Optical Emission Model for Binary Black Hole Merger Remnants Travelling through Discs of Active Galactic Nuclei

Understand

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been proposed as plausible sites for hosting a sizable fraction of the binary black hole (BBH) mergers measured through gravitational waves (GWs) by the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra (LVK) experiment.

• These GWs could be accompanied by radiation feedback due to the interaction of the BBH merger remnant with the AGN disc.
• We present a new predicted radiation signature driven by the passage of a kicked BBH remnant throughout a thin AGN disc.
• We analyse the situation of a merger occurring outside the thin disc, where the merger is of second or higher generation in a merging hierarchical sequence.