Related papers: Origin of Spin-Orbit Misalignments: The Microblaza…
The role of binary progenitors of neutron stars in the apparent distribution of space velocities and spin-velocity alignment observed in young pulsars is studied. A Monte-Carlo synthesis of pulsar population from single and binary stars…
Collapsing stars constitute the main black hole (BH) formation channel, and are occasionally associated with the launch of relativistic jets that power $ \gamma $-ray bursts (GRBs). Thus, collapsars offer an opportunity to infer the natal…
The spin of black holes in black hole-neutron star (BHNS) binaries can have a strong influence on the merger dynamics and the postmerger state; a wide variety of spin magnitudes and orientations are expected to occur in nature. In this…
The bright soft X-ray transient Nova Muscae 1991 was intensively observed during its entire 8-month outburst using the Large Area Counter (LAC) onboard the Ginga satellite. Recently, we obtained accurate estimates of the mass of the black…
The general-relativistic phenomenon of spin-induced orbital precession has not yet been observed in strong-field gravity. Gravitational-wave observations of binary black holes (BBHs) are prime candidates, since we expect the astrophysical…
As a transient X-ray binary, MAXI J1659-152 contains a black hole candidate as its compact star. MAXI J1659-152 was discovered on 2010 September 25 during its only known outburst. Previously-published studies of this outburst indicate that…
Recent numerical relativity simulations have shown that the final black hole produced in a binary merger can recoil with a velocity as large as 5,000 km/s. Because of enhanced gravitational-wave emission in the so-called "hang-up"…
Observations of binary pulsars and pulsars in globular clusters suggest that at least some pulsars must receive weak natal kicks at birth. If all pulsars received strong natal kicks above \unit[50]{\kms}, those born in globular clusters…
We use the `moving puncture' approach to perform fully non-linear evolutions of spinning quasi-circular black-hole binaries with individual spins not aligned with the orbital angular momentum. We evolve configurations with the individual…
Multiple observational lines of evidence support a connection between hydrogen-poor superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) and long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Both events require a powerful central energy source, usually attributed to a…
The recent discovery by LIGO/Virgo of a merging binary having a $\sim 23 M_\odot$ black hole and a $\sim 2.6 M_\odot$ compact companion has triggered a debate regarding the nature of the secondary, which falls into the so-called mass gap.…
General relativity predicts that gravitational waves (GWs) carry linear momentum. Consequently, the remnant black hole of a black-hole merger can inherit a recoil velocity or ``kick'' of crucial implications in, e.g., black-hole formation…
The spin-orbit alignment of binary stars traces their formation and accretion history. Previous studies of spin-orbit alignment have been limited to small samples, slowly rotating solar-type stars, and/or wide visual binaries that not…
Binary black holes with misaligned spins will generically induce both precession and nutation of the orbital angular momentum $\bf{L}$ about the total angular momentum $\bf{J}$. These phenomena modulate the phase and amplitude of the…
Black hole-neutron star (BHNS) mergers are thought to be sources of gravitational waves (GWs) with coincident electromagnetic (EM) counterparts. To further probe whether these systems are viable progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs)…
In general, when gas accretes on to a supermassive black hole binary it is likely to have no prior knowledge of the binary angular momentum. Therefore a circumbinary disc forms with a random inclination angle, theta, to the binary. It is…
We model the overall shape of an accretion disc in a semi-detached binary system in which mass is transfered on to a spinning black hole the spin axis of which is misaligned with the orbital rotation axis. We assume the disc is in a steady…
The understanding of microquasars in our galaxy is one of the frontiers of high energy astrophysics. Their models are based on a capturing mass Black Hole, with a nearby spiraling binary companion star. The companion star mass feeds the…
In this Letter we revisit arguments suggesting that the Bardeen-Petterson effect can coalign the spins of a central supermassive black hole binary accreting from a circumbinary (or circumnuclear) gas disc. We improve on previous estimates…
We describe a scenario to explain blazar periodicities with timescales of $\sim$ few years. The scenario is based on a binary super-massive black hole (SMBH) system in which one of the two SMBH carries a jet. We discuss the various…