Authenticating the Presence of a Relativistic Massive Black Hole Binary in OJ 287 Using Its General Relativity Centenary Flare: Improved Orbital Parameters

Results from regular monitoring of relativistic compact binaries like PSR 1913+16 are consistent with the dominant (quadrupole) order emission of gravitational waves (GWs). We show that observations associated with the binary black hole (BBH) central engine of blazar OJ 287 demand the inclusion of gravitational radiation reaction effects beyond the quadrupolar order. It turns out that even the effects of certain hereditary contributions to GW emission are required to predict impact flare timings of OJ 287. We develop an approach that incorporates this effect into the BBH model for OJ 287. This allows us to demonstrate an excellent agreement between the observed impact flare timings and those predicted from ten orbital cycles of the BBH central engine model. The deduced rate of orbital period decay is nine orders of magnitude higher than the observed rate in PSR 1913+16, demonstrating again the relativistic nature of OJ 287's central engine. Finally, we argue that precise timing of the predicted 2019 impact flare should allow a test of the celebrated black hole "no-hair theorem" at the 10% level

Stochastic Modeling of Multiwavelength Variability of the Classical BL Lac Object OJ287 on Timescales Ranging from Decades to Hours

We present the results of our power spectral density analysis for the BL Lac object OJ 287, utilizing the Fermi-LAT survey at high-energy.-rays, Swift-XRT in X-rays, several ground-based telescopes and the Kepler satellite in the optical, and radio telescopes at GHz frequencies. The light curves are modeled in terms of continuous-time autoregressive moving average (CARMA) processes. Owing to the inclusion of the Kepler data, we were able to construct for the first time the optical variability power spectrum of a blazar without any gaps across similar to 6 dex in temporal frequencies. Our analysis reveals that the radio power spectra are of a colored-noise type on timescales ranging from tens of years down to months, with no evidence for breaks or other spectral features. The overall optical power spectrum is also consistent with a colored noise on the variability timescales ranging from 117 years down to hours, with no hints of any quasi-periodic oscillations. The X-ray power spectrum resembles the radio and optical power spectra on the analogous timescales ranging from tens of years down to months. Finally, the.-ray power spectrum is noticeably different from the radio, optical, and X-ray power spectra of the source: we have detected a characteristic relaxation timescale in the Fermi-LAT data, corresponding to similar to 150 days, such that on timescales longer than this, the power spectrum is consistent with uncorrelated (white) noise, while on shorter variability timescales there is correlated (colored) noise

Inappropriate left ventricular mass after preeclampsia: another piece of the puzzle Inappropriate LVM and PE

Excessive left ventricular (LV) mass (LVM) increase results in inefficient LV work with high energy waste and a negative prognostic effect. We aimed to investigate the presence of inappropriate LVM and to calculate the myocardial mechanoenergetic efficiency index (MEEi) in asymptomatic women with a history of early-onset (EO) or late-onset (LO) pre-eclampsia (PE). Among all women diagnosed with PE in the years 2009-2013, after applying inclusion/exclusion criteria and cost-effectiveness analysis, we randomly selected thirty women who experienced EO-PE, thirty with a previous LO-PE and thirty healthy controls to undergo echocardiography from 6 months to 4 years after delivery. Data regarding gestational age (GA) and mean uterine artery (UtA) pulsatility index (PI) at PE onset were collected from medical records. All women were free from cardiovascular risk factors. LVM excess was calculated as the ratio between observed LVM and predicted LVM (by sex, stroke work and height), while MEEi was calculated as the ratio between stroke work and “double product” (to approximate energy consumption), indexed to LVM. Concentric remodeling was present in 60% of EO-PE and 53% of LO-PE. LVM excess was significantly more often present in the EO-PE group than in the control group. LVM was inappropriate in 52% of EO-PE and 17% of LO-PE. MEEi showed a tendency towards lower values in the EO-PE group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that both LVM excess and MEEi were independently associated with lower GA and higher mean UtA PI at PE onset. Inappropriate LVM with a tendency towards reduced MEEi in the first 4 years after delivery may partially explain the elevated cardiovascular risk in former pre-eclamptic women compared to the general population