PKS 1302-102

Coordinates: 13h 05m 33.01498s, −10° 33′ 19.4266″

PKS 1302-102
Observation data (Epoch J2000.0 [1])
Constellation Virgo [2]
Right ascension 13h 05m 33.01498s [1]
Declination −10° 33′ 19.4266″ [1]
Redshift 0.2784 [1]
Distance 3.5×10^9 ly (1.1 Gpc)[2]
Type FSRS, FSRQ, FSQ, QSO, E4 [1][3]
Other designations
PG 1302-102,[3] PG 1302-103,[1] ICRF J130533.0-103319,[1] PKS 1302-102,[3] PKS 1302-103,[1] PKS J1305-1033,[1] PKS B1302-102,[3] QSO J1305-1033,[1] QSO B1302-1017[1]
See also: Quasar, List of quasars

PKS 1302-102 is a quasar with a binary-supermassive black hole pair, located in the Virgo constellation, some 3.5 billion light-years (1.1 gigaparsecs) away.[4] It is the first quasar discovered with two supermassive black holes sitting within its accretion disc.[2][5] As of 2015, it is one of the few black hole binaries known, and was found in a survey of quasar variability in a group of 20 candidates, and the best candidate known, better than the prior best, OJ 287.[6] The quasar is hosted by an elliptical galaxy.[3] There are two neighbouring galaxies near the quasar.[7]

Binary black hole system

The two supermassive black holes are merging, and are 180 billion miles (2.9×1011 km) apart,[2] comparable to the separation between the Sun and the Oort cloud in the Solar System. They are calculated to have merged 3.339 billion years ago and the light from this event should reach Earth within about a million years. The orbiting of the two black holes is causing a 5-year (1884 days) periodic flicker of 14% in the output of the quasar. It is anticipated that when the black holes do merge, it will result in an explosion 100 million times more energetic than a supernova.[7] This system is important in astrophysics, as the final parsec problem concerning mergers of supermassive black holes remains unsolved.[8] The nature of the system was spotted in data from the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "ICRF J130533.0-103319 -- Seyfert 1 Galaxy". SIMBAD. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Scientists Prepare For First Observation Of Two Black Holes Merging". TechTimes. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "PG 1302-102". NED. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
  4. ↑ "More Evidence for Coming Black Hole Collision". New York Times. 16 September 2015.
  5. ↑ Xaq Rzetelny (8 January 2015). "Supermassive black hole binary discovered".
  6. ↑ Camille M. Carlisle (13 January 2015). "Black Hole Binary En Route to Merger?". Sky & Telescope.
  7. 1 2 3 Dennis Overbye (7 January 2015). "Black Holes Inch Ahead to Violent Cosmic Union". New York Times.
  8. ↑ Michael D. Lemonick (7 January 2015). "Ka-Boom! Two Black Holes Get Ready to Collide". TIME Magazine.

Further reading

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