Emission lines as a tool in search for supermassive black hole binaries and recoiling black holes

Detection of electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of pre-coalescence binaries has very important implications for our understanding of the evolution of these systems as well as the associated accretion physics In addition, a combination of EM and gravitational wave signatures observed from coalescing supermassive black hole binaries (SBHBs) would provide independent measurements of redshift and luminosity distance. thus allowing for high precision cosmological measurements. However, a statistically significant sample of these objects is yet to be attained and finding them observationally has proven to be a difficult task Here we discuss existing observational evidence and how further advancements in the theoretical understanding of observational signatures of SBHBs before and after the coalescence can help in future searches. (C) 2009 Elsevier B V. All rights reserved.