%0 Generic %1 tremmel2017dancing %A Tremmel, Michael %A Governato, Fabio %A Volonteri, Marta %A Quinn, Thomas R. %A Pontzen, Andrew %D 2017 %K SMBH formation pairs %T Dancing to ChaNGa: A Self-Consistent Prediction For Close SMBH Pair Formation Timescales Following Galaxy Mergers %U http://arxiv.org/abs/1708.07126 %X We present the first self-consistent prediction for the distribution of formation timescales for close Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) pairs following galaxy mergers. Using Romulus25, the first large-scale cosmological simulation to accurately track the orbital evolution of SMBHs within their host galaxies down to sub-kpc scales, we predict an average formation rate density of close SMBH pairs of 0.013 cMpc^-3 Gyr^-1. We find that it is relatively rare for galaxy mergers to result in the formation of close SMBH pairs with sub-kpc separation and those that do form are often the result of Gyrs of orbital evolution following the galaxy merger. The likelihood and timescale to form a close SMBH pair depends strongly on the mass and morphology of the accreted satellite galaxy. Low stellar mass ratio mergers with galaxies that lack a dense stellar core are more likely to become tidally disrupted and deposit their SMBH at large radii without any stellar core to aid in their orbital decay, resulting in a population of long-lived 'wandering' SMBHs. Conversely, SMBHs in galaxies that remain embedded within a stellar core form close pairs in much shorter timescales on average. This timescale is a crucial, though often ignored or very simplified, ingredient to models predicting SMBH mergers rates and the connection between SMBH and star formation activity.

@misc{tremmel2017dancing, abstract = {We present the first self-consistent prediction for the distribution of formation timescales for close Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH) pairs following galaxy mergers. Using Romulus25, the first large-scale cosmological simulation to accurately track the orbital evolution of SMBHs within their host galaxies down to sub-kpc scales, we predict an average formation rate density of close SMBH pairs of 0.013 cMpc^-3 Gyr^-1. We find that it is relatively rare for galaxy mergers to result in the formation of close SMBH pairs with sub-kpc separation and those that do form are often the result of Gyrs of orbital evolution following the galaxy merger. The likelihood and timescale to form a close SMBH pair depends strongly on the mass and morphology of the accreted satellite galaxy. Low stellar mass ratio mergers with galaxies that lack a dense stellar core are more likely to become tidally disrupted and deposit their SMBH at large radii without any stellar core to aid in their orbital decay, resulting in a population of long-lived 'wandering' SMBHs. Conversely, SMBHs in galaxies that remain embedded within a stellar core form close pairs in much shorter timescales on average. This timescale is a crucial, though often ignored or very simplified, ingredient to models predicting SMBH mergers rates and the connection between SMBH and star formation activity.}, added-at = {2017-08-25T09:48:34.000+0200}, author = {Tremmel, Michael and Governato, Fabio and Volonteri, Marta and Quinn, Thomas R. and Pontzen, Andrew}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/259165eefd3d1198d6a0af3783d55a4c2/miki}, description = {[1708.07126] Dancing to ChaNGa: A Self-Consistent Prediction For Close SMBH Pair Formation Timescales Following Galaxy Mergers}, interhash = {290a3c2b9273fbf478f4945f8f22b0db}, intrahash = {59165eefd3d1198d6a0af3783d55a4c2}, keywords = {SMBH formation pairs}, note = {cite arxiv:1708.07126Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to MNRAS. Comments welcome}, timestamp = {2017-08-25T09:48:34.000+0200}, title = {Dancing to ChaNGa: A Self-Consistent Prediction For Close SMBH Pair Formation Timescales Following Galaxy Mergers}, url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/1708.07126}, year = 2017 }