Related papers: Sub-parsec supermassive Binary Quasars: expectatio…

We explore the expected X-ray (0.5-2keV) signatures from super massive black holes (SMBHs) at high redshifts ($z\sim5-12$) assuming various models for their seeding mechanism and evolution. The seeding models are approximated through…

Massive black-hole (MBH) binaries, which are expected to form following the merger of their parent galaxies, produce gravitational waves which will be detectable by Pulsar Timing Arrays at nanohertz frequencies (year periods). While no…

Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) formed in galaxy mergers are promising multi-messenger sources. They can be identified as quasars with periodic variability in electromagnetic (EM) time-domain surveys. The most massive of those…

Binaries harboring a millisecond pulsar (MSP) and a black hole (BH) are a key observing target for current and upcoming pulsar surveys. We model the formation and evolution of such binaries in isolation at solar metallicity using the…

Primordial black holes (PBHs) provide a compelling interpretation for the binary black holes (BBHs) observed by ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, especially for those BBHs in the theoretical mass gap. In the early Universe,…

Here we consider the perspective to detect sub-pc super-massive binary black-hole (SMBBH) systems using long-term photometric and spectroscopic monitoring campaigns of active galactic nuclei. This work explores the nature of long-term…

We report a discovery of a quasar at z = 4.96 +- 0.03 within a few Mpc of the quasar SDSS 0338+0021 at z = 5.02 +- 0.02. The newly found quasar has the SDSS i and z magnitudes of ~ 21.2, and an estimated absolute magnitude M_B ~ -25.2. The…

Recent observations of quasars powered by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) out to z > 7 constrain both the initial seed masses and the growth of the most massive black holes (BHs) in the early universe. Here we elucidate the implications of…

Gravitational wave (GW) detections of binary black holes (BBHs) have shown evidence for a dearth of component black holes with masses above $\sim50M_\odot$. This is consistent with expectations of a mass gap due to the existence of…

We study the demographics of z ~ 6 broad-line quasars in the black hole (BH) mass-luminosity plane using a sample of more than 100 quasars at 5.7 < z < 6.5. These quasars have well quantified selection functions and nearly one third of them…

We report the discovery of a quasar pair at z=5 separated by 21 arcsec. Both objects were identified as quasar candidates using simple color selection techniques applied to photometric catalogs from the CFHT Legacy Survey (CFHTLS). Spectra…

Distinguishing the photon output of an accreting supermassive black hole binary system from that of a single supermassive black hole accreting at the same rate is intrinsically difficult because the majority of the light emerges from near…

Little is known about the statistics of gravitationally lensed quasars at large (7''-30'') image separations, which probe masses on the scale of galaxy clusters. We have carried out a survey for gravitationally-lensed objects, among sources…

In this letter we carry out the first systematic investigation of the expected gravitational wave (GW) background generated by supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries in the nHz frequency band accessible to pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). We…

In the last two decades, approximately 200 quasars have been discovered at $z>6$, hosting active super-massive black holes with masses $M_{\bullet} \gtrsim 10^9 M_{\odot}$. While these sources reflect only the tip of the iceberg of the…

Stellar mass binary black holes of unknown formation mechanism have been observed, motivating new methods for distinguishing distinct black hole populations. This work explores how the orbital eccentricity of stellar mass binary black holes…

Dual and lensed quasars are valuable astrophysical targets in many aspects. Dual quasars, considered as the precursors of supermassive black hole binaries, can provide crucial insights into how black hole mergers drive the growth of…

The project Massive Unseen Companions to Hot Faint Underluminous Stars from SDSS (MUCHFUSS) aims at finding hot subdwarf stars with massive compact companions like massive white dwarfs (M > 1.0 Msun), neutron stars or stellar mass black…

A number of deep, wide-field, near-infrared surveys employing new infrared cameras on 4m-class telescopes are about to commence. These surveys have the potential to determine the fraction of luminous dust-obscured quasars that may have…

The quest for binary and dual supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the dawn of the multi-messenger era is compelling. Detecting dual active galactic nuclei (AGN) -- active SMBHs at projected separations larger than several parsecs -- and…