On the Formation of an Eccentric Nuclear Disk following the Gravitational Recoil Kick of a Supermassive Black Hole

Abstract

The anisotropic emission of gravitational waves during the merger of two supermassive black holes can result in a recoil kick of the merged remnant. We show here that eccentric nuclear disks - stellar disks of eccentric, apse-aligned orbits - can directly form as a result. An initially circular disk of stars will align orthogonal to the black hole kick direction with a distinctive 'tick-mark' eccentricity distribution and a spiral pattern in mean anomaly.

8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

References in corpus (6)

• A Continuum of H- to He-Rich Tidal Disruption Candidates With a Preference for E+A Galaxies
• Alignment of the spins of supermassive black holes prior to coalescence
• Ejection of Supermassive Black Holes from Galaxy Cores
• Effects of gravitational-wave recoil on the dynamics and growth of supermassive black holes
• Evaporation and Accretion of Extrasolar Comets Following White Dwarf Kicks
• Post-Starburst Quasars: Bridging the Gap Between Post-Starburst Galaxies and Quasars