Gravitational Waves powerful enough to eject a supermassive black hole from a galaxy?

[repoman]

Don't have time to post much about this, but I though that gravitational waves couple so poorly to matter that this would not be possible. But these are scientists so they should be given the respect to assume they know the math and physics well enough.

Here is one link, there are many more in the news now:

http://news.columbia.edu/content/New-Study-Finds-Radiation-from-Nearby-Galaxies-Helped-Fuel-First-Monster-Black-Holes

 

[Bomb#20]

Don't have time to post much about this, but I though that gravitational waves couple so poorly to matter that this would not be possible. But these are scientists so they should be given the respect to assume they know the math and physics well enough.

Here is one link, there are many more in the news now:

http://news.columbia.edu/content/New-Study-Finds-Radiation-from-Nearby-Galaxies-Helped-Fuel-First-Monster-Black-Holes

Your link doesn't say anything about gravity waves or about ejecting supermassive black holes.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

https://astronomynow.com/2017/03/28...icks-monster-black-hole-out-of-galactic-core/

 

[Bomb#20]

https://astronomynow.com/2017/03/28...icks-monster-black-hole-out-of-galactic-core/

Thanks.

Don't have time to post much about this, but I though that gravitational waves couple so poorly to matter that this would not be possible.

So it turns out they're not talking about gravity waves pushing the black hole out, but rather the black hole pushing gravity waves out and recoiling in the opposite direction. I think this means the poor coupling of gravity waves to matter just isn't an issue. Imagine you have a neutrino cannon and you fire a thousand kg*m/s worth of neutrinos at somebody. He won't notice a thing when the blast hits him, because the neutrinos will just fly right through him without interacting with his body -- but you'll still be flung on your back by the recoil.