2004/03/11 by Piero Madau, Eliot Quataert · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/421017
published as Astrophys.J. 606 (2004) L17-L20 · emulateapj, 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the ApJ Letters
arxiv created 2004/03/11 · openalex publication_date 2004/04/07 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The coalescence of massive black hole (MBH) binaries following galaxy mergers is one of the main sources of low-frequency gravitational radiation. A higher order relativistic phenomenon, the recoil as a result of the nonzero net linear momentum carried away by gravitational waves, may have interesting consequences for the demography of MBHs at the centers of galaxies. We study the dynamics of recoiling MBHs and its observational consequences. The "gravitational rocket" may (1) deplete MBHs from late-type spiral galaxies, dwarf galaxies, and stellar clusters; (2) produce off-nuclear quasars, including unusual radio morphologies during the recoil of a radio-loud source; and (3) give rise to a population of interstellar and intergalactic MBHs.