Observational properties of massive black hole binary progenitors

Abstract

The first directly detected gravitational waves (GW 150914) were emitted by two coalescing black holes (BHs) with masses of ~36Msun and ~29Msun. Several scenarios have been proposed to put this detection into an astrophysical context. The evolution of an isolated massive binary system is among commonly considered models. Various groups have performed detailed binary-evolution calculations that lead to BH merger events. However, the question remains open as to whether binary systems with the predicted properties really exist. The aim of this paper is to help observers to close this gap by providing spectral characteristics of massive binary BH progenitors during a phase where at least one of the companions is still non-degenerate. Stellar evolution models predict fundamental stellar parameters. Using these as input for our stellar atmosphere code (PoWR), we compute a set of models for selected evolutionary stages of massive merging BH progenitors at different metallicities. The synthetic spectra obtained from our atmosphere calculations reveal that progenitors of massive BH merger events start their lives as O2-3V stars that evolve to early-type blue supergiants before they undergo core-collapse during the Wolf-Rayet phase. When the primary has collapsed, the remaining system will appear as a wind-fed high-mass X-ray binary. We provide feedback parameters, broad band magnitudes, and spectral templates that should help to identify such binaries in the future. Comparisons of empirically determined mass-loss rates with those assumed by evolution calculations reveal significant differences. The consideration of the empirical mass-loss rates in evolution calculations will possibly entail a shift of the maximum in the predicted binary-BH merger rate to higher metallicities, that is, more candidates should be expected in our cosmic neighborhood than previously assumed.

arXiv comment64 pages, 30 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, v2: typos corrected

References in corpus (103)

• Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger
• The chemical composition of the Sun
• GW151226: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a 22-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence
• GW170104: Observation of a 50-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence at Redshift 0.2
• Mass-loss predictions for O and B stars as a function of metallicity
• The Nucleosynthetic Signature of Population III
• Did LIGO detect dark matter?
• Core-Collapse Supernovae from 9 to 120 Solar Masses Based on Neutrino-powered Explosions
• Compact Remnant Mass Function: Dependence on the Explosion Mechanism and Metallicity
• The first gravitational-wave source from the isolated evolution of two 40-100 Msun stars
• Astrophysical Implications of the Binary Black-Hole Merger GW150914
• Black Hole Formation in Failing Core-Collapse Supernovae
• The Black Hole Mass Distribution in the Galaxy
• Pulsational pair instability as an explanation for the most luminous supernovae
• A new route towards merging massive black holes
• Evolution of rapidly rotating metal-poor massive stars towards gamma-ray bursts
• Super-critically accreting stellar-mass black holes as ultraluminous X-ray sources
• Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources
• Merging binary black holes formed through chemically homogeneous evolution in short-period stellar binaries
• The effect of massive binaries on stellar populations and supernova progenitors
• Presupernova Evolution of Rotating Massive Stars II: -- Evolution of the Surface Properties
• Double Compact Objects III: Gravitational Wave Detection Rates
• Binary Black Hole Mergers from Globular Clusters: Implications for Advanced LIGO
• The Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey. I. Classification System and Bright Northern Stars in the Blue-Violet at R~2500
• The Discordance of Mass-Loss Estimates for Galactic O-Type Stars
• Formation of the first three gravitational-wave observations through isolated binary evolution
• Stellar Population Effects on the Inferred Photon Density at Reionization
• The Galactic WN stars: Spectral analyses with line-blanketed model atmospheres versus stellar evolution models with and without rotation
• The Unprecedented 2012 Outburst of SN 2009ip: A Luminous Blue Variable Becomes a True Supernova
• The empirical metallicity dependence of the mass-loss rate of O- and early B-type stars
• Quantitative Spectroscopy of O Stars at Low Metallicity. O Dwarfs in NGC 346
• The search for failed supernovae with the Large Binocular Telescope: confirmation of a disappearing star
• A coordinated X-ray and Optical Campaign of the Nearest Massive Eclipsing Binary, $\delta$ Orionis Aa: IV. A multiwavelength, non-LTE spectroscopic analysis
• BPASS predictions for Binary Black-Hole Mergers
• Bright OB stars in the Galaxy - III. Constraints on the radial stratification of the clumping factor in hot star winds from a combined Halpha, IR and radio analysis
• Very Low Energy Supernovae from Neutrino Mass Loss
• Compact Binary Merger Rates: Comparison with LIGO/Virgo Upper Limits
• Neglecting the porosity of hot-star winds can lead to underestimating mass-loss rates
• The Wolf-Rayet stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A comprehensive analysis of the WN class
• O stars with weak winds: the Galactic case
• The Evolution of Massive Stars. I. Red Supergiants in the Magellanic Clouds
• Effects of Rotation on the Minimum Mass of Primordial Progenitors of Pair Instability Supernovae
• Properties of Galactic early-type O-supergiants: A combined FUV-UV and optical analysis
• Massive double compact object mergers: gravitational wave sources and r-process-element production sites
• On the consistent treatment of the quasi-hydrostatic layers in hot star atmospheres
• Reduced Wolf-Rayet Line Luminosities at Low Metallicity
• The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XVII. Physical and wind properties of massive stars at the top of the main sequence
• Hydrodynamic model atmospheres for WR stars: Self-consistent modeling of a WC star wind
• Low-metallicity massive single stars with rotation. Evolutionary models applicable to I Zwicky 18
• A 2dF survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud
• The Mass-Loss Induced Eccentric Kozai Mechanism: A New Channel for the Production of Close Compact Object-Stellar Binaries
• Towards a unified view of inhomogeneous stellar winds in isolated supergiant stars and supergiant high mass X-ray binaries
• Accretion onto Intermediate Mass Black Holes Regulated by Radiative Feedback I. Parametric Study for Spherically Symmetric Accretion
• L-band spectroscopy of Galactic OB-stars
• Spectrophotometry of Sextans A and B: Chemical Abundances of HII Regions and Planetary Nebulae
• Mass loss from inhomogeneous hot star winds II. Constraints from a combined optical/UV study
• The Progenitor of GW 150914
• Wolf-Rayet stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: I. Analysis of the single WN stars
• Global X-ray properties of the O and B stars in Carina
• Evolution of X-ray emission from young massive star clusters
• Early magnetic B-type stars: X-ray emission and wind properties
• Formation pathway of Population III coalescing binary black holes through stable mass transfer
• Analysis of Galactic late-type O dwarfs: more constraints on the weak wind problem
• Cyg X-3: a low-mass black hole or a neutron star
• Wolf-Rayet stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: II. Analysis of the binaries
• The extended HeII4686-emitting region in IZw18 unveiled: clues for peculiar ionizing sources
• Macroclumping as solution of the discrepancy between Hα and P v mass loss diagnostics for O-type stars
• The Comparative Chemical Evolution of an Isolated Dwarf Galaxy: A VLT and Keck Spectroscopic Survey of WLM
• A quantitative study of O stars in NGC2244 and the Mon OB2 association
• X-ray emission from interacting massive binaries: a review of 15 years of progress
• Constraints on Core Collapse from the Black Hole Mass Function
• Properties of WNh stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: evidence for homogeneous evolution
• Bright OB stars in the Galaxy.II. Wind variability in O supergiants as traced by H-alpha
• Direct spectroscopic observations of clumping in O-star winds
• Signature of wide-spread clumping in B supergiant winds
• A spectroscopic study of blue supergiant stars in the Sculptor galaxy NGC 55: chemical evolution and distance
• On the Weak-Wind Problem in Massive Stars: X-ray Spectra Reveal a Massive Hot Wind in μ Columbae
• Photometric and Spectroscopic Studies of Massive Binaries in the Large Magellanic Cloud. I. Introduction and Orbits for Two Detached Systems: Evidence for a Mass Discrepancy?
• Winds of low-metallicity OB-type stars: HST-COS spectroscopy in IC1613
• No breakdown of the radiatively-driven wind theory in low-metallicity environments
• Modelling the clumping-induced polarimetric variability of hot star winds
• Revisiting the Dynamical Case for a Massive Black Hole in IC10 X-1
• Stellar Metallicity of the Extended Disk and Distance of the Spiral Galaxy NGC 3621
• A new prescription for the mass-loss rates of WC and WO stars
• Eta Carinae and the Luminous Blue Variables
• Revisiting the ultraluminous supersoft source in M101: an optically thick outflow model
• Preheated Advection Dominated Accretion Flow
• Radial dependence of line profile variability in seven O9--B0.5 stars
• Wolf-Rayet spin at low metallicity and its implication for Black Hole formation channels
• Periodic signals from the Circinus region: two new cataclysmic variables and the ultraluminous X-ray source candidate GC X-1
• Discovery of X-ray Emission from the Wolf-Rayet star WR142 of oxygen subtype
• One of the most massive stars in the Galaxy may have formed in isolation
• On the optical counterpart of NGC300 X-1 and the global Wolf-Rayet content of NGC300
• Inferring hot-star-wind acceleration from Line Profile Variability
• Stellar population of the superbubble N206 in the LMC I. Analysis of the Of-type stars
• First detection of phase-dependent colliding wind X-ray emission outside the Milky Way
• On the nature of WO stars: a quantitative analysis of the WO3 star DR1 in IC 1613
• A rare early-type star revealed in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud
• Spectroscopy of SMC Wolf-Rayet Stars Suggests that Wind-Clumping does not Depend on Ambient Metallicity
• Metallicity Distribution Functions of Four Local Group dwarf galaxies
• O-star mass-loss rates at low metallicity
• Black holes formed by direct collapse: observational evidences
• Mass fluxes for O-type supergiants with metallicity Z = Z_{\sun}/5

Cited by in corpus (20)

• The evolutionary roads leading to low effective spins, high black hole masses, and O1/O2 rates of LIGO/Virgo binary black holes
• On the nature of massive helium star winds and Wolf-Rayet-type mass loss
• Testing massive star evolution, star-formation history and feedback at low metallicity : Spectroscopic analysis of OB stars in the SMC Wing
• Massive donors in interacting binaries: effect of metallicity
• PoWR grids of non-LTE model atmospheres for OB-type stars of various metallicities
• The impact of common envelope development criteria on the formation of LIGO/Virgo sources
• The implications of high BH spins on the origin of BH-BH mergers
• The Origin of inequality: isolated formation of a 30+10Msun binary black-hole merger
• The role of supernova convection for the lower mass gap in the isolated binary formation of gravitational wave sources
• Pathways for producing binary black holes with large misaligned spins in the isolated formation channel
• Stellar wind properties of the nearly complete sample of O stars in the low metallicity young star cluster NGC346 in the SMC galaxy
• Low-metallicity massive single stars with rotation. II. Predicting spectra and spectral classes of chemically-homogeneously evolving stars
• Unequal-mass, highly-spinning binary black hole mergers in the stable mass transfer formation channel
• Formation Timescales for High-Mass X-ray Binaries in M33
• A spectroscopic multiplicity survey of Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars: II. The northern WNE sequence
• The Wolf-Rayet binaries of the nitrogen sequence in the Large Magellanic Cloud: spectroscopy, orbital analysis, formation, and evolution
• On the contribution of ULXs to stellar feedback: an intermediate mass black hole candidate and the population of ULXs in the low-metallicity starburst galaxy ESO 338-4
• Infrared outbursts as potential tracers of common envelope events in high-mass X-ray binary formation
• Low-metallicity massive single stars with rotation. III. Source of ionization and C-IV emission in I Zw 18
• Multi-wavelength spectroscopic analysis of the ULX Holmberg II X-1 and its nebula suggests the presence of a heavy black hole accreting from a B-type donor