In the case of supermassive black hole binaries like AT 2021hdr, gas clouds can be disrupted by their gravity, leading to significant material accretion from the clouds. Unlike stars, which are smaller than the binary separation, the gas clouds can be comparable or larger, allowing for more extensive interaction as the black holes orbit each other. This process could contribute to their growing mass, as studies suggest they could consume up to 30 percent of the gas every few orbits.
The supermassive black holes in AT 2021hdr are expected to merge in about 70,000 years, providing a unique opportunity to study their accretion processes as they interact with not only gas clouds but also as part of a larger merger with their host galaxy. Observations during this time might clarify whether these black holes are indeed consuming gas instead of stars, furthering our understanding of their behavior and the dynamics of galactic mergers.
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