A candidate sub-parsec binary black hole in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 7674

Abstract

The existence of binary supermassive black holes (SBHs) is predicted by models of hierarchical galaxy formation. To date, only a single binary SBH has been imaged, at a projected separation of 7.3 parsecs. Here we report the detection of a candidate dual SBH with projected separation of 0.35 pc in the gas-rich interacting spiral galaxy NGC 7674 (Mrk 533). This peculiar Seyfert galaxy possesses a $\sim$0.7 kpc Z-shaped radio jet; the leading model for the formation of such sources postulates the presence of an uncoalesced binary SBH created during the infall of a satellite galaxy. Using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI), we imaged the central region of Mrk 533 at radio frequencies of 2, 5, 8 and 15 GHz. Two, possibly inverted-spectrum radio cores were detected at 15 GHz only; the 8-15 GHz spectral indices of the two cores are $\ge -0.33$ and $\ge -0.38$ ($\pm 30\%$), consistent with accreting SBHs. We derive a jet speed $\sim 0.28c$ from multi-epoch parsec-scale data of the hotspot region, and a source age $\ge 8.2\times 10^3$ yrs.

arXiv comment7 pages, 6 figures, published in Nature Astronomy

References in corpus (26)

• A Fundamental Relation Between Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies
• Coevolution (Or Not) of Supermassive Black Holes and Host Galaxies
• Nuclear Activity in Nearby Galaxies
• AGN Black Hole Masses and Bolometric Luminosities
• A Compact Supermassive Binary Black Hole System
• A possible close supermassive black-hole binary in a quasar with optical periodicity
• Tracing Black Hole Mergers Through Radio Lobe Morphology
• European Pulsar Timing Array Limits on Continuous Gravitational Waves from Individual Supermassive Black Hole Binaries
• A Candidate Sub-Parsec Supermassive Binary Black Hole System
• Growth of Galactic Bulges by Mergers: I. Dense Satellites
• VLBA Imaging of Central Engines in Radio Quiet Quasars
• Motion and Properties of Nuclear Radio Components in Seyfert Galaxies Seen with VLBI
• Sub-Relativistic Radio Jets and Parsec-Scale Absorption in Two Seyfert Galaxies
• Are Seyfert Narrow Line Regions Powered by Radio Jets?
• The Origin of X-shaped Radio Galaxies: Clues from the Z-symmetric Secondary Lobes
• Detection of eccentric supermassive black hole binaries with pulsar timing arrays: Signal-to-noise ratio calculations
• An extremely prolific supernova factory in the buried nucleus of the starburst galaxy IC 694
• VLBA Observations of Mrk 6: Probing the Jet-Lobe Connection
• The Quasar SDSS J1536+0441: An Unusual Double-Peaked Emitter
• Sensitive VLBI Continuum and H I Absorption Observations of NGC 7674: First Scientific Observations with the Combined Array VLBA, VLA & Arecibo
• Milliarcsec-scale radio structure of a matched sample of Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies
• Observations and properties of candidate high frequency GPS radio sources in the AT20G survey
• The broad-line region and dust torus size of the Seyfert 1 galaxy PGC50427
• Orientation and size of the `Z' in `X'-shaped radio galaxies
• Discovery of Radio Emission from the Quasar SDSS J1536+0441, a Candidate Binary Black-Hole System
• Evolution Of Massive Black Hole Binaries In Rotating Stellar Nuclei: Implications For Gravitational Wave Detection

Cited by in corpus (61)

• The Astrophysics of Nanohertz Gravitational Waves
• The Quest for Dual and Binary Supermassive Black Holes: A Multi-Messenger View
• A self-lensing binary massive black hole interpretation of quasi-periodic eruptions
• Constraining Sub-Parsec Binary Supermassive Black Holes in Quasars with Multi-Epoch Spectroscopy. III. Candidates from Continued Radial Velocity Tests
• How frequent are close supermassive binary black holes in powerful jet sources?
• A hidden friend for the galactic center black hole, Sgr A*
• Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): Methodology and Initial Results with Gaia DR2
• Varstrometry for Off-nucleus and Dual sub-Kpc AGN (VODKA): Hubble Space Telescope Discovers Double Quasars
• Searching for Dual AGN in Galaxies with Double-Peaked Emission Line Spectra using Radio Observations
• A Second Look at 12 Candidate Dual AGNs using $\mathtt{BAYMAX}$
• Toward the unambiguous identification of supermassive binary black holes through Bayesian inference
• Keck OSIRIS AO LIRG Analysis: Feedback in the Nuclei of Luminous Infrared Galaxies
• WISE view of changing-look AGNs: evidence for a transitional stage of AGNs
• Kinematic signatures of reverberation mapping of close binaries of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei
• X-shaped Radio Galaxies: Optical Properties, Large-scale Environment and Relationship to Radio Structure
• VLBI studies of DAGN and SMBHB hosting galaxies
• An Iwasawa-Taniguchi Effect for Compton-thick Active Galactic Nuclei
• A Curved 150 Parsec Long Jet in the Double-Peaked Emission-Line AGN KISSR 434
• Very Long Baseline Array Imaging of Type-2 Seyferts with Double-Peaked Narrow Emission Lines: Searches for Sub-kpc Dual AGNs and Jet-Powered Outflows
• A unified accretion disc model for supermassive black holes in galaxy formation simulations: method and implementation
• A Bayesian Analysis of SDSS J0914+0853, a Low-Mass Dual AGN Candidate
• Characterizing Compact 15-33 GHz Radio Continuum Sources in Local U/LIRGs
• GMRT Low-frequency Imaging of an Extended Sample of X-shaped Radio Galaxies
• Constraining a companion of the galactic center black hole, Sgr A*
• Particles in Relativistic MHD Jets. I. Role of Jet Dynamics in Particle Acceleration
• Double-peaked Lines, Dual VLBI Components, and Precessing Jets in J1328+2751
• A Triple AGN in the NGC 7733-7734 Merging Group
• The Discovery of Secondary Lobes in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 2639
• Dynamical evidence of the sub-parsec counter-rotating disc for a close binary of supermassive black holes in the nucleus of NGC 1068
• A possible sub-kiloparsec dual AGN buried behind the galaxy curtain
• The correlated variations of C IV narrow absorption lines and quasar continuum
• Spatially resolved BPT mapping of nearby Seyfert 2 galaxies
• The Bardeen-Petterson effect in accreting supermassive black-hole binaries: a systematic approach
• Searching for Dual Active Galactic Nuclei
• The Role of AGN in Luminous Infrared Galaxies from the Multiwavelength Perspective
• Hard X-ray selected giant radio galaxies -- III. The LOFAR view
• Evolution of supermassive black hole binaries and tidal disruption rates in nonspherical galactic nuclei
• Curved jet motion. I. Orbiting and precessing jets
• Chemical abundances in Seyfert galaxies X. Sulphur abundance estimates
• Dynamics and spin alignment in massive, gravito-turbulent circumbinary discs around supermassive black hole binaries
• The MURALES survey. I. A dual AGN in the radio galaxy 3C459?
• Dark Matter Signatures of Supermassive Black Hole Binaries
• Differential Interferometric Signatures of Close Binaries of Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei
• ESPRESSO reveals a single but perturbed broad-line region in the supermassive black hole binary candidate PG 1302-102
• Automated Detection of Double Nuclei Galaxies using GOTHIC and the Discovery of a Large Sample of Dual AGN
• Probing the Delay Time of Supermassive Black Hole Binary Mergers With Gravitational Waves
• Unveiling the 100 pc scale nuclear radio structure of NGC 6217 with e-MERLIN and the VLA
• A catalog of candidate double and lensed quasars from Gaia and WISE data
• Optical IFU Observations of GOALS Sample with KOOLS-IFU on Seimei Telescope: Initial results of 9 U/LIRGs at $z<$ 0.04
• Observational Evidence of a Centi-parsec Supermassive Black Hole Binary Existing in the Nearby Galaxy M81
• Constraining the host galaxy halos of massive black holes from LISA event rates
• Deep VLBI Observations Challenge Previous Evidence of a Binary Supermassive Black Hole Residing in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 7674
• Multi-wavelength observations of the triple-peaked AGN Mrk 622
• Velocity offset between emission and absorption lines might be an effective indicator of dual core system
• Detection of the Fe K lines from the binary AGN in 4C+37.11
• Properties of loss cone stars in a cosmological galaxy merger remnant
• AT2020ohl: its nature and probable implications
• Adaptive optics imaging of the nuclei of Seyfert 2 galaxies: An unexpectedly high incidence of nuclear stellar rings
• Fast, dust-poor outflows in the local candidate dual AGN MCG-03-34-64 observed with VLT/ERIS
• The Nature of Jets in Double-Peaked Emission Line AGN in the KISSR Sample
• Investigating the Bulge Morphology of Dual AGN Host Galaxies from the GOTHIC survey