Rodriguez, Carl L. and Antonini, Fabio ![]() ![]() |
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Abstract
We explore the masses, merger rates, eccentricities, and spins for field binary black holes (BHs) driven to merger by a third companion through the Lidov–Kozai mechanism. Using a population synthesis approach, we model the creation of stellar-mass BH triples across a range of different initial conditions and stellar metallicities. We find that the production of triple-mediated mergers is enhanced at low metallicities by a factor of ~100 due to the lower BH natal kicks and reduced stellar mass loss. These triples naturally yield heavy binary BHs with near-zero effective spins, consistent with most of the mergers observed to date. This process produces a merger rate of between 2 and 25 Gpc−3 yr−1 in the local universe, suggesting that the Lidov–Kozai mechanism can potentially explain all of the low-spin, heavy BH mergers observed by Advanced LIGO/Virgo. Finally, we show that triples admit a unique eccentricity and spin distribution that will allow this model to be tested in the near future.
Item Type: | Article |
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Date Type: | Publication |
Status: | Published |
Schools: | Physics and Astronomy |
Publisher: | American Astronomical Society |
ISSN: | 0004-637X |
Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 4 February 2020 |
Date of Acceptance: | 20 June 2018 |
Last Modified: | 05 May 2023 21:02 |
URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/129318 |
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