Evolution of Retrograde Orbiters in an AGN Disk

Understand

AGN disks have been proposed as promising locations for the mergers of stellar mass black hole binaries (BBHs).

• Much recent work has been done on this merger channel, but the majority focuses on stellar mass black holes (BHs) orbiting in the prograde direction.
• Little work has been done to examine the impact of retrograde orbiters (ROs) on the formation and mergers of BBHs in AGN disks.
• Quantifying the retrograde contribution is important, since roughly half of all orbiters should initially be on retrograde orbits when the disk forms.