Sub-parsec structure of binary supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei

• Published in: Astronomy reports 2010, Vol.54 (1), p.28-37
• Main Authors: Vol’vach, A. E., Vol’vach, L. N., Kut’kin, A. M., Larionov, M. G., Aller, M. F., Aller, H. D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics; Black holes; Coalescence; Kinematics; Observations and Techniques; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Radio astronomy; Stars & galaxies
• ISSN: 1063-7729; 1562-6881
• DOI: 10.1134/S106377291001004X

Long-term, multi-frequency monitoring of the radio fluxes of the four BL Lac objects 3C 120, OJ 287, 1308+326, and BL Lac is considered. Harmonic components of the flux variability on scales from one year to decades are determined. The observational data used were obtained at the Radio Astronomy Laboratory of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (Ukraine) and the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory (USA). These data are used to construct kinematic models for active galactic nuclei using values for the orbital and precessional periods of binary systems consisting of supermassive black holes. The derived speeds of the companions in their orbits lie in the narrow range 3000–4000 km/s. The orbital radii for the binary supermassive black holes also lie in a narrow range, 10 17 –10 18 cm, providing evidence that observed prominent examples of active galactic nuclei are fairly close binary systems. The parameters of the mediumin which the components of the binary systems are moving are estimated, as well as the rates at which the systems are losing orbital angular momentum and their lifetimes to coalescence.