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We study the dynamical evolution of supermassive black holes (BHs) in merginggalaxies on scales of hundreds of kpc to 10 pc, to identify the physicalprocesses that aid or hinder the orbital decay of BHs. We presenthydrodynamical simulations of galaxy mergers with a resolution of $\leq$20 pc,chosen to accurately track the motion of the nuclei and provide a realisticenvironment for the evolution of the BHs. We find that, during the late stagesof the merger, tidal shocks inject energy in the nuclei, causing one or bothnuclei to be disrupted and leaving their BH `naked', without any bound gas orstars. In many cases, the nucleus that is ultimately disrupted is that of thelarger galaxy (`nuclear coup'), as star formation grows a denser nuclear cuspin the smaller galaxy. We supplement our simulations with an analyticalestimate of the orbital-decay time required for the BHs to form a binary atunresolved scales, due to dynamical friction. We find that, when a nuclear coupoccurs, the time-scale is much shorter than when the secondary's nucleus isdisrupted, as the infalling BH is more massive, and it also finds itself in adenser stellar environment.

Nuclear coups: dynamics of black holes in galaxy mergers