravitational waves (GWs) from supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs). With continued observations of a large sample of millisecond pulsars, PTAs will reach this major milestone within the next decade. Already, SMBHB candidates are being identified by electromagnetic surveys in ever-increasing numbers; upcoming surveys will enhance our ability to detect and verify candidates, and will be instrumental in identifying the host galaxies of GW sources. Multi-messenger (GW and electromagnetic) observations of SMBHBs will revo…
Prospective constraints on dark energy from nanohertz individual gravitational wave sources
College of Engineering Physics, Shenzhen Technology University（深圳理工大学工程物理学院）；Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Ultraintense Laser and Advanced Material Technology, Shenzhen Technology University（深圳理工大学超强激光与先进材料技术重点实验室）；Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Henan Academy of Sciences（河南省科学院引力波天文研究所）；School of Fundamental Physics and Mathematical Sciences, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学杭州高等研究院基础科学与数学学院）
The nanohertz frequency band explored by pulsar timing arrays provides a unique discovery space for gravitational wave signals. In addition to signals from anticipated sources, such as those from supermassive black hole binaries, some previously unimagined sources may emit transient gravitational waves (a.k.a. bursts) with unknown morphology. Unmodeled transients are not currently searched for in this frequency band, and they require different techniques from those currently employed. Possible sources of such gravitational wave bursts in the nanohertz regime are parabolic encounters of superma…
The next-generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) will provide us with the best opportunity to investigate supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the highest possible resolution and sensitivity. With respect to the existing Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) array, the ngEHT will provide increased sensitivity and uv-coverage with the addition of new stations, wider frequency coverage (from 86 GHz to 345 GHz and higher), finer resolution (<15 micro-arcseconds), and better monitoring capabilities. This will offer a unique opportunity to deeply investigate the physics around SMBHs, such as the disk-jet…
We estimate the merger timescale of spectroscopically-selected, subparsec supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) candidates by comparing their expected contribution to the gravitational wave background (GWB) with the sensitivity of current pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments and in particular, with the latest upper limit placed by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav). We find that the average timescale to coalescence of such SMBHBs is $\langle t_{\rm evol} \rangle > 6\times 10^4\,$yr, assuming that their orbital evolution in the PTA frequency band is dr…
Multi-messenger astronomy combining Gravitational Wave (GW) and Electromagnetic Wave (EM) observation brings huge impact on physics, astrophysics and cosmology. However, the majority of sources to be detected with currently running ground-based GW observatories are binary black hole (BBH) mergers, which are expected disappointedly to have no EM counterparts. In this letter, we propose that if the BBH merger happens in a gaseous disk around a supermassive black hole, the merger can be accompanied by a transient radio flare alike a fast radio burst (FRB). We argue that the total mass and the eff…
The Next-Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) has the potential to be a workhorse for the discovery and study of paired supermassive black holes either at large separations (dual) or in tightly bound systems (binary). In this chapter, we outline the science case for the study of these supermassive pairs, and summarize discovery methods that can be used at radio wavelengths to discover them: including morphological, spectral, and time-domain identifications. One critical aspect of this work is that multi-messenger binary black hole studies may be possible with the ngVLA when combined with gravit…
A Template-Based Search for Large-Scale-Structure--Correlated Anisotropy in the Nanohertz Gravitational-Wave Background Using the Public NANOGrav 15-Year Data Set
Supermassive black holes are commonly found in the center of galaxies and evolve with their hosts. The supermassive binary black holes (SMBBH) are thus expected to exist in close galaxy pairs, however, none has been unequivocally detected. The square kilometre array (SKA) is a multi-purpose radio telescope with a collecting area approaching 1 million square metres, with great potential for detecting nanohertz gravitational waves (GWs). In this paper, we quantify the GW detectability by SKA for a realistic SMBBH population using pulsar timing array (PTA) technique and quantify its impact on rev…
Astrophysical Population Coordinates for Supermassive Black Hole Binaries in Pulsar Timing Array Inference
State Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy and Technology, Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, CAS（中国科学院新疆天文台射电天文与技术重点实验室）；School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学天文与空间科学学院）；Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Radio Astrophysics（新疆射电天体物理学重点实验室）；Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院上海天文台）
