2:1 Harmonics in the Radio Light Curves of Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates

Abstract

We present evidence of 2:1 harmonic periodicities in two supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) candidates (PKS J0805-0111 and PKS 2131-021) in the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) + University of Michigan Radio Astronomical Observatory (UMRAO) monitoring programs. This potential discovery follows the previous detection of a 2:1 harmonic periodicity in the SMBHB candidate J1309+1154 from these programs. If confirmed, these suggest a physical origin of blazars exhibiting strong periodicities favoring 2:1 commensurabilities in their light curves. There are significant differences between the 2:1 harmonics in these three blazars, which may be due to differences in their central engines. These three SMBHB candidates demonstrate the importance of careful dissection, i.e. cutting apart and close examination, of blazar light curves, to reveal underlying evidence of coherence between different aspects of the periodicities observed in blazars in the presence of correlated random noise variations. This is particularly important for blazar SMBHB searches, given that the observed periods thus far are all longer than 2 years, and can disappear for long timespans. Therefore confirming evidence, such as harmonics, may be crucial in confirming the reality of periodicities, and identifying blazar SMBHB candidates. We present four models that can account for 2:1 commensurable periodicities in blazar light curves, together with explanations for why, on these models, shorter period SMBHB candidates have not thus far been observed, but might be anticipated, or not, in the future, depending on the model, thereby making these models discriminatory. Arguments pro and con the reality of these periodicities are presented.