GMVA18B-164

Imaging massive binary BH candidates in OJ287 and 3C345 with the GMVA+ALMA

Abstract

We propose 3 mm GMVA+ALMA observations of OJ287 and 3C345, two of the best candidates for hosting sub-pc supermassive binary black hole systems (SMBBH). The improvement in the north-south resolution and sensitivity provided by ALMA, and the comparison with quasi-simultaneous, resolution-matched 1.3 cm RadioAstron and 1 mm EHT+ALMA images could potentially spatially resolve the two binary systems, providing the first confirmation of sub-pc SMBBHs, prime targets for nano- and milli-hertz gravitational wave detectors. Comparison with similar GMVA+ALMA, RadioAstron, and EHT+ALMA campaigns in 2017 and 2018 will allow us, for the first time, to study the magnetic field, Faraday screen, accretion rate, jet ridge line, and particle energy distribution evolution at scales not probed before in blazar jets, reaching linear scales of only ~26 gravitational radii in OJ287 and ~700 for 3C345. This will be used to test the applicability of magnetically driven jet formation models and to test the SMBBH scenario by comparing predictions from different GRMHD simulations carried out by members of our team.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Stanislaw Zola	Uniwersytetu Jagiellonski
Hugo Messias	Joint ALMA Observatory
Ruben Herrero-Illana	European Southern Observatory
Violette Impellizzeri	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Leiden, University of; Joint ALMA Observatory
A Gopakumar	Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Michael Johnson	California at Santa Barbara, University of; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Venkatessh Ramakrishnan	Turku, University of
Tuomas Savolainen	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Aalto yliopisto
Helge Rottmann	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Geoffrey Crew	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rusen Lu	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
Rocco Lico	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Sera Markoff	Amsterdam, Universiteit van
Roman Gold	Maryland, University of; Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics; Syddansk Universitet
Silke Britzen	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Marshall Cohen	California Institute of Technology
Tony Zensus	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Eduardo Ros	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; València, Universitat de
Manel Perucho	València, Universitat de
Jos M. Mart	València, Universitat de
Yosuke Mizuno	Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-Universität
Uwe Bach	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Sol Molina	Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Ivan Agudo	Boston University; Joint Institute for Very Long Baseline Interferometry European Research Infrastructure Consortium; Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de; Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Kazunori Akiyama	Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Haystack Observatory
Jeffrey Hodgson	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Ivan Marti-Vidal	València, Universitat de
Laura Vega-Garcia	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Jae-Young Kim	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Kyungpook National University
Carolina Casadio	Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas
Antonio Fuentes	Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Yuri Kovalev	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Stefanie Komossa	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Svetlana Jorstad	Boston University
Gabriele Bruni	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Alan Marscher	Boston University
Andrei Lobanov	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Thomas Krichbaum	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Jose L. Gomez *	Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
GBT Operator	Green Bank Observatory

* indicates the PI