The problem of few black holes

Abstract

The problem of few black holes becomes important in multiple mergers of galaxies. If supermassive black holes in centres of galaxies are common, then interaction of three or four supermassive black holes should also be common. The merger of two galaxies with one black hole each produces a semi-stable black hole binary system. Subsequent mergers of galaxies with their own central black holes produces dynamical few-body evolution in which mergers of black holes occur. According to our numerical simulations this evolution typically ends when only one or two black holes remain and, in the latter case, they are ejected in opposite directions from the center of the galaxy. Even when we pick the initial black hole masses at random from a wide distribution, the two black hole ejections happen rather symmetrically. Sometimes the final masses differ considerably in which case only the lighter black hole is ejected. This is caused by the potential barrier of the galaxy itself which prevents the heavy slowly moving black hole flying out of the galaxy. We discuss OJ287 as a possible example of a multiple black hole system.