2016/03/09 by M. J. Valtonen, S. Zola, S. Ciprini +94
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Binary black hole #Black hole (networking) #Black-body radiation #Flare #General relativity #Gravitational wave #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Primary (astronomy) #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quasar #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/l37
published as ApJ, 819, L37 (2016)
openalex publication_date 2016/03/09 · arxiv created 2016/03/14 · arxiv updated 2016/03/23 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
ABSTRACT OJ 287 is a quasi-periodic quasar with roughly 12 year optical cycles. It displays prominent outbursts that are predictable in a binary black hole model. The model predicted a major optical outburst in 2015 December. We found that the outburst did occur within the expected time range, peaking on 2015 December 5 at magnitude 12.9 in the optical R -band. Based on Swift /XRT satellite measurements and optical polarization data, we find that it included a major thermal component. Its timing provides an accurate estimate for the spin of the primary black hole, . The present outburst also confirms the established general relativistic properties of the system such as the loss of orbital energy to gravitational radiation at the 2% accuracy level, and it opens up the possibility of testing the black hole no-hair theorem with 10% accuracy during the present decade.