Supermassive Black Hole Binary Candidates from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey

Understand

We present a systematic search for periodically varying quasar and supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) candidates in the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey.

• From $\sim9,000$ color-selected quasars in a $\sim50$ deg$^{2}$ sky area, we initially identify $26$ candidates with more than $1.5$ cycles of variation.
• We extend the baseline of observations via our imaging campaign with the Discovery Channel Telescope and the Las Cumbres Observatory network and reevaluate the candidates using a more rigorous, maximum likelihood method.
• Using a range of statistical criteria and assuming the Damped Random Walk model for normal quasar variability, we identify one statistically significant periodic candidate.