Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare

M. J. Valtonen; S. Zola; S. Ciprini; A. Gopakumar; K. Matsumoto; K. Sadakane; M. Kidger; K. Gazeas; K. Nilsson; A. Berdyugin; V. Piirola; H. Jermak; K. S. Baliyan; F. Alicavus; D. Boyd; M. Campas Torrent; F. Campos; J. Carrillo Gómez; D. B. Caton; V. Chavushyan; J. Dalessio; B. Debski; D. Dimitrov; M. Drozdz; H. Er; A. Erdem; A. Escartin Pérez; V. Fallah Ramazani; A. V. Filippenko; S. Ganesh; F. Garcia; F. Gómez Pinilla; M. Gopinathan; J. B. Haislip; R. Hudec; G. Hurst; K. M. Ivarsen; M. Jelinek; A. Joshi; M. Kagitani; N. Kaur; W. C. Keel; A. P. Lacluyze; B. C. Lee; E. Lindfors; J. Lozano De Haro; J. P. Moore; M. Mugrauer; R. Naves Nogues; A. W. Neely; R. H. Nelson; W. Ogloza; S. Okano; J. C. Pandey; M. Perri; P. Pihajoki; G. Poyner; J. Provencal; T. Pursimo; A. Raj; D. E. Reichart; R. Reinthal; S. Sadegi; T. Sakanoi; J. L. Salto González; Sameer; T. Schweyer; M. Siwak; F. C. Soldán Alfaro; E. Sonbas; I. Steele; J. T. Stocke; J. Strobl; L. O. Takalo; T. Tomov; L. Tremosa Espasa; J. R. Valdes; J. Valero Pérez; F. Verrecchia; J. R. Webb; M. Yoneda; M. Zejmo; W. Zheng; J. Telting; J. Saario; T. Reynolds; A. Kvammen; E. Gafton; R. Karjalainen; J. Harmanen; P. Blay

doi:10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37

Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare

M. J. Valtonen, S. Zola, S. Ciprini, A. Gopakumar, K. Matsumoto, K. Sadakane, M. Kidger, K. Gazeas, K. Nilsson, A. Berdyugin, V. Piirola, H. Jermak, K. S. Baliyan, F. Alicavus, D. Boyd, M. Campas Torrent, F. Campos, J. Carrillo Gómez, D. B. Caton, V. ChavushyanJ. Dalessio, B. Debski, D. Dimitrov, M. Drozdz, H. Er, A. Erdem, A. Escartin Pérez, V. Fallah Ramazani, A. V. Filippenko, S. Ganesh, F. Garcia, F. Gómez Pinilla, M. Gopinathan, J. B. Haislip, R. Hudec, G. Hurst, K. M. Ivarsen, M. Jelinek, A. Joshi, M. Kagitani, N. Kaur, W. C. Keel, A. P. Lacluyze, B. C. Lee, E. Lindfors, J. Lozano De Haro, J. P. Moore, M. Mugrauer, R. Naves Nogues, A. W. Neely, R. H. Nelson, W. Ogloza, S. Okano, J. C. Pandey, M. Perri, P. Pihajoki, G. Poyner, J. Provencal, T. Pursimo, A. Raj, D. E. Reichart, R. Reinthal, S. Sadegi, T. Sakanoi, J. L. Salto González, Sameer, T. Schweyer, M. Siwak, F. C. Soldán Alfaro, E. Sonbas, I. Steele, J. T. Stocke, J. Strobl, L. O. Takalo, T. Tomov, L. Tremosa Espasa, J. R. Valdes, J. Valero Pérez, F. Verrecchia, J. R. Webb, M. Yoneda, M. Zejmo, W. Zheng, J. Telting, J. Saario, T. Reynolds, A. Kvammen, E. Gafton, R. Karjalainen, J. Harmanen, P. Blay

SCI - Planetary Plasma and Atmospheric Research Center (PPARC)

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Abstract

OJ 287 is a quasi-periodic quasar with roughly 12 year optical cycles. It displays prominent outbursts that are predictable in a binary black hole model. The model predicted a major optical outburst in 2015 December. We found that the outburst did occur within the expected time range, peaking on 2015 December 5 at magnitude 12.9 in the optical R-band. Based on Swift/XRT satellite measurements and optical polarization data, we find that it included a major thermal component. Its timing provides an accurate estimate for the spin of the primary black hole, . The present outburst also confirms the established general relativistic properties of the system such as the loss of orbital energy to gravitational radiation at the 2% accuracy level, and it opens up the possibility of testing the black hole no-hair theorem with 10% accuracy during the present decade.

Original language	English
Article number	L37
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	819
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37
Publication status	Published - 2016 Mar 10

Keywords

Black hole physics
quasars: general
quasars: individual (OJ.,Q287)
quasars: supermassive black holes

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10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37

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Valtonen, M. J., Zola, S., Ciprini, S., Gopakumar, A., Matsumoto, K., Sadakane, K., Kidger, M., Gazeas, K., Nilsson, K., Berdyugin, A., Piirola, V., Jermak, H., Baliyan, K. S., Alicavus, F., Boyd, D., Torrent, M. C., Campos, F., Gómez, J. C., Caton, D. B., ... Blay, P. (2016). Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 819(2), Article L37. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37

@article{7b7ac2f6fe464e3e81ae2317ecf71012,

title = "Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare",

abstract = "OJ 287 is a quasi-periodic quasar with roughly 12 year optical cycles. It displays prominent outbursts that are predictable in a binary black hole model. The model predicted a major optical outburst in 2015 December. We found that the outburst did occur within the expected time range, peaking on 2015 December 5 at magnitude 12.9 in the optical R-band. Based on Swift/XRT satellite measurements and optical polarization data, we find that it included a major thermal component. Its timing provides an accurate estimate for the spin of the primary black hole, . The present outburst also confirms the established general relativistic properties of the system such as the loss of orbital energy to gravitational radiation at the 2% accuracy level, and it opens up the possibility of testing the black hole no-hair theorem with 10% accuracy during the present decade.",

keywords = "Black hole physics, quasars: general, quasars: individual (OJ.,Q287), quasars: supermassive black holes",

author = "Valtonen, {M. J.} and S. Zola and S. Ciprini and A. Gopakumar and K. Matsumoto and K. Sadakane and M. Kidger and K. Gazeas and K. Nilsson and A. Berdyugin and V. Piirola and H. Jermak and Baliyan, {K. S.} and F. Alicavus and D. Boyd and Torrent, {M. Campas} and F. Campos and G{\'o}mez, {J. Carrillo} and Caton, {D. B.} and V. Chavushyan and J. Dalessio and B. Debski and D. Dimitrov and M. Drozdz and H. Er and A. Erdem and P{\'e}rez, {A. Escartin} and Ramazani, {V. Fallah} and Filippenko, {A. V.} and S. Ganesh and F. Garcia and {G{\'o}mez Pinilla}, F. and M. Gopinathan and Haislip, {J. B.} and R. Hudec and G. Hurst and Ivarsen, {K. M.} and M. Jelinek and A. Joshi and M. Kagitani and N. Kaur and Keel, {W. C.} and Lacluyze, {A. P.} and Lee, {B. C.} and E. Lindfors and {Lozano De Haro}, J. and Moore, {J. P.} and M. Mugrauer and {Naves Nogues}, R. and Neely, {A. W.} and Nelson, {R. H.} and W. Ogloza and S. Okano and Pandey, {J. C.} and M. Perri and P. Pihajoki and G. Poyner and J. Provencal and T. Pursimo and A. Raj and Reichart, {D. E.} and R. Reinthal and S. Sadegi and T. Sakanoi and {Salto Gonz{\'a}lez}, {J. L.} and Sameer and T. Schweyer and M. Siwak and {Sold{\'a}n Alfaro}, {F. C.} and E. Sonbas and I. Steele and Stocke, {J. T.} and J. Strobl and Takalo, {L. O.} and T. Tomov and {Tremosa Espasa}, L. and Valdes, {J. R.} and {Valero P{\'e}rez}, J. and F. Verrecchia and Webb, {J. R.} and M. Yoneda and M. Zejmo and W. Zheng and J. Telting and J. Saario and T. Reynolds and A. Kvammen and E. Gafton and R. Karjalainen and J. Harmanen and P. Blay",

note = "Funding Information: The Swift gamma-ray burst explorer mission is part of NASA''s medium explorer (MIDEX) program, led by NASA with participation of Italy and the UK. We would like to thank the Swift team for making these observations possible, in particular D. Malesani as the Swift Observatory Duty Scientist. The authors acknowledge support by the following grants: NCN 2013/09/B/ST9/00599 (S.Z.) and DEC-2011/03/D/ ST9/00656 (M.Z.), GACR 13-33324 S (R.H.), and Academy of Finland grant No. 1274931 (P.P.). A.V.F. and W.-K.Z. are grateful for financial assistance from NSF grant AST- 1211916, NASA grant NNX12AF12G, the TABASGO Foundation, and the Christopher R. Redlich Fund. We extend our thanks to TUBITAK for partial support in using the T60 telescope with project number 10CT60-76. We are grateful to S. Masda, D. Wagner, T. Zehe, J. Greif, and H. Gilbert for their help in carrying out some of the observations taken at the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University. KAIT and its ongoing operation were made possible by donations from Sun Microsystems, Inc., the Hewlett-Packard Company, AutoScope Corporation, Lick Observatory, the NSF, the University of California, the Sylvia and Jim Katzman Foundation, and the TABASGO Foundation. Research at Lick Observatory is partially supported by a generous gift from Google. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.",

year = "2016",

month = mar,

day = "10",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37",

language = "English",

volume = "819",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

}

Valtonen, MJ, Zola, S, Ciprini, S, Gopakumar, A, Matsumoto, K, Sadakane, K, Kidger, M, Gazeas, K, Nilsson, K, Berdyugin, A, Piirola, V, Jermak, H, Baliyan, KS, Alicavus, F, Boyd, D, Torrent, MC, Campos, F, Gómez, JC, Caton, DB, Chavushyan, V, Dalessio, J, Debski, B, Dimitrov, D, Drozdz, M, Er, H, Erdem, A, Pérez, AE, Ramazani, VF, Filippenko, AV, Ganesh, S, Garcia, F, Gómez Pinilla, F, Gopinathan, M, Haislip, JB, Hudec, R, Hurst, G, Ivarsen, KM, Jelinek, M, Joshi, A, Kagitani, M, Kaur, N, Keel, WC, Lacluyze, AP, Lee, BC, Lindfors, E, Lozano De Haro, J, Moore, JP, Mugrauer, M, Naves Nogues, R, Neely, AW, Nelson, RH, Ogloza, W, Okano, S, Pandey, JC, Perri, M, Pihajoki, P, Poyner, G, Provencal, J, Pursimo, T, Raj, A, Reichart, DE, Reinthal, R, Sadegi, S, Sakanoi, T, Salto González, JL, Sameer, Schweyer, T, Siwak, M, Soldán Alfaro, FC, Sonbas, E, Steele, I, Stocke, JT, Strobl, J, Takalo, LO, Tomov, T, Tremosa Espasa, L, Valdes, JR, Valero Pérez, J, Verrecchia, F, Webb, JR, Yoneda, M, Zejmo, M, Zheng, W, Telting, J, Saario, J, Reynolds, T, Kvammen, A, Gafton, E, Karjalainen, R, Harmanen, J & Blay, P 2016, 'Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 819, no. 2, L37. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37

TY - JOUR

T1 - Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare

AU - Valtonen, M. J.

AU - Zola, S.

AU - Ciprini, S.

AU - Gopakumar, A.

AU - Matsumoto, K.

AU - Sadakane, K.

AU - Kidger, M.

AU - Gazeas, K.

AU - Nilsson, K.

AU - Berdyugin, A.

AU - Piirola, V.

AU - Jermak, H.

AU - Baliyan, K. S.

AU - Alicavus, F.

AU - Boyd, D.

AU - Torrent, M. Campas

AU - Campos, F.

AU - Gómez, J. Carrillo

AU - Caton, D. B.

AU - Chavushyan, V.

AU - Dalessio, J.

AU - Debski, B.

AU - Dimitrov, D.

AU - Drozdz, M.

AU - Er, H.

AU - Erdem, A.

AU - Pérez, A. Escartin

AU - Ramazani, V. Fallah

AU - Filippenko, A. V.

AU - Ganesh, S.

AU - Garcia, F.

AU - Gómez Pinilla, F.

AU - Gopinathan, M.

AU - Haislip, J. B.

AU - Hudec, R.

AU - Hurst, G.

AU - Ivarsen, K. M.

AU - Jelinek, M.

AU - Joshi, A.

AU - Kagitani, M.

AU - Kaur, N.

AU - Keel, W. C.

AU - Lacluyze, A. P.

AU - Lee, B. C.

AU - Lindfors, E.

AU - Lozano De Haro, J.

AU - Moore, J. P.

AU - Mugrauer, M.

AU - Naves Nogues, R.

AU - Neely, A. W.

AU - Nelson, R. H.

AU - Ogloza, W.

AU - Okano, S.

AU - Pandey, J. C.

AU - Perri, M.

AU - Pihajoki, P.

AU - Poyner, G.

AU - Provencal, J.

AU - Pursimo, T.

AU - Raj, A.

AU - Reichart, D. E.

AU - Reinthal, R.

AU - Sadegi, S.

AU - Sakanoi, T.

AU - Salto González, J. L.

AU - Sameer,

AU - Schweyer, T.

AU - Siwak, M.

AU - Soldán Alfaro, F. C.

AU - Sonbas, E.

AU - Steele, I.

AU - Stocke, J. T.

AU - Strobl, J.

AU - Takalo, L. O.

AU - Tomov, T.

AU - Tremosa Espasa, L.

AU - Valdes, J. R.

AU - Valero Pérez, J.

AU - Verrecchia, F.

AU - Webb, J. R.

AU - Yoneda, M.

AU - Zejmo, M.

AU - Zheng, W.

AU - Telting, J.

AU - Saario, J.

AU - Reynolds, T.

AU - Kvammen, A.

AU - Gafton, E.

AU - Karjalainen, R.

AU - Harmanen, J.

AU - Blay, P.

N1 - Funding Information: The Swift gamma-ray burst explorer mission is part of NASA''s medium explorer (MIDEX) program, led by NASA with participation of Italy and the UK. We would like to thank the Swift team for making these observations possible, in particular D. Malesani as the Swift Observatory Duty Scientist. The authors acknowledge support by the following grants: NCN 2013/09/B/ST9/00599 (S.Z.) and DEC-2011/03/D/ ST9/00656 (M.Z.), GACR 13-33324 S (R.H.), and Academy of Finland grant No. 1274931 (P.P.). A.V.F. and W.-K.Z. are grateful for financial assistance from NSF grant AST- 1211916, NASA grant NNX12AF12G, the TABASGO Foundation, and the Christopher R. Redlich Fund. We extend our thanks to TUBITAK for partial support in using the T60 telescope with project number 10CT60-76. We are grateful to S. Masda, D. Wagner, T. Zehe, J. Greif, and H. Gilbert for their help in carrying out some of the observations taken at the University Observatory Jena, which is operated by the Astrophysical Institute of the Friedrich-Schiller-University. KAIT and its ongoing operation were made possible by donations from Sun Microsystems, Inc., the Hewlett-Packard Company, AutoScope Corporation, Lick Observatory, the NSF, the University of California, the Sylvia and Jim Katzman Foundation, and the TABASGO Foundation. Research at Lick Observatory is partially supported by a generous gift from Google. Publisher Copyright: © 2016. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

PY - 2016/3/10

Y1 - 2016/3/10

N2 - OJ 287 is a quasi-periodic quasar with roughly 12 year optical cycles. It displays prominent outbursts that are predictable in a binary black hole model. The model predicted a major optical outburst in 2015 December. We found that the outburst did occur within the expected time range, peaking on 2015 December 5 at magnitude 12.9 in the optical R-band. Based on Swift/XRT satellite measurements and optical polarization data, we find that it included a major thermal component. Its timing provides an accurate estimate for the spin of the primary black hole, . The present outburst also confirms the established general relativistic properties of the system such as the loss of orbital energy to gravitational radiation at the 2% accuracy level, and it opens up the possibility of testing the black hole no-hair theorem with 10% accuracy during the present decade.

AB - OJ 287 is a quasi-periodic quasar with roughly 12 year optical cycles. It displays prominent outbursts that are predictable in a binary black hole model. The model predicted a major optical outburst in 2015 December. We found that the outburst did occur within the expected time range, peaking on 2015 December 5 at magnitude 12.9 in the optical R-band. Based on Swift/XRT satellite measurements and optical polarization data, we find that it included a major thermal component. Its timing provides an accurate estimate for the spin of the primary black hole, . The present outburst also confirms the established general relativistic properties of the system such as the loss of orbital energy to gravitational radiation at the 2% accuracy level, and it opens up the possibility of testing the black hole no-hair theorem with 10% accuracy during the present decade.

KW - Black hole physics

KW - quasars: general

KW - quasars: individual (OJ.,Q287)

KW - quasars: supermassive black holes

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84961133222&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84961133222&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37

DO - 10.3847/2041-8205/819/2/L37

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84961133222

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 819

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L37

ER -

Primary black hole spin in oj 287 AS determined by the general relativity centenary flare

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Keywords

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