(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2017-04-17) Christian, Pierre; Loeb, Abraham
Using the black hole merger rate inferred from LIGO, we calculate the abundance of tightly bound black hole binaries in the Milky Way galaxy. Binaries with a small semimajor axis (≲10R⊙) originate at larger separations through conventional formation mechanisms and evolve as a result of gravitational wave emission. We find that eLISA could detect them in the Milky Way. We also identify possible X-ray signatures of such binaries.
