Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks
© 2019 The Author(s). We use very long baseline interferometry to measure the proper motions of three black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). Using these results together with data from the literature and Gaia DR2 to collate the best available constraints on proper motion, parallax, distance, and systemi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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OXFORD UNIV PRESS
2019
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80176 |
| _version_ | 1848764172768116736 |
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| author | Atri, P. Miller-Jones, James Bahramian, Arash Plotkin, Richard Jonker, P.G. Nelemans, G. Maccarone, T.J. Sivakoff, G.R. Deller, A.T. Chaty, S. Torres, M.A.P. Horiuchi, S. McCallum, J. Natusch, T. Phillips, C.J. Stevens, J. Weston, S. |
| author_facet | Atri, P. Miller-Jones, James Bahramian, Arash Plotkin, Richard Jonker, P.G. Nelemans, G. Maccarone, T.J. Sivakoff, G.R. Deller, A.T. Chaty, S. Torres, M.A.P. Horiuchi, S. McCallum, J. Natusch, T. Phillips, C.J. Stevens, J. Weston, S. |
| author_sort | Atri, P. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | © 2019 The Author(s). We use very long baseline interferometry to measure the proper motions of three black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). Using these results together with data from the literature and Gaia DR2 to collate the best available constraints on proper motion, parallax, distance, and systemic radial velocity of 16 BHXBs, we determined their three-dimensional Galactocentric orbits. We extended this analysis to estimate the probability distribution for the potential kick velocity (PKV) a BHXB system could have received on formation. Constraining the kicks imparted to BHXBs provides insight into the birth mechanism of black holes (BHs). Kicks also have a significant effect on BH-BH merger rates, merger sites, and binary evolution, and can be responsible for spin-orbit misalignment in BH binary systems. 75 per cent of our systems have potential kicks> 70 km s-1. This suggests that strong kicks and hence spin-orbitmisalignment might be common among BHXBs, in agreement with the observed quasi-periodic X-ray variability in their power density spectra. We used a Bayesian hierarchical methodology to analyse the PKV distribution of the BHXB population, and suggest that a unimodal Gaussian model with a mean of 107 ± 16 km s-1 is a statistically favourable fit. Such relatively high PKVs would also reduce the number of BHs likely to be retained in globular clusters. We found no significant correlation between the BH mass and PKV, suggesting a lack of correlation between BH mass and the BH birth mechanism. Our PYTHON code allows the estimation of the PKV for any system with sufficient observational constraints. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:15:08Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-80176 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:15:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | OXFORD UNIV PRESS |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-801762020-07-29T09:30:27Z Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks Atri, P. Miller-Jones, James Bahramian, Arash Plotkin, Richard Jonker, P.G. Nelemans, G. Maccarone, T.J. Sivakoff, G.R. Deller, A.T. Chaty, S. Torres, M.A.P. Horiuchi, S. McCallum, J. Natusch, T. Phillips, C.J. Stevens, J. Weston, S. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics astrometry parallaxes proper motions stars: kinematics and dynamics X-rays: binaries COMPACT OBJECT FORMATION NEUTRON-STAR GALACTIC DISTRIBUTION SPACE VELOCITIES CORE COLLAPSE MASS EJECTION V404 CYG EVOLUTION DISTANCES JETS © 2019 The Author(s). We use very long baseline interferometry to measure the proper motions of three black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs). Using these results together with data from the literature and Gaia DR2 to collate the best available constraints on proper motion, parallax, distance, and systemic radial velocity of 16 BHXBs, we determined their three-dimensional Galactocentric orbits. We extended this analysis to estimate the probability distribution for the potential kick velocity (PKV) a BHXB system could have received on formation. Constraining the kicks imparted to BHXBs provides insight into the birth mechanism of black holes (BHs). Kicks also have a significant effect on BH-BH merger rates, merger sites, and binary evolution, and can be responsible for spin-orbit misalignment in BH binary systems. 75 per cent of our systems have potential kicks> 70 km s-1. This suggests that strong kicks and hence spin-orbitmisalignment might be common among BHXBs, in agreement with the observed quasi-periodic X-ray variability in their power density spectra. We used a Bayesian hierarchical methodology to analyse the PKV distribution of the BHXB population, and suggest that a unimodal Gaussian model with a mean of 107 ± 16 km s-1 is a statistically favourable fit. Such relatively high PKVs would also reduce the number of BHs likely to be retained in globular clusters. We found no significant correlation between the BH mass and PKV, suggesting a lack of correlation between BH mass and the BH birth mechanism. Our PYTHON code allows the estimation of the PKV for any system with sufficient observational constraints. 2019 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80176 10.1093/mnras/stz2335 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 OXFORD UNIV PRESS fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics astrometry parallaxes proper motions stars: kinematics and dynamics X-rays: binaries COMPACT OBJECT FORMATION NEUTRON-STAR GALACTIC DISTRIBUTION SPACE VELOCITIES CORE COLLAPSE MASS EJECTION V404 CYG EVOLUTION DISTANCES JETS Atri, P. Miller-Jones, James Bahramian, Arash Plotkin, Richard Jonker, P.G. Nelemans, G. Maccarone, T.J. Sivakoff, G.R. Deller, A.T. Chaty, S. Torres, M.A.P. Horiuchi, S. McCallum, J. Natusch, T. Phillips, C.J. Stevens, J. Weston, S. Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| title | Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| title_full | Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| title_fullStr | Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| title_short | Potential kick velocity distribution of black hole X-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| title_sort | potential kick velocity distribution of black hole x-ray binaries and implications for natal kicks |
| topic | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics astrometry parallaxes proper motions stars: kinematics and dynamics X-rays: binaries COMPACT OBJECT FORMATION NEUTRON-STAR GALACTIC DISTRIBUTION SPACE VELOCITIES CORE COLLAPSE MASS EJECTION V404 CYG EVOLUTION DISTANCES JETS |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80176 |