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Recoil Velocities from Equal-Mass Binary-Black-Hole Mergers

Michael Koppitz·Denis Pollney·Christian Reisswig·Luciano Rezzolla·Jonathan Thornburg·Peter Diener·Erik Schnetter
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Abstract

The final evolution of a binary black-hole system gives rise to a recoil velocity if an asymmetry is present in the emitted gravitational radiation. Measurements of this effect for non-spinning binaries with unequal masses have pointed out that kick velocities $\sim~175$ km/s can be reached for a mass ratio $\simeq 0.36$. However, a larger recoil can be obtained for equal-mass binaries if the asymmetry is provided by the spins. Using two independent methods we show that the merger of such binaries yields velocities as large as $\sim 440$ km/s for black holes having unequal spins that are antialigned and parallel to the orbital angular momentum.

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Michael Koppitz, Denis Pollney, Christian Reisswig, Luciano Rezzolla, Jonathan Thornburg, Peter Diener, Erik Schnetter. 2007-08-08. Recoil Velocities from Equal-Mass Binary-Black-Hole Mergers. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.99.041102

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