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Alessia Franchini

Publications and source records attributed to Alessia Franchini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Multimessenger prospects of quasi-periodic eruptions

Quasi-Periodic Eruptions (QPEs) are recurring soft X-ray transients that may be generated by inspirals of stellar-mass objects spiraling into supermassive black holes, known as extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs). Independently, EMRIs and the gravitational-wave signals they generate are one of the key targets for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). What is the potential of a coincident detection of EMRIs both as a QPE and by LISA? Electromagnetic counterparts to LISA events would provide sky localization, enable standard siren measurements of the Hubble constant and constrain formation mechanisms of the corresponding inspirals. Combined observations would link the accurate measurements of black hole masses and spins to their galactic nuclear environments and would thus enable lasting synergies with various observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. However, most of the currently known QPEs imply EMRI orbital periods that place the frequencies of the corresponding gravitational-wave signal out of the LISA sensitivity band. Additionally, the selection biases of QPE detections and the LISA instrument may preclude a coincident detection. Future searches should focus on expanding the QPE catalogs and ultimately hunt for ``golden'' short-period QPEs that correspond to EMRIs that fall within the LISA band.

astro-ph.HE

Gas-induced perturbations on the gravitational wave in-spiral of live post-Newtonian LISA massive black hole binaries: 0.1 disk aspect ratio

We perform 3D hydrodynamics simulations of an equal-mass quasi-circular live $10^6~{\rm M}_\odot$ massive black hole binary (MBHB) embedded in a prograde, locally isothermal circumbinary disk (CBD) with $0.1$ aspect ratio. The binary evolution is driven by the gaseous torques and its dynamics is described with $2.5$ post-Newtonian corrections. This approach allows us to track the influence of the CBD on a gravitational-wave (GW) driven MBHB inspiral from $55$ to $46$ Schwarzschild radii, i.e., at its early evolution in the LISA band at redshift $z\sim1$. For the first time for the $0.1$ aspect ratio disk, we report the measurement of gravitational and accretion torques with and without concurrent GW emission. We also report how the morphology of the accretion time series onto the MBHB modestly alters when GW emission is the dominant binary evolutionary mechanism. Lastly, we find that the gas-induced orbital phase-shift is $0.12$ rad over $600$ orbital cycles, which LISA should detect at $z=1$. Our results have implications for multi-messenger astronomy, since observation of accretion rate modulation by LSST/Roman surveys and phase-shift by LISA will provide crucial information on the complex environment surrounding MBHBs.

astro-ph.GA

Misaligned circumbinary discs around unequal-mass eccentric binaries: alignment, morphology, and binary accretion variability

Binary systems are ubiquitous in the Universe and often host circumbinary discs that are misaligned with the binary orbital plane. Such misalignments can affect disc evolution and binary accretion variability. We here present 3D hydrodynamical simulations of circumbinary discs with initial tilts $i_0$ from $0^\circ$ to $180^\circ$, around eccentric binaries with secondary-to-primary mass ratios of $0.11-0.67$. We find that both the initial tilt and mass ratio can affect the long-term accretion variability in our simulations. Discs evolving towards polar and coplanar retrograde generally favour accretion onto the primary star, while discs evolving towards coplanar prograde generally favour accretion onto the secondary. We find preferential accretion ratio $\eta=\langle\dot{M_2}\rangle/\langle\dot{M_\mathrm{b}}\rangle$ to be a non-monotonic function of the mass ratio. For discs close to coplanar prograde alignment, $\eta$ increases with decreasing mass ratio, whereas for discs with $30^\circ \le i_0 \le 135^\circ$, $\eta$ decreases for smaller mass ratios. Polar discs show the lowest mass loss rates, slightly lower than those of coplanar prograde discs, while retrograde discs lose mass faster than their prograde counterparts. Discs that undergo strong warping or breaking experience rapid mass loss. Our findings provide insights into observed circumbinary discs and have implications for circumbinary planet formation.

astro-ph.EP

Spacetime in motion: an evolving relativistic binary black hole metric for GIZMO

The last evolutionary stages of massive black hole binaries prior to coalescence is dominated by the emission of gravitational waves, which will be probed by the future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. If gas is present around the two black holes, however, the associated electromagnetic emission can provide additional information about the binary properties and location before the merger event. For this reason, a proper characterisation of the electromagnetic emission during these phases is of fundamental importance, and requires a detailed description of the gas dynamics close to the event horizon of the two black holes, only achievable via numerical simulations. Within this context, we present the implementation of the Superposed Kerr-Schild dynamic metric in the relativistic scheme in the meshless code GIZMO. Our code can now simulate black hole binaries approaching merger with high computational efficiency and accuracy, taking into account relativistic effects on the gas. To validate our implementation, we perform two tests. First, we explore the case of a relativistic Bondi flow around a binary, finding very good agreement with numerical relativity simulations. Then we explore the case of an inviscid relativistic circumbinary disc, comparing our results with a similar simulation run assuming Newtonian gravity. In this second case, we find moderate differences in the mass accretion rate and in the inflow dynamics, which suggest that the presence of a non-Keplerian potential and of apsidal precession in the orbiting gas trajectories may produce stronger shocks and boost angular momentum transport in the disc. Our work highlights the importance of accounting for relativistic corrections in accretion disc simulations around black hole binaries approaching merger, even at scales much larger than those currently probed by numerical relativity simulations.

astro-ph.HE

The LISA Astrophysics "Disc-IMRI" Code Comparison Project: Intermediate-Mass-Ratio Binaries in AGN-Like Discs

Upcoming space-based gravitational wave detectors such as LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, will be sensitive to extreme- and intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs and IMRIs). These binaries are comprised of a supermassive black hole and a stellar-mass object or intermediate-mass black hole. Their detection will probe the structure of galactic nuclei and enable tests of general relativity. As these events will be observed over thousands of orbital cycles, they will be extremely sensitive to both the underlying spacetime and astrophysical environment, demanding exquisite theoretical models on both fronts to avoid biased or even erroneous results. In particular, many (E/)IMRIs are expected to occur within accretion discs around supermassive black holes, and the nonlinearities present when modeling these systems require numerical simulations. In preparation for future modeling of LISA sources, we have conducted a comparison between eight different hydrodynamical codes and applied them to the problem of a q = 10^{-4} mass ratio binary interacting with an accretion disc. Thicker discs appear more lenient, and all codes at sufficiently high resolutions are in good agreement with each other and analytical predictions. For thinner discs, beyond the reach of analytical models, we find substantial disagreement between 2D and 3D simulations and between different codes, including both the magnitude and sign of the torque. With time and energy efficiency in mind, codes that leverage moving meshes or grid-based Lagrangian remapping seem preferable, as do codes that can leverage graphical processing units and other energy-efficient hardware.

astro-ph.HE

Tidal disruption events with SPH-EXA: resolving the return of the stream

In a tidal disruption event (TDE), a star is disrupted by the tidal field of a massive black hole, creating a debris stream that returns to the black hole, forms an accretion flow, and powers a luminous flare. Over the last few decades, several numerical studies have concluded that shock-induced dissipation occurs as the stream returns to pericentre (i.e., pre-self-intersection), resulting in efficient circularisation of the debris. However, the efficacy of these shocks is the subject of intense debate. We present high-resolution simulations (up to 10^10 particles) of the disruption of a solar-like star by a 10^6M_sun black hole with the new, GPU-based, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics code SPH-EXA, including the relativistic apsidal precession of the stellar debris orbits; our simulations run from initial disruption to the moment of stream self-intersection. With 10^8 particles - corresponding to the highest-resolution SPH simulations of TDEs in the pre-existing literature - we find significant, in-plane spreading of the debris as the stream returns through pericenter, in line with previous works that suggested this is a significant source of dissipation and luminous emission. However, with increasing resolution this effect is dramatically diminished, and with 10^10 particles there is effectively no change between the incoming and the outgoing stream widths. Our results demonstrate that the paradigm of significant dissipation of kinetic energy during pericentre passage is incorrect, and instead it is likely that debris circularisation is mediated by the originally proposed, stream-stream collision scenario.

astro-ph.HE

Suppressed "lump" EM signature in radiation pressure dominated accreting massive black hole binaries

We investigate the impact of radiation pressure on electromagnetic signatures of accreting massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) at milli-parsec separations, using 3D hyper-Lagrangian resolution hydrodynamical simulations. We model binaries embedded in a self-gravitating circumbinary disc that evolves following an adiabatic equation of state, including viscous heating and black-body cooling. Focusing on binaries with a total mass of $10^6 \, M_{\odot}$, eccentricities $e=0,0.45,0.9$ and mass ratios $q=1, 0.7$, we find that radiation pressure significantly affects both the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and the light curves (LCs). The emission from the mini-discs shifts from the optical towards UV frequencies and with a peak luminosity orders of magnitude higher, while the circumbinary disc becomes colder and dimmer as a result of its geometrically thinner configuration. Temporal variability is affected as well: near UV and soft-X ray fluxes are higher and more variable. Crucially, radiation pressure suppresses the characteristic "lump" formation in equal-mass circular systems, while a lump is formed for higher eccentricities without imprinting any modulation on the flux. In the circular case we still find a modulation on the cavity edge timescale at a frequency $0.36 \, f_{\rm K}$, while in eccentric binaries, only robust orbital period modulations ($f=1,2 \, f_{\rm K}$) are observed, with no modulation associated with the cavity orbital motion. Moreover, the enhanced emission from the mini-discs and streams due to radiation pressure, one redshifted, results in brighter flux in the optical G band, proving detectability of MBHBs signatures even at higher redshift ($z=0.6-1.0$). Our results reveal that radiation pressure plays a crucial role in shaping MBHBs spectral and time-domain features, with implications for their identification in time-domain surveys.

astro-ph.HE

Identifying massive black hole binaries via light curve variability in optical time-domain surveys

Accreting massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) often display periodic variations in their emitted radiation, providing a distinctive signature for their identification. In this work, we explore the MBHBs identification via optical variability studies by simulating the observations of the LSST survey. To this end, we generate a population of MBHBs using the L-Galaxies semi-analytical model, focusing on systems with observed orbital periods $\leq$ 5 years. This ensures that at least two complete cycles of emission can be observed within the 10-year mission of LSST. To construct mock optical light curves, we first calculate the MBHB average magnitudes in each LSST filter by constructing a self-consistent SED that accounts for the binary accretion history and the emission from a circumbinary disc and mini-discs. We then add variability modulations by using six 3D hydrodynamic simulations of accreting MBHBs with different eccentricities and mass ratios as templates. To make the light curves realistic, we mimic the LSST observation patterns and cadence, and we include stochastic variability and LSST photometric errors. Our results show from $10^{-2}$ to $10^{-1}$ MBHBs per square degree, with light curves that are potentially detectable by LSST. These systems are mainly low-redshift ($z\lesssim1.5$), massive ($\gtrsim10^{7}\, M_{\odot}$), equal-mass (${\sim} 0.8$), relatively eccentric (${\sim}0.6$), and with modulation periods of around $3.5$ years. Using periodogram analysis, we find that LSST variability studies have a higher success rate ($>$50%) for systems with high eccentricities ($e>$0.6). Additionally, at fixed eccentricity, detections tend to favour systems with more unequal mass ratios. The false alarm probability shows similar trends. Circular binaries systematically feature high values ($\gtrsim 10^{-1}$). Eccentric systems have low-FAP tails, down to $\sim10^{-8}$.

astro-ph.HE

Prospects for EMRI/MBH parameter estimation using Quasi-Periodic Eruption timings: short-timescale analysis

Quasi-Periodic Eruptions (QPEs) are luminous, recurring X-ray outbursts from galactic nuclei, with timescales of hours to days. While their origin remains uncertain, leading models invoke accretion disk instabilities or the interaction of a massive black hole (MBH) with a lower-mass secondary in an extreme mass ratio inspiral (EMRI). EMRI scenarios offer a robust framework for interpreting QPEs by characterizing observational signatures associated with the secondary's orbital dynamics. This, in turn, enables extraction of the MBH/EMRI physical properties and provides a means to test the EMRI scenario, distinguishing models and addressing the question: what can QPE timings teach us about massive black holes and EMRIs? In this study, we employ analytic expressions for Kerr geodesics to efficiently resolve the trajectory of the secondary object and perform GPU-accelerated Bayesian inference to assess the information content of QPE timings. Using our inference framework, referred to as QPE-FIT (Fast Inference with Timing), we explore QPE timing constraints on astrophysical parameters, such as EMRI orbital parameters and MBH mass/spin. We find that mild-eccentricity EMRIs ($e\sim0.1-0.3$) can constrain MBH mass and EMRI semimajor axis/eccentricity to the 10% level within tens of orbital periods, while MBH spin is unconstrained for the explored semimajor axes $\geq 100R_g$ and monitoring baselines $\mathcal{O}(10-100\rm)$ orbits. Introducing a misaligned precessing disk generally degrades inference of EMRI orbital parameters, but can constrain disk precession properties within 10-50%. This work both highlights the prospect of QPE observations as dynamical probes of galactic nuclei and outlines the challenge of doing so in the multimodal parameter space of EMRI-disk collisions.

astro-ph.HE

Radiation pressure role in accreting massive black hole binaries

We investigate the impact of radiation pressure on the circumbinary discs surrounding accreting massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) at milli-parsec separations, using 3D hyper-Lagrangian resolution hydrodynamic simulations. The circumbinary discs in our simulations evolve under an adiabatic equation of state. The gas temperature is therefore allowed to change through viscous heating, black-body cooling and self-gravity. We take a significant step further by including the contribution of radiation pressure in the simulations. We model binaries with a total mass of $10^6 \, M_{\odot}$, eccentricities $e=0,0.45,0.9$ and mass ratios $q= 0.7, 1$. We find that the radiation pressure significantly alters the vertical and thermal structure of the disc, resulting in a geometrically thinner, therefore colder configuration. This leads to a reduced accretion rate onto the binary and suppresses cavity eccentricity growth and precession in circular equal mass binaries. The binary eccentricity remains approximately constant, while the semi-major axis decreases over time due to net negative torque, regardless of the initial binary orbital parameters.

astro-ph.HE

Circumbinary accretion as a diagnostic for binary--disc misalignment

Binary star systems can accrete material originating from a circumbinary disc. Since it is common for the circumbinary disc to be tilted with respect to the binary orbital plane, we test whether the accretion dynamics can be a diagnostic for binary-disc misalignment. We present hydrodynamical simulations to model the accretion flow from a circumbinary disc around an eccentric binary with initial tilts ranging from $0^\circ$ to $180^\circ$ in increments of $15^\circ$. Based on the initial tilt, the circumbinary disc will align towards three different configurations: prograde coplanar, polar, or retrograde coplanar. For discs with initial tilts evolving towards prograde coplanar alignment, the accretion rates onto the primary and secondary stars exhibit alternating preferential accretion. Circumbinary discs evolving towards polar alignment exhibit no alternating preferential accretion onto the binary unless the initial tilt is close to the critical tilt that sets the boundary between coplanar or polar alignment. Such cases cause strong disc warping, leading to disc breaking. The inner disc becomes eccentric, leading to alternating preferential accretion onto the binary. As the break propagates outward, the disc tilt damps towards a polar state and the disc eccentricity decreases. As the disc re-circularizes, the accretion rate transitions back from alternating preferential accretion to non-alternating accretion. Lastly, no alternating preferential accretion exists for discs undergoing retrograde coplanar alignment. From the summary of the accretion rates from our suite of SPH simulations, it is evident that the accretion rate evolution can be affected by the initial tilt and subsequent evolution of the circumbinary disc.

astro-ph.EP

The fate of EMRI-IMRI pairs in AGN accretion disks: hydrodynamic and three body simulations

Extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) and intermediate-mass-ratio inspirals (IMRIs) are important gravitational wave (GW) sources for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). It has been recently suggested that EMRIs and IMRIs can both form in the accretion disk of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Considering the likely encounter between a sBH and an IMBH during the migration in the AGN disk, Paper I showed that a gap-opening IMBH can drive a surrounding sBH to migrate synchronously. In this work, we extend the study in Paper I with a more sophisticated model. We first use 3D hydrodynamical simulations to study the co-evolution of the disk and the migration of a sBH in the vicinity of an IMBH. We find that the gaseous torque, together with the tidal torque exerted by the IMBH, can drive synchronized migration until $\sim 10$ Schwarzschild radii from the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We further use a relativistic three-body code to study the final fate of the sBH in the GW-dominated regime. We find that the sBH can be either captured or kicked out by the IMBH, which will result in either two subsequent IMRIs or an EMRI followed by an IMRI. These events will bring rich information about the formation and evolution of sBHs and IMBHs in AGNs.

astro-ph.HE

Eppur si muove: Evidence of disc precession or a sub-milliparsec SMBH binary in the QPE-emitting galaxy GSN 069

X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are intense soft X-ray bursts from the nuclei of nearby low-mass galaxies typically lasting about one hour and repeating every few. Their physical origin remains debated, although so-called impacts models in which a secondary orbiting body pierces through the accretion disc around the primary supermassive black hole (SMBH) in an extreme mass-ratio inspiral (EMRI) system are considered promising. In this work, we study the QPE timing properties of GSN 069, the first galactic nucleus in which QPEs were identified, primarily focusing on Observed minus Calculated (O-C) diagrams. The O-C data in GSN 069 are consistent with a super-orbital modulation on tens of days whose properties do not comply with the impacts model. We suggest that rigid precession of a misaligned accretion disc or, alternatively, the presence of a second SMBH forming a sub-milliparsec binary with the inner EMRI is needed to reconcile the model with the data. In both cases, the quiescent accretion disc emission should also be modulated on similar timescales. Current X-ray monitoring indicates that this might be the case, although a longer baseline of higher-cadence observations is needed to confirm the tentative X-ray flux periodicity on firm statistical grounds. Future dedicated monitoring campaigns will be crucial to test the overall impacts plus modulation model in GSN 069, and to distinguish between the two proposed modulating scenarios. If our interpretation is correct, QPEs in GSN 069 represent the first electromagnetic detection of a short-period EMRI system in an external galaxy, opening the way to future multi-messenger astronomical observations. [abridged]

astro-ph.HE

Repeating transients in galactic nuclei: confronting observations with theory

In the last few years, a mysterious new class of astrophysical objects has been uncovered. These are spatially coincident with the nuclei of external galaxies and show X-ray variations that repeat on timescales of minutes to a month. They manifest in three different ways in the data: stable quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) and quasi-periodic outflows (QPOuts). QPOs are systems that show smooth recurrent X-ray brightness variations while QPEs are sudden changes that appear like eruptions. QPOuts represent systems that exhibit repeating outflows moving at mildly-relativistic velocities of about 0.1-0.3c, where c is the speed of light. Their underlying physical mechanism is a topic of heated debate, with most models proposing that they originate either from instabilities within the inner accretion flow or from orbiting objects. There is a huge excitement especially from the latter class of models as it has been argued that some repeating systems could host extreme mass-ratio inspirals, potentially detectable with upcoming space-based gravitational wave interferometers. Consequently, paving the path for an era of "persistent" multi-messenger astronomy. Here we summarize the recent findings on the topics, including the newest observational data, various physical models and their numerical implementation.

astro-ph.HE

Gas-induced perturbations on the gravitational wave in-spiral of live post-Newtonian LISA massive black hole binaries

We investigate the effect of dynamically coupling gas torques with gravitational wave (GW) emission during the orbital evolution of an equal-mass massive black hole binary (MBHB). We perform hydrodynamical simulations of eccentric MBHBs with total mass $M=10^6~{\rm M}_\odot$ embedded in a prograde locally isothermal circumbinary disk (CBD). We evolve the binary from $55$ to $49$ Schwarzschild radii separations using up to 2.5 post-Newtonian (PN) corrections to the binary dynamics, which allow us to follow the GW-driven in-spiral. For the first time, we report the measurement of gas torques onto a live binary a few years before the merger, with and without concurrent GW radiation. We also report the gas-induced orbital dephasing $\delta \phi_{\rm orb}\sim-0.007$ rad over $278$ orbital cycles that is likely driven mainly by disc-induced precession and LISA should be able to detect it at redshift $z=1$. Our results show how GWs alone can be used to probe the astrophysical properties of CBDs and have important implications for multi-messenger strategies aimed at studying the environments of MBHBs.

astro-ph.HE

Fragments of harmony amid apparent chaos: a closer look at the X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions of the galaxy RX J1301.9+2747

Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are an extreme X-ray variability phenomenon associated with low-mass supermassive black holes. First discovered in the nucleus of the galaxy GSN 069, they have been so far securely detected in five other galaxies, including RX J1301.9+2747. When detected, the out-of-QPE emission (quiescence) is consistent with the high-energy tail of thermal emission from an accretion disk. We present the X-ray and radio properties of RX J1301.9+2747, both in quiescence and during QPEs. We analyse X-ray data taken during five XMM-Newton observations between 2000 and 2022. The last three observations were taken in coordination with radio observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. We also make use of EXOSAT, ROSAT, and Chandra archival observations taken between 1983 and 2009. XMM-Newton detected 34 QPEs of which 8 have significantly lower amplitudes than the others. No correlated radio/X-ray variability was observed during QPEs. In terms of timing properties, the QPEs in RX J1301.9+2747 do not exhibit the striking regularity observed in the discovery source GSN 069. In fact there is no clear repetition pattern between QPEs: the average time separation between their peaks is about four hours, but it can be as short as one, and as long as six hours. The QPE spectral properties of RX J1301.9+2747 as a function of energy are however very similar to those of GSN 069 and of other QPE sources. The quiescent emission of RX J1301.9+2747 is more complex than that of GSN 069, as it requires a soft X-ray excess-like component in addition to the thermal emission from the accretion disk. Its long-term X-ray quiescent flux variations are of low-amplitude and not strictly monotonic, with a general decay over $\sim 22$ years. We discuss our observational results in terms of some of the ideas and models that have been proposed so far for the physical origin of QPEs.

astro-ph.HE

The Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna: Mission Studies and Science Case

The Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna (LGWA) is a proposed array of next-generation inertial sensors to monitor the response of the Moon to gravitational waves (GWs). Given the size of the Moon and the expected noise produced by the lunar seismic background, the LGWA would be able to observe GWs from about 1 mHz to 1 Hz. This would make the LGWA the missing link between space-borne detectors like LISA with peak sensitivities around a few millihertz and proposed future terrestrial detectors like Einstein Telescope or Cosmic Explorer. In this article, we provide a first comprehensive analysis of the LGWA science case including its multi-messenger aspects and lunar science with LGWA data. We also describe the scientific analyses of the Moon required to plan the LGWA mission.

gr-qc

Partial alignment between jets and megamasers: Coherent versus selective accretion

Spins play a crucial role in the appearance, evolution, and occupation fraction of massive black holes (MBHs). To date, observational estimates of MBH spins are scarce, and the assumptions commonly made in such estimates have recently been questioned. Similarly, theoretical models for MBH spin evolution, while reproducing the few observational constraints, are based on possibly oversimplified assumptions. New independent constraints on MBH spins are therefore of primary importance. We present a rigorous statistical analysis of the relative orientation of radio jets and megamaser disks in ten low-redshift galaxies. We find a strong preference for (partial) alignment between jets and megamaser that can be attributed to two different causes: coherent accretion and selective accretion. In the first case the partial alignment is due to an anisotropy in the gas reservoir fueling the growth of MBHs. In the second case the spin-dependent anisotropic feedback allows long-lived accretion only if the orbits of the gas inflows are almost aligned to the MBH equatorial plane. A discussion of the implications of the two accretion scenarios regarding the evolution of MBHs is presented, together with an outlook on future observational tests aiming at discriminating between the two scenarios and checking whether either applies to different redshifts and black hole mass regimes.

astro-ph.GA