Letter to the Editor

The impact of natal kicks on black hole binaries

Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany

^⋆ Corresponding author.

Received: 23 June 2025
Accepted: 31 July 2025

Abstract

In massive binary-star systems, supernova (SN) explosions can significantly alter the orbit during the formation of compact objects. Some compact objects are predicted to form via direct collapse, with negligible mass loss and no baryonic ejecta emitted. In this scenario, most of the energy is released via neutrinos and any resulting natal kick arises from asymmetries in their emission. Here, I investigate stellar collapse leading to binary black hole (BH) formation, with a focus on how the natal kick influences the gravitational-wave driven merger time. In summary, I find that when mass loss is negligible, natal kicks are unlikely to affect binary BH merger rates, delay times, or spin orientations. More specifically, I find the following. For low natal kicks, the effect on the time to coalescence is negligible. For moderate natal kicks, if the binary remains bound, up to 50% of binary BHs experience a decrease in their time to coalescence by more than one order of magnitude. For large natal kicks, while most binaries become unbound, those that remain bound may acquire retrograde orbits and/or lead to shorter coalescence times. For binary BH mergers, large natal kicks (≳100 km/s) are hard to reconcile with both neutrino natal kicks and the complete collapse scenario. This suggests that retrograde orbits and shortened merger times could only arise in volatile BH formation scenarios or if spin-axis tossing is at work. Consequently, electromagnetic observations of BHs in massive star binaries within the Local Group offer a more effective means to probe the physics behind complete collapse. Another promising population for deciphering the complete collapse scenario is that of massive, wide binaries. Although Gaia may help shed light on these systems, longer observational baselines will likely be needed to fully understand the roles of neutrino natal kicks and stellar collapse in BH formation.