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Supermassive Recoil Velocities for Binary Black-Hole Mergers with Antialigned Spins

José A. González, Mark Hannam, Ulrich Sperhake, Bernd Brügmann, and Sascha Husa
Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 231101 – Published 7 June 2007
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Abstract

Recent calculations of the recoil velocity in binary black-hole mergers have found the kick velocity to be of the order of a few hundred km/s in the case of nonspinning binaries and about 500km/s in the case of spinning configurations, and have lead to predictions of a maximum kick of up to 1300km/s. We test these predictions and demonstrate that kick velocities of at least 2500km/s are possible for equal-mass binaries with antialigned spins in the orbital plane. Kicks of that magnitude are likely to have significant repercussions for models of black-hole formation, the population of intergalactic black holes, and the structure of host galaxies.

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  • Received 26 February 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.231101

©2007 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

José A. González, Mark Hannam, Ulrich Sperhake, Bernd Brügmann, and Sascha Husa

  • Theoretical Physics Institute, University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany

See Also

Maximum Gravitational Recoil

Manuela Campanelli, Carlos O. Lousto, Yosef Zlochower, and David Merritt
Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 231102 (2007)

Intergalactic Projectiles

Chandra Shekhar
Phys. Rev. Focus 19, 17 (2007)

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Issue

Vol. 98, Iss. 23 — 8 June 2007

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