---
_id: '17529'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The astrophysical origin of gravitational wave (GW) events is one of the most
    timely problems in the wake of the LIGO/Virgo discoveries. In active galactic
    nuclei (AGN), binaries form and evolve efficiently by dynamical interactions and
    gaseous dissipation. Previous studies have suggested that binary black hole (BBH)
    mergers in AGN disks can contribute significantly to BBH mergers observed by GW
    interferometers. Here we examine the distribution of the effective spin parameter
    χeff of this GW source population. We extend our semi-analytical model of binary
    formation and evolution in AGN disks by following the evolution of the binary
    orbital angular momenta and black hole (BH) spins. BH spins change due to gas
    accretion and BH mergers, while the binary orbital angular momenta evolve due
    to gas accretion and binary-single interactions. We find that the distribution
    of χeff predicted by our AGN model is similar to the distribution observed during
    LIGO/Virgo O1 and O2. On the other hand, if radial migration of BHs is inefficient,
    χeff is skewed toward higher values compared with the observed distribution, because
    of the paucity of scattering events that would randomize spin directions relative
    to the orbital plane. We suggest that high binary masses and the positive correlation
    between binary mass and the standard deviation of χeff for chirp masses up to
    ≈20 M⊙, can be possible signatures for mergers originating in AGN disks. Finally,
    hierarchical mergers in AGN disks naturally produce properties of the recent GW
    event GW190412, including a low mass ratio, a high primary BH spin, and a significant
    spin component in the orbital plane.
article_number: '26'
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Hiromichi
  full_name: Tagawa, Hiromichi
  last_name: Tagawa
- first_name: Zoltán
  full_name: Haiman, Zoltán
  id: 7c006e8c-cc0d-11ee-8322-cb904ef76f36
  last_name: Haiman
- first_name: Imre
  full_name: Bartos, Imre
  last_name: Bartos
- first_name: Bence
  full_name: Kocsis, Bence
  last_name: Kocsis
citation:
  ama: Tagawa H, Haiman Z, Bartos I, Kocsis B. Spin evolution of stellar-mass black
    hole binaries in active galactic nuclei. <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>. 2020;899(1).
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc">10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc</a>
  apa: Tagawa, H., Haiman, Z., Bartos, I., &#38; Kocsis, B. (2020). Spin evolution
    of stellar-mass black hole binaries in active galactic nuclei. <i>The Astrophysical
    Journal</i>. American Astronomical Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc">https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc</a>
  chicago: Tagawa, Hiromichi, Zoltán Haiman, Imre Bartos, and Bence Kocsis. “Spin
    Evolution of Stellar-Mass Black Hole Binaries in Active Galactic Nuclei.” <i>The
    Astrophysical Journal</i>. American Astronomical Society, 2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc">https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc</a>.
  ieee: H. Tagawa, Z. Haiman, I. Bartos, and B. Kocsis, “Spin evolution of stellar-mass
    black hole binaries in active galactic nuclei,” <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>,
    vol. 899, no. 1. American Astronomical Society, 2020.
  ista: Tagawa H, Haiman Z, Bartos I, Kocsis B. 2020. Spin evolution of stellar-mass
    black hole binaries in active galactic nuclei. The Astrophysical Journal. 899(1),
    26.
  mla: Tagawa, Hiromichi, et al. “Spin Evolution of Stellar-Mass Black Hole Binaries
    in Active Galactic Nuclei.” <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>, vol. 899, no. 1,
    26, American Astronomical Society, 2020, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc">10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc</a>.
  short: H. Tagawa, Z. Haiman, I. Bartos, B. Kocsis, The Astrophysical Journal 899
    (2020).
date_created: 2024-09-05T09:36:37Z
date_published: 2020-08-10T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2024-09-11T09:11:55Z
day: '10'
doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc
extern: '1'
intvolume: '       899'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba2cc
month: '08'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publication: The Astrophysical Journal
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0004-637X
  - 1538-4357
publication_status: published
publisher: American Astronomical Society
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Spin evolution of stellar-mass black hole binaries in active galactic nuclei
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 899
year: '2020'
...