Disentangling Accretion Disk and Dust Emissions in the Infrared Spectrum of Type 1 AGN

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Antonio Hernán-Caballero

2017-10-01

Full Text Available We use a semi-empirical model to reproduce the 0.1–10 μm spectral energy distribution (SED of a sample of 85 luminous quasars. In the model, the continuum emission from the accretion disk as well as the nebular lines are represented by a single empirical template (disk, where differences in the optical spectral index are reproduced by varying the amount of extinction. The near- and mid-infrared emission of the AGN-heated dust is modeled as the combination of two black-bodies (dust. The model fitting shows that the disk and dust components are remarkably uniform among individual quasars, with differences in the observed SED largely accounted for by varying levels of obscuration in the disk as well as differences in the relative luminosity of the disk and dust components. By combining the disk-subtracted SEDs of the 85 quasars, we generate a template for the 1–10 μm emission of the AGN-heated dust. Additionally, we use a sample of local Seyfert 1 galaxies with full spectroscopic coverage in the 0.37–39 μm range to demonstrate a method for stitching together spectral segments obtained with different PSF and extraction apertures. We show that the disk and dust templates obtained from luminous quasars also reproduce the optical-to-mid-infrared spectra of local Seyfert 1s when the contribution from the host galaxy is properly subtracted.

Physical Conditions in Ultra-fast Outflows in AGN

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Kraemer, S. B.; Tombesi, F.; Bottorff, M. C.

2018-01-01

XMM-Newton and Suzaku spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) have revealed highly ionized gas, in the form of absorption lines from H-like and He-like Fe. Some of these absorbers, ultra-fast outflows (UFOs), have radial velocities of up to 0.25c. We have undertaken a detailed photoionization study of high-ionization Fe absorbers, both UFOs and non-UFOs, in a sample of AGN observed by XMM-Newton. We find that the heating and cooling processes in UFOs are Compton-dominated, unlike the non-UFOs. Both types are characterized by force multipliers on the order of unity, which suggest that they cannot be radiatively accelerated in sub-Eddington AGN, unless they were much less ionized at their point of origin. However, such highly ionized gas can be accelerated via a magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) wind. We explore this possibility by applying a cold MHD flow model to the UFO in the well-studied Seyfert galaxy, NGC 4151. We find that the UFO can be accelerated along magnetic streamlines anchored in the accretion disk. In the process, we have been able to constrain the magnetic field strength and the magnetic pressure in the UFO and have determined that the system is not in magnetic/gravitational equipartition. Open questions include the variability of the UFOs and the apparent lack of non-UFOs in UFO sources.

Probing the connection between the accretion disk, outflows and the jet in 3C111

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Tombesi, Francesco

2011-10-01

Recent XMM-Newton and Suzaku observations of 3C111 demonstrated the presence of ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) with v~0.1c and their relation with the accretion disk. Independent studies found that X-ray dips are followed by ejection of superluminal radio knots, therefore providing a proof of the disk-jet connection. We acquired evidence that UFOs are preferentially present between X-ray dips and new knots, possibly indicating also a link between disk outflows and the jet. The goal of this XMM-Newton proposal is to confirm this evidence. Given the strong correlation with X-rays, we will use an ongoing optical monitoring campaign to trigger a 90ks observation within two days of a dip to detect a UFO and we request a possible additional 60ks >15 days after to compare with the non-dipped state.

AGN feedback in action? - outflows and star formation in type 2 AGNs

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Woo, Jong-Hak

2017-01-01

We present the statistical constraints on the ionized gas outflows and their connection to star formation, using a large sample of ~110,000 AGNs and star-forming galaxies at z dispersion of star forming galaxies can be entirely accounted by the gravitational potential of host galaxies, AGNs clearly show non-gravitational kinematics, which is comparable to or stronger than the virial motion caused by the gravitational potential. Second, the distribution in the [OIII] velocity - velocity dispersion diagram dramatically expands toward large values with increasing AGN luminosity, implying that the outflows are AGN-driven. Third, the fraction of AGNs with a signature of outflow kinematics, steeply increases with AGN luminosity and Eddington ratio. In particular, the majority of luminous AGNs presents strong non-gravitational kinematics in the [OIII] profile. Interestingly, we find that the specific star formation of non-outflow AGNs is much lower than that of strong outflow AGNs, while the star formation rate of strong outflow AGNs is comparable to that of star forming galaxies. We interpret this trend as a delayed AGN feedback as it takes dynamical time for the outflows to suppress star formation in galactic scales.

Hot Accretion onto Black Holes with Outflow

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Park Myeong-Gu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Classic Bondi accretion flow can be generalized to rotating viscous accretion flow. Study of hot accretion flow onto black holes show that its physical charateristics change from Bondi-like for small gas angular momentum to disk-like for Keperian gas angular momentum. Especially, the mass accretion rate divided by the Bondi accretion rate is proportional to the viscosity parameter alpha and inversely proportional to the gas angular momentum divided by the Keplerian angular momentum at the Bondi radius for gas angular momentum comparable to the Keplerian value. The possible presence of outflow will increase the mass inflow rate at the Bondi radius but decrease the mass accretion rate across the black hole horizon by many orders of magnitude. This implies that the growth history of supermassive black holes and their coevolution with host galaxies will be dramatically changed when the accreted gas has angular momentum or develops an outflow.

Jet launching radius in low-power radio-loud AGNs in advection-dominated accretion flows

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Le, Truong; Newman, William; Edge, Brinkley

2018-06-01

Using our theory for the production of relativistic outflows, we estimate the jet launching radius and the inferred mass accretion rate for 52 low-power radio-loud AGNs based on the observed jet powers. Our analysis indicates that (1) a significant fraction of the accreted energy is required to convert the accreted mass to relativistic energy particles for the production of the jets near the event horizon, (2) the jet's launching radius moves radially towards the horizon as the mass accretion rate or jet's power increases, and (3) no jet/outflow formation is possible beyond 44 gravitational radii.

A Global Three-Dimensional Radiation Hydrodynamic Simulation of a Self-Gravitating Accretion Disk

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Phillipson, Rebecca; Vogeley, Michael S.; McMillan, Stephen; Boyd, Patricia

2018-01-01

We present three-dimensional, radiation hydrodynamic simulations of initially thin accretion disks with self-gravity using the grid-based code PLUTO. We produce simulated light curves and spectral energy distributions and compare to observational data of X-ray binary (XRB) and active galactic nuclei (AGN) variability. These simulations are of interest for modeling the role of radiation in accretion physics across decades of mass and frequency. In particular, the characteristics of the time variability in various bandwidths can probe the timescales over which different physical processes dominate the accretion flow. For example, in the case of some XRBs, superorbital periods much longer than the companion orbital period have been observed. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) calculations have shown that irradiation-driven warping could be the mechanism underlying these long periods. In the case of AGN, irradiation-driven warping is also predicted to occur in addition to strong outflows originating from thermal and radiation pressure driving forces, which are important processes in understanding feedback and star formation in active galaxies. We compare our simulations to various toy models via traditional time series analysis of our synthetic and observed light curves.

AGN outflows as neutrino sources: an observational test

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Padovani, P.; Turcati, A.; Resconi, E.

2018-04-01

We test the recently proposed idea that outflows associated with Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) could be neutrino emitters in two complementary ways. First, we cross-correlate a list of 94 "bona fide" AGN outflows with the most complete and updated repository of IceCube neutrinos currently publicly available, assembled by us for this purpose. It turns out that AGN with outflows matched to an IceCube neutrino have outflow and kinetic energy rates, and bolometric powers larger than those of AGN with outflows not matched to neutrinos. Second, we carry out a statistical analysis on a catalogue of [O III] λ5007 line profiles using a sample of 23,264 AGN at z values (˜6 and 18 per cent respectively, pre-trial) for relatively high velocities and luminosities. Our results are consistent with a scenario where AGN outflows are neutrino emitters but at present do not provide a significant signal. This can be tested with better statistics and source stacking. A predominant role of AGN outflows in explaining the IceCube data appears in any case to be ruled out.

Cosmological Evolution of the Central Engine in High-Luminosity, High-Accretion Rate AGN

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Matteo Guainazzi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper I discuss the status of observational studies aiming at probing the cosmological evolution of the central engine in high-luminosity, high-accretion rate Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN. X-ray spectroscopic surveys, supported by extensive multi-wavelength coverage, indicate a remarkable invariance of the accretion disk plus corona system, and of their coupling up to redshifts z≈6. Furthermore, hard X-ray (E >10 keV surveys show that nearby Seyfert Galaxies share the same central engine notwithstanding their optical classication. These results suggest that the high-luminosity, high accretion rate quasar phase of AGN evolution is homogeneous over cosmological times.

Regulation of black-hole accretion by a disk wind during a violent outburst of V404 Cygni.

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Muñoz-Darias, T; Casares, J; Mata Sánchez, D; Fender, R P; Armas Padilla, M; Linares, M; Ponti, G; Charles, P A; Mooley, K P; Rodriguez, J

2016-06-02

Accretion of matter onto black holes is universally associated with strong radiative feedback and powerful outflows. In particular, black-hole transients have outflows whose properties are strongly coupled to those of the accretion flow. This includes X-ray winds of ionized material, expelled from the accretion disk encircling the black hole, and collimated radio jets. Very recently, a distinct optical variability pattern has been reported in the transient stellar-mass black hole V404 Cygni, and interpreted as disrupted mass flow into the inner regions of its large accretion disk. Here we report observations of a sustained outer accretion disk wind in V404 Cyg, which is unlike any seen hitherto. We find that the outflowing wind is neutral, has a large covering factor, expands at one per cent of the speed of light and triggers a nebular phase once accretion drops sharply and the ejecta become optically thin. The large expelled mass (>10(-8) solar masses) indicates that the outburst was prematurely ended when a sizeable fraction of the outer disk was depleted by the wind, detaching the inner regions from the rest of the disk. The luminous, but brief, accretion phases shown by transients with large accretion disks imply that this outflow is probably a fundamental ingredient in regulating mass accretion onto black holes.

A New Look at Speeding Outflows

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Kohler, Susanna

2018-02-01

The compact centers of active galaxies known as active galactic nuclei, or AGN are known for the dynamic behavior they exhibit as the supermassive black holes at their centers accrete matter. New observations of outflows from a nearby AGN provide a more detailed look at what happens in these extreme environments.Outflows from GiantsThe powerful radio jets of Cygnus A, which extend far beyond the galaxy. [NRAO/AUI]AGN consist of a supermassive black hole of millions to tens of billions of solar masses surrounded by an accretion disk of in-falling matter. But not all the material falling toward the black hole accretes! Some of it is flung from the AGN via various types of outflows.The most well-known of these outflows are powerful radio jets collimated and incredibly fast-moving streams of particles that blast their way out of the host galaxy and into space. Only around 10% of AGN are observed to host such jets, however and theres another outflow thats more ubiquitous.Fast-Moving AbsorbersPerhaps 30% of AGN both those with and without observed radio jets host wider-angle, highly ionized gaseous outflows known as ultra-fast outflows (UFOs). Ultraviolet and X-ray radiation emitted from the AGN is absorbed by the UFO, revealing the outflows presence: absorption lines appear in the ultraviolet and X-ray spectra of the AGN, blue-shifted due to the high speeds of the absorbing gas in the outflow.Quasar PG 1211+143, indicated by the crosshairs at the center of the image, in the color context of its surroundings. [SDSS/S. Karge]But what is the nature of UFOs? Are they disk winds? Or are they somehow related to the radio jets? And what impact do they have on the AGNs host galaxy?X-ray and Ultraviolet CooperationNew observations are now providing fresh information about one particular UFO. A team of scientists led by Ashkbiz Danehkar (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) recently used the Chandra and Hubble space telescopes to make the first simultaneous observations

Radial Transport and Meridional Circulation in Accretion Disks

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Philippov, Alexander A. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Rafikov, Roman R., E-mail: sashaph@princeton.edu [Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

2017-03-10

Radial transport of particles, elements and fluid driven by internal stresses in three-dimensional (3D) astrophysical accretion disks is an important phenomenon, potentially relevant for the outward dust transport in protoplanetary disks, origin of the refractory particles in comets, isotopic equilibration in the Earth–Moon system, etc. To gain better insight into these processes, we explore the dependence of meridional circulation in 3D disks with shear viscosity on their thermal stratification, and demonstrate a strong effect of the latter on the radial flow. Previous locally isothermal studies have normally found a pattern of the radial outflow near the midplane, switching to inflow higher up. Here we show, both analytically and numerically, that a flow that is inward at all altitudes is possible in disks with entropy and temperature steeply increasing with height. Such thermodynamic conditions may be typical in the optically thin, viscously heated accretion disks. Disks in which these conditions do not hold should feature radial outflow near the midplane, as long as their internal stress is provided by the shear viscosity. Our results can also be used for designing hydrodynamical disk simulations with a prescribed pattern of the meridional circulation.

Evidence for Ultra-Fast Outflows in Radio-Quiet AGNs. 2; Detailed Photoionization Modeling of Fe K-Shell Absorption Lines

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Tombesi, Francesco; Clapp, M.; Reeves, J. N.; Palumbo, G. G. C.; Braito, V.; Dadina, M.

2011-01-01

X-ray absorption line spectroscopy has recently shown evidence for previously unknown Ultra-fast Outflows (UFOs) in radio-quiet AGNs. In the previous paper of this series we defined UFOs as those absorbers with an outflow velocity higher than 10,000km/s and assessed the statistical significance of the associated blue shifted FeK absorption lines in a large sample of 42 local radio-quiet AGNs observed with XMM-Newton. In the present paper we report a detailed curve of growth analysis and directly model the FeK absorbers with the Xstar photo-ionization code. We confirm that the frequency of sources in the radio-quiet sample showing UFOs is >35%. The outflow velocity distribution spans from \\sim10,000km/s (\\sim0.03c) up to \\siml00,000kmis (\\sim0.3c), with a peak and mean value of\\sim42,000km/s (\\sim0.14c). The ionization parameter is very high and in the range log\\xi 3-6 erg s/cm, with a mean value of log\\xi 4.2 erg s/cm. The associated column densities are also large, in the range N_H\\siml0(exp 22)-10(exp 24)/sq cm, with a mean value of N_H\\siml0(exp23)/sq cm. We discuss and estimate how selection effects, such as those related to the limited instrumental sensitivity at energies above 7keV, may hamper the detection of even higher velocities and higher ionization absorbers. We argue that, overall, these results point to the presence of extremely ionized and possibly almost Compton thick outflowing material in the innermost regions of AGNs. This also suggests that UFOs may potentially play a significant role in the expected cosmological feedback from AGNs and their study can provide important clues on the connection between accretion disks, winds and jets.

The energetics of AGN radiation pressure-driven outflows

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Ishibashi, W.; Fabian, A. C.; Maiolino, R.

2018-05-01

The increasing observational evidence of galactic outflows is considered as a sign of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in action. However, the physical mechanism responsible for driving the observed outflows remains unclear, and whether it is due to momentum, energy, or radiation is still a matter of debate. The observed outflow energetics, in particular the large measured values of the momentum ratio (\\dot{p}/(L/c) ˜ 10) and energy ratio (\\dot{E}_k/L ˜ 0.05), seems to favour the energy-driving mechanism; and most observational works have focused their comparison with wind energy-driven models. Here, we show that AGN radiation pressure on dust can adequately reproduce the observed outflow energetics (mass outflow rate, momentum flux, and kinetic power), as well as the scalings with luminosity, provided that the effects of radiation trapping are properly taken into account. In particular, we predict a sublinear scaling for the mass outflow rate (\\dot{M} ∝ L^{1/2}) and a superlinear scaling for the kinetic power (\\dot{E}_k ∝ L^{3/2}), in agreement with the observational scaling relations reported in the most recent compilation of AGN outflow data. We conclude that AGN radiative feedback can account for the global outflow energetics, at least equally well as the wind energy-driving mechanism, and therefore both physical models should be considered in the interpretation of future AGN outflow observations.

Stability of black hole accretion disks

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Czerny B.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available We discuss the issues of stability of accretion disks that may undergo the limit-cycle oscillations due to the two main types of thermal-viscous instabilities. These are induced either by the domination of radiation pressure in the innermost regions close to the central black hole, or by the partial ionization of hydrogen in the zone of appropriate temperatures. These physical processes may lead to the intermittent activity in AGN on timescales between hundreds and millions of years. We list a number of observational facts that support the idea of the cyclic activity in high accretion rate sources. We conclude however that the observed features of quasars may provide only indirect signatures of the underlying instabilities. Also, the support from the sources with stellar mass black holes, whose variability timescales are observationally feasible, is limited to a few cases of the microquasars. Therefore we consider a number of plausible mechanisms of stabilization of the limit cycle oscillations in high accretion rate accretion disks. The newly found is the stabilizing effect of the stochastic viscosity fluctuations.

GAS OUTFLOWS IN SEYFERT GALAXIES: EFFECTS OF STAR FORMATION VERSUS AGN FEEDBACK

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Melioli, C.; Pino, E. M. de Gouveia Dal, E-mail: claudio.melioli@iag.usp.br, E-mail: dalpino@iag.usp.br [Department of Astronomy (IAG-USP), University of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2015-10-20

Large-scale, weakly collimated outflows are very common in galaxies with large infrared luminosities. In complex systems in particular, where intense star formation (SF) coexists with an active galactic nucleus (AGN), it is not clear yet from observations whether the SF, the AGN, or both are driving these outflows. Accreting supermassive black holes are expected to influence their host galaxies through kinetic and radiative feedback processes, but in a Seyfert galaxy, where the energy emitted in the nuclear region is comparable to that of the body of the galaxy, it is possible that stellar activity is also playing a key role in these processes. In order to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms driving the gas evolution especially at the nuclear regions of these galaxies, we have performed high-resolution three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with radiative cooling considering the feedback from both SF regions, including supernova (Type I and II) explosions and an AGN jet emerging from the central region of the active spiral galaxy. We computed the gas mass lost by the system, separating the role of each of these injection energy sources on the galaxy evolution, and found that at scales within 1 kpc an outflow can be generally established considering intense nuclear SF only. The jet alone is unable to drive a massive gas outflow, although it can sporadically drag and accelerate clumps of the underlying outflow to very high velocities.

Outflow Kinematics Manifested by the Hα Line: Gas Outflows in Type 2 AGNs. IV

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Kang, Daeun; Woo, Jong-Hak; Bae, Hyun-Jin, E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr [Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-20

Energetic ionized gas outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been studied as a key phenomenon related to AGN feedback. To probe the kinematics of the gas in the narrow-line region, [O iii] λ 5007 has been utilized in a number of studies showing nonvirial kinematic properties due to AGN outflows. In this paper, we statistically investigate whether the H α emission line is influenced by AGN-driven outflows by measuring the kinematic properties based on the H α line profile and comparing them with those of [O iii]. Using the spatially integrated spectra of ∼37,000 Type 2 AGNs at z < 0.3 selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR7, we find a nonlinear correlation between H α velocity dispersion and stellar velocity dispersion that reveals the presence of the nongravitational component, especially for AGNs with a wing component in H α . The large H α velocity dispersion and velocity shift of luminous AGNs are clear evidence of AGN outflow impacts on hydrogen gas, while relatively smaller kinematic properties compared to those of [O iii] imply that the observed outflow effect on the H α line is weaker than the case of [O iii].

Ionized Outflows in 3-D Insights from Herbig-Haro Objects and Applications to Nearby AGN

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Cecil, Gerald

1999-01-01

HST shows that the gas distributions of these objects are complex and clump at the limit of resolution. HST spectra have lumpy emission-line profiles, indicating unresolved sub-structure. The advantages of 3D over slits on gas so distributed are: robust flux estimates of various dynamical systems projected along lines of sight, sensitivity to fainter spectral lines that are physical diagnostics (reddening-gas density, T, excitation mechanisms, abundances), and improved prospects for recovery of unobserved dimensions of phase-space. These advantages al- low more confident modeling for more profound inquiry into underlying dynamics. The main complication is the effort required to link multi- frequency datasets that optimally track the energy flow through various phases of the ISM. This tedium has limited the number of objects that have been thoroughly analyzed to the a priori most spectacular systems. For HHO'S, proper-motions constrain the ambient B-field, shock velocity, gas abundances, mass-loss rates, source duty-cycle, and tie-ins with molecular flows. If the shock speed, hence ionization fraction, is indeed small then the ionized gas is a significant part of the flow energetics. For AGN'S, nuclear beaming is a source of ionization ambiguity. Establishing the energetics of the outflow is critical to determining how the accretion disk loses its energy. CXO will provide new constraints (especially spectral) on AGN outflows, and STIS UV-spectroscopy is also constraining cloud properties (although limited by extinction). HHO's show some of the things that we will find around AGN'S. I illustrate these points with results from ground-based and HST programs being pursued with collaborators.

Three-Dimensional General-Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Remnant Accretion Disks from Neutron Star Mergers: Outflows and r-Process Nucleosynthesis.

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Siegel, Daniel M; Metzger, Brian D

2017-12-08

The merger of binary neutron stars, or of a neutron star and a stellar-mass black hole, can result in the formation of a massive rotating torus around a spinning black hole. In addition to providing collimating media for γ-ray burst jets, unbound outflows from these disks are an important source of mass ejection and rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis. We present the first three-dimensional general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of neutrino-cooled accretion disks in neutron star mergers, including a realistic equation of state valid at low densities and temperatures, self-consistent evolution of the electron fraction, and neutrino cooling through an approximate leakage scheme. After initial magnetic field amplification by magnetic winding, we witness the vigorous onset of turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI). The disk quickly reaches a balance between heating from MRI-driven turbulence and neutrino cooling, which regulates the midplane electron fraction to a low equilibrium value Y_{e}≈0.1. Over the 380-ms duration of the simulation, we find that a fraction ≈20% of the initial torus mass is unbound in powerful outflows with asymptotic velocities v≈0.1c and electron fractions Y_{e}≈0.1-0.25. Postprocessing the outflows through a nuclear reaction network shows the production of a robust second- and third-peak r process. Though broadly consistent with the results of previous axisymmetric hydrodynamical simulations, extrapolation of our results to late times suggests that the total ejecta mass from GRMHD disks is significantly higher. Our results provide strong evidence that postmerger disk outflows are an important site for the r process.

Radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the formation of hot accretion disk coronae

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Jiang, Yan-Fei [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Stone, James M. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Davis, Shane W. [Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. Toronto, ON M5S3H4 (Canada)

2014-04-01

A new mechanism to form a magnetic pressure supported, high temperature corona above the photosphere of an accretion disk is explored using three dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The thermal properties of the disk are calculated self-consistently by balancing radiative cooling through the surfaces of the disk with heating due to dissipation of turbulence driven by magneto-rotational instability (MRI). As has been noted in previous work, we find the dissipation rate per unit mass increases dramatically with height above the mid-plane, in stark contrast to the α-disk model which assumes this quantity is a constant. Thus, we find that in simulations with a low surface density (and therefore a shallow photosphere), the fraction of energy dissipated above the photosphere is significant (about 3.4% in our lowest surface density model), and this fraction increases as surface density decreases. When a significant fraction of the accretion energy is dissipated in the optically thin photosphere, the gas temperature increases substantially and a high temperature, magnetic pressure supported corona is formed. The volume-averaged temperature in the disk corona is more than 10 times larger than at the disk mid-plane. Moreover, gas temperature in the corona is strongly anti-correlated with gas density, which implies the corona formed by MRI turbulence is patchy. This mechanism to form an accretion disk corona may help explain the observed relation between the spectral index and luminosity from active galactic nucleus (AGNs), and the soft X-ray excess from some AGNs. It may also be relevant to spectral state changes in X-ray binaries.

DISCOVERY OF ULTRA-FAST OUTFLOWS IN A SAMPLE OF BROAD-LINE RADIO GALAXIES OBSERVED WITH SUZAKU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tombesi, F.; Sambruna, R. M.; Mushotzky, R. F.; Reeves, J. N.; Gofford, J.; Braito, V.; Ballo, L.; Cappi, M.

2010-01-01

We present the results of a uniform and systematic search for blueshifted Fe K absorption lines in the X-ray spectra of five bright broad-line radio galaxies observed with Suzaku. We detect, for the first time in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at X-rays, several absorption lines at energies greater than 7 keV in three out of five sources, namely, 3C 111, 3C 120, and 3C 390.3. The lines are detected with high significance according to both the F-test and extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Their likely interpretation as blueshifted Fe XXV and Fe XXVI K-shell resonance lines implies an origin from highly ionized gas outflowing with mildly relativistic velocities, in the range v ≅ 0.04-0.15c. A fit with specific photoionization models gives ionization parameters in the range log ξ ≅ 4-5.6 erg s -1 cm and column densities of N H ≅ 10 22 -10 23 cm -2 . These characteristics are very similar to those of the ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) previously observed in radio-quiet AGNs. Their estimated location within ∼0.01-0.3 pc of the central super-massive black hole suggests a likely origin related with accretion disk winds/outflows. Depending on the absorber covering fraction, the mass outflow rate of these UFOs can be comparable to the accretion rate and their kinetic power can correspond to a significant fraction of the bolometric luminosity and is comparable to their typical jet power. Therefore, these UFOs can play a significant role in the expected feedback from the AGN to the surrounding environment and can give us further clues on the relation between the accretion disk and the formation of winds/jets in both radio-quiet and radio-loud AGNs.

Three-dimensional GRMHD Simulations of Neutrino-cooled Accretion Disks from Neutron Star Mergers

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Siegel, Daniel M.; Metzger, Brian D.

2018-05-01

Merging binaries consisting of two neutron stars (NSs) or an NS and a stellar-mass black hole typically form a massive accretion torus around the remnant black hole or long-lived NS. Outflows from these neutrino-cooled accretion disks represent an important site for r-process nucleosynthesis and the generation of kilonovae. We present the first three-dimensional, general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations including weak interactions and a realistic equation of state of such accretion disks over viscous timescales (380 ms). We witness the emergence of steady-state MHD turbulence, a magnetic dynamo with an ∼20 ms cycle, and the generation of a “hot” disk corona that launches powerful thermal outflows aided by the energy released as free nucleons recombine into α-particles. We identify a self-regulation mechanism that keeps the midplane electron fraction low (Y e ∼ 0.1) over viscous timescales. This neutron-rich reservoir, in turn, feeds outflows that retain a sufficiently low value of Y e ≈ 0.2 to robustly synthesize third-peak r-process elements. The quasi-spherical outflows are projected to unbind 40% of the initial disk mass with typical asymptotic escape velocities of 0.1c and may thus represent the dominant mass ejection mechanism in NS–NS mergers. Including neutrino absorption, our findings agree with previous hydrodynamical α-disk simulations that the entire range of r-process nuclei from the first to the third r-process peak can be synthesized in the outflows, in good agreement with observed solar system abundances. The asymptotic escape velocities and quantity of ejecta, when extrapolated to moderately higher disk masses, are consistent with those needed to explain the red kilonova emission following the NS merger GW170817.

Delayed or No Feedback? Gas Outflows in Type 2 AGNs. III

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Woo, Jong-Hak; Son, Donghoon; Bae, Hyun-Jin, E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr, E-mail: hjbae@galaxy.yonsei.ac.kr [Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-20

We present gas kinematics based on the [O iii] λ 5007 line and their connection to galaxy gravitational potential, active galactic nucleus (AGN) energetics, and star formation, using a large sample of ∼110,000 AGNs and star-forming (SF) galaxies at z < 0.3. Gas and stellar velocity dispersions are comparable to each other in SF galaxies, indicating that the ionized gas kinematics can be accounted by the gravitational potential of host galaxies. In contrast, AGNs clearly show non-gravitational kinematics, which is comparable to or stronger than the virial motion caused by the gravitational potential. The [O iii] velocity–velocity dispersion (VVD) diagram dramatically expands toward high values as a function of AGN luminosity, implying that the outflows are AGN-driven, while SF galaxies do not show such a trend. We find that the fraction of AGNs with a signature of outflow kinematics, steeply increases with AGN luminosity and Eddington ratio. In particular, the majority of luminous AGNs presents strong non-gravitational kinematics in the [O iii] profile. AGNs with strong outflow signatures show on average similar specific star formation rates (sSFRs) to those of star-forming galaxies. In contrast, AGNs with weak or no outflows have an order of magnitude lower sSFRs, suggesting that AGNs with current strong outflows do now show any negative AGN feedback and that it may take dynamical time to impact on star formation over galactic scales.

The rotation of accretion-disks and the power spectra of X-rays 'flickering'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaohe; Bao Gang

1990-07-01

The X-ray producing, inner region of the accretion disk in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) is likely to be non-stationary and non-axisymmetric. This non-stationarity and non-axisymmetry in disk surface brightness may be modeled by considering the pre-sense of many 'hot spots' on a steady, axisymmetric disk. As long as a 'spot' can survive for a few orbital periods, its orbital frequency can be introduced into the light curve either by relativistic orbital motion or by eclipsing of the spot by the disk. These rotational effects vary with the local properties of the spot population. Depending on the radial variation of spot brightness, lifetime and number density, the observed variability power spectrum may differ from that due to the intrinsic variability of spots alone, within the orbital frequency range in which these spots occur. In this paper, we explore the relation between properties assumed for the spot population and the resulting predictions for the observed variability. The implications of our results for the 'flickering' of X-ray sources powered by accretion disks (both AGN and galactic sources) are also discussed. (author). 24 refs, 6 figs

IRON OPACITY BUMP CHANGES THE STABILITY AND STRUCTURE OF ACCRETION DISKS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Yan-Fei [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Davis, Shane W. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States); Stone, James M. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-08-10

Accretion disks around supermassive black holes have regions where the Rosseland mean opacity can be larger than the electron scattering opacity due to the large number of bound–bound transitions in iron. We study the effects of this iron opacity “bump” on the thermal stability and vertical structure of radiation-pressure-dominated accretion disks, utilizing three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in the local shearing box approximation. The simulations self-consistently calculate the heating due to MHD turbulence caused by magneto-rotational instability and radiative cooling by using the radiative transfer module based on a variable Eddington tensor in Athena. For a 5 × 10{sup 8} solar mass black hole with ∼3% of the Eddington luminosity, a model including the iron opacity bump maintains its structure for more than 10 thermal times without showing significant signs of thermal runaway. In contrast, if only electron scattering and free–free opacity are included as in the standard thin disk model, the disk collapses on the thermal timescale. The difference is caused by a combination of (1) an anti-correlation between the total optical depth and the midplane pressure, and (2) enhanced vertical advective energy transport. These results suggest that the iron opacity bump may have a strong impact on the stability and structure of active galactic nucleus (AGN) accretion disks, and may contribute to a dependence of AGN properties on metallicity. Since this opacity is relevant primarily in UV emitting regions of the flow, it may help to explain discrepancies between observation and theory that are unique to AGNs.

Probing the Gas Fueling and Outflows in Nearby AGN with ALMA

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Audibert, Anelise [Observatoire de Paris, LERMA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL University, Sorbonne University, UPMC, Paris (France); Combes, Françoise [Observatoire de Paris, LERMA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL University, Sorbonne University, UPMC, Paris (France); College de France, Paris (France); García-Burillo, Santiago [Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Observatorio de Madrid, Madrid (Spain); Salomé, Philippe, E-mail: anelise.audibert@obspm.fr [Observatoire de Paris, LERMA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL University, Sorbonne University, UPMC, Paris (France)

2017-12-12

Feeding and feedback in AGN play a very important role to gain a proper understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The interaction between activity mechanisms in the nucleus and its influence in the host galaxy are related to the physical processes involved in feedback and the gas fueling of the black hole. The discovery of many massive molecular outflows in the last few years have been promoting the idea that winds may be major actors in sweeping the gas out of galaxies. Also, the widely observed winds from the central regions of AGN are promising candidates to explain the scaling relations (e.g., the black hole-bulge mass relation, BH accretion rate tracking the star formation history) under the AGN feedback scenario. Out goal is to probe these phenomena through the kinematic and morphology of the gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. This has recently been possible due to the unprecedented ALMA spatial resolution and sensitivity. We present results on NGC7213 and NGC1808, the latter is part of a new ALMA follow-up of the NuGa project, a previous high-resolution (0.5–1″) CO survey of low luminosity AGN performed with the IRAM PdBI.

Probing the gas fuelling and outflows in nearby AGN with ALMA

Science.gov (United States)

Audibert, Anelise; Combes, Françoise; García-Burillo, Santiago; Salomé, Philippe

2017-12-01

Feeding and feedback in AGN play a very important role to gain a proper understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The interaction between activity mechanisms in the nucleus and its influence in the host galaxy are related to the physical processes involved in feedback and the gas fuelling of the black hole. The discovery of many massive molecular outflows in the last few years have been promoting the idea that winds may be major actors in sweeping the gas out of galaxies. Also, the widely observed winds from the central regions of AGN are promising candidates to explain the scaling relations (e.g. the black hole-bulge mass relation, BH accretion rate tracking the star formation history) under the AGN feedback scenario. Out goal is to probe these phenomena through the kinematic and morphology of the gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. This has recently been possible due to the unprecedented ALMA spatial resolution and sensitivity. We present results on NGC7213 and NGC1808, the latter is part of a new ALMA follow-up of the NuGa project, a previous high-resolution (0.5-1”) CO survey of low luminosity AGN performed with the IRAM PdBI.

Probing the Gas Fueling and Outflows in Nearby AGN with ALMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anelise Audibert

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Feeding and feedback in AGN play a very important role to gain a proper understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The interaction between activity mechanisms in the nucleus and its influence in the host galaxy are related to the physical processes involved in feedback and the gas fueling of the black hole. The discovery of many massive molecular outflows in the last few years have been promoting the idea that winds may be major actors in sweeping the gas out of galaxies. Also, the widely observed winds from the central regions of AGN are promising candidates to explain the scaling relations (e.g., the black hole-bulge mass relation, BH accretion rate tracking the star formation history under the AGN feedback scenario. Out goal is to probe these phenomena through the kinematic and morphology of the gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. This has recently been possible due to the unprecedented ALMA spatial resolution and sensitivity. We present results on NGC7213 and NGC1808, the latter is part of a new ALMA follow-up of the NuGa project, a previous high-resolution (0.5–1″ CO survey of low luminosity AGN performed with the IRAM PdBI.

UNRAVELLING THE COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF AGN-DRIVEN OUTFLOWS. II. PHOTOIONIZATION AND ENERGETICS

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Karouzos, Marios; Woo, Jong-Hak [Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Hyun-Jin, E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr [Department of Astronomy and Center for Galaxy EVolution Research, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-20

Outflows have been shown to be prevalent in galaxies hosting luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs); they present a physically plausible way to couple the AGN energy output with the interstellar medium of their hosts. Despite their prevalence, accurate characterization of these outflows has been challenging. In the second of a series of papers, we use Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph integral field unit (IFU) data of six local ( z  < 0.1) and moderate-luminosity Type 2 AGNs to study the ionization properties and energetics of AGN-driven outflows. We find strong evidence connecting the extreme kinematics of the ionized gas to the AGN photoionization. The kinematic component related to the AGN-driven outflow is clearly separated from other kinematic components, such as virial motions or rotation, on the velocity and velocity dispersion diagram. Our spatially resolved kinematic analysis reveals that 30 to 90% of the total mass and kinetic energy of the outflow is contained within the central kpc of the galaxy. The spatially integrated mass and kinetic energy of the gas entrained in the outflow correlate well with the AGN bolometric luminosity and results in energy conversion efficiencies between 0.01% and 1%. Intriguingly, we detect ubiquitous signs of ongoing circumnuclear star formation. Their small size, the centrally contained mass and energy, and the universally detected circumnuclear star formation cast doubts on the potency of these AGN-driven outflows as agents of galaxy-scale negative feedback.

Equilibrium configuration of a stratus floating above accretion disks: Full-disk calculation

Science.gov (United States)

Itanishi, Yusuke; Fukue, Jun

2017-06-01

We examine floating strati above a luminous accretion disk, supported by the radiative force from the entire disk, and calculate the equilibrium locus, which depends on the disk luminosity and the optical depth of the stratus. Due to the radiative transfer effect (albedo effect), the floating height of the stratus with a finite optical depth generally becomes high, compared with the particle case. In contrast to the case of the near-disk approximation, moreover, the floating height becomes yet higher in the present full-disk calculation, since the intense radiation from the inner disk is taken into account. As a result, when the disk luminosity normalized by the Eddington luminosity is ˜0.3 and the stratus optical depth is around unity, the stable configuration disappears at around r ˜ 50 rg, rg being the Schwarzschild radius, and the stratus would be blown off as a cloudy wind consisting of many strati with appropriate conditions. This luminosity is sufficiently smaller than the Eddington one, and the present results suggest that the radiation-driven cloudy wind can be easily blown off from the sub-Eddington disk, and this can explain various outflows observed in ultra-fast outflow objects as well as in broad-absorption-line quasars.

GLOBAL STRUCTURE OF THREE DISTINCT ACCRETION FLOWS AND OUTFLOWS AROUND BLACK HOLES FROM TWO-DIMENSIONAL RADIATION-MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohsuga, Ken; Mineshige, Shin

2011-01-01

We present the detailed global structure of black hole accretion flows and outflows through newly performed two-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations. By starting from a torus threaded with weak toroidal magnetic fields and by controlling the central density of the initial torus, ρ 0 , we can reproduce three distinct modes of accretion flow. In model A, which has the highest central density, an optically and geometrically thick supercritical accretion disk is created. The radiation force greatly exceeds the gravity above the disk surface, thereby driving a strong outflow (or jet). Because of mild beaming, the apparent (isotropic) photon luminosity is ∼22L E (where L E is the Eddington luminosity) in the face-on view. Even higher apparent luminosity is feasible if we increase the flow density. In model B, which has moderate density, radiative cooling of the accretion flow is so efficient that a standard-type, cold, and geometrically thin disk is formed at radii greater than ∼7 R S (where R S is the Schwarzschild radius), while the flow is radiatively inefficient otherwise. The magnetic-pressure-driven disk wind appears in this model. In model C, the density is too low for the flow to be radiatively efficient. The flow thus becomes radiatively inefficient accretion flow, which is geometrically thick and optically thin. The magnetic-pressure force, together with the gas-pressure force, drives outflows from the disk surface, and the flow releases its energy via jets rather than via radiation. Observational implications are briefly discussed.

Compton-heated winds and coronae above accretion disks. II. Instability and oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shields, G.A.; Mckee, C.F.; Lin, D.N.C.; Begelman, M.C.; California Univ., Berkeley; California Univ., Santa Cruz; Colorado Univ., Boulder)

1986-01-01

The stability and evolution of windy accretion disks is investigated in detail. The basic disk evolution equations are briefly recapitulated, and an idealized analytic treatment of the wind and viscosity is used to show that steady disk flow is indeed unstable for sufficiently large ratio of the mass loss rate in the wind to the central accretion rate. Numerical solutions for a more realistic and appropriate expression for the mass loss rate and the standard ad hoc alpha model prescription for the viscosity are presented. The application of these results to real systems with Compton-heated winds is discussed, and a general formula for the oscillation period is given. The prediction is compared with observed periodic behavior of Galactic X-ray sources and AGNs. 17 references

Formation and spatial distribution of hypervelocity stars in AGN outflows

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiawei; Loeb, Abraham

2018-05-01

We study star formation within outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a new source of hypervelocity stars (HVSs). Recent observations revealed active star formation inside a galactic outflow at a rate of ∼ 15M⊙yr-1 . We verify that the shells swept up by an AGN outflow are capable of cooling and fragmentation into cold clumps embedded in a hot tenuous gas via thermal instabilities. We show that cold clumps of ∼ 103 M⊙ are formed within ∼ 105 yrs. As a result, stars are produced along outflow's path, endowed with the outflow speed at their formation site. These HVSs travel through the galactic halo and eventually escape into the intergalactic medium. The expected instantaneous rate of star formation inside the outflow is ∼ 4 - 5 orders of magnitude greater than the average rate associated with previously proposed mechanisms for producing HVSs, such as the Hills mechanism and three-body interaction between a star and a black hole binary. We predict the spatial distribution of HVSs formed in AGN outflows for future observational probe.

Disk accretion onto a black hole at subcritical luminosity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G.S.; Blinnikov, S.I.

1977-01-01

The influence of radiation pressure on the structure of an accretion disk is considered when the total luminosity L approaches the Eddington limit Lsub(c). The motion of particles in the disk radiation field and gravitational field of a nonrotating black hole is investigated. It is shown that the disk accretion is destroyed when L approximately equal to (0.6 / 1.0) Lsub(c). Matter outflow from the central parts of the disk to infinity then sets in. We conclude that the luminosity cannot significantly exceed the Eddington limit. We show that for L > approximately 0.1 Lsub(c) the plasma in the upper layers of the central region of the disk is heated up to temperatures T approximately 10 9 K and the disk becomes thicker as compared with the standard theory. It is shown that the radiative force can generate magnetic fields B approximately 100 G. We find that convection is the main energy transfer mechanism along z-coordinate in the central parts of the disk. The convection generates an acoustic flux which dissipates in the upper, optically thin layers of the disk and heats them. The comptonization of soft photons going from layers to the hot upper layers and variable accretion rate may explain the spectrum and variations of X-ray emission of the CygX-1. (orig.) [de

Star Formation of Merging Disk Galaxies with AGN Feedback Effects

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Park, Jongwon; Smith, Rory; Yi, Sukyoung K., E-mail: jw.park@yonsei.ac.kr [Department of Astronomy and Yonsei University Observatory, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-20

Using a numerical hydrodynamics code, we perform various idealized galaxy merger simulations to study the star formation (SF) of two merging disk galaxies. Our simulations include gas accretion onto supermassive black holes and active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. By comparing AGN simulations with those without AGNs, we attempt to understand when the AGN feedback effect is significant. Using ∼70 simulations, we investigate SF with the AGN effect in mergers with a variety of mass ratios, inclinations, orbits, galaxy structures, and morphologies. Using these merger simulations with AGN feedback, we measure merger-driven SF using the burst efficiency parameter introduced by Cox et al. We confirm previous studies which demonstrated that, in galaxy mergers, AGN suppresses SF more efficiently than in isolated galaxies. However, we also find that the effect of AGNs on SF is larger in major than in minor mergers. In minor merger simulations with different primary bulge-to-total ratios, the effect of bulge fraction on the merger-driven SF decreases due to AGN feedback. We create models of Sa-, Sb-, and Sc-type galaxies and compare their SF properties while undergoing mergers. With the current AGN prescriptions, the difference in merger-driven SF is not as pronounced as in the recent observational study of Kaviraj. We discuss the implications of this discrepancy.

Star Formation of Merging Disk Galaxies with AGN Feedback Effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jongwon; Smith, Rory; Yi, Sukyoung K.

2017-01-01

Using a numerical hydrodynamics code, we perform various idealized galaxy merger simulations to study the star formation (SF) of two merging disk galaxies. Our simulations include gas accretion onto supermassive black holes and active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. By comparing AGN simulations with those without AGNs, we attempt to understand when the AGN feedback effect is significant. Using ∼70 simulations, we investigate SF with the AGN effect in mergers with a variety of mass ratios, inclinations, orbits, galaxy structures, and morphologies. Using these merger simulations with AGN feedback, we measure merger-driven SF using the burst efficiency parameter introduced by Cox et al. We confirm previous studies which demonstrated that, in galaxy mergers, AGN suppresses SF more efficiently than in isolated galaxies. However, we also find that the effect of AGNs on SF is larger in major than in minor mergers. In minor merger simulations with different primary bulge-to-total ratios, the effect of bulge fraction on the merger-driven SF decreases due to AGN feedback. We create models of Sa-, Sb-, and Sc-type galaxies and compare their SF properties while undergoing mergers. With the current AGN prescriptions, the difference in merger-driven SF is not as pronounced as in the recent observational study of Kaviraj. We discuss the implications of this discrepancy.

HIGH ENERGY NEUTRINOS PRODUCED IN THE ACCRETION DISKS BY NEUTRONS FROM NUCLEI DISINTEGRATED IN THE AGN JETS

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Bednarek, W., E-mail: bednar@uni.lodz.pl [Department of Astrophysics, The University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, ul. Pomorska 149/153 (Poland)

2016-12-20

We investigate the consequences of acceleration of nuclei in jets of active galaxies not far from the surface of an accretion disk. The nuclei can be accelerated in the re-connection regions in the jet and/or at the jet boundary, between the relativistic jet and its cocoon. It is shown that the relativistic nuclei can efficiently fragment onto specific nucleons in collisions with the disk radiation. Neutrons, directed toward the accretion disk, take a significant part of energy from the relativistic nuclei. These neutrons develop a cascade in the dense accretion disk. We calculate the neutrino spectra produced in such a hadronic cascade within the accretion disk. We propose that the neutrinos produced in such a scenario, from the whole population of super-massive black holes in active galaxies, can explain the extragalactic neutrino background recently measured by the IceCube neutrino detector, provided that a 5% fraction of galaxies have an active galactic nucleus and a few percent of neutrons reach the accretion disk. We predict that the neutrino signals in the present neutrino detectors, produced in terms of such a model, will not be detectable even from the nearby radio galaxies similar to M87.

The Dynamics of Truncated Black Hole Accretion Disks. I. Viscous Hydrodynamic Case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hogg, J. Drew; Reynolds, Christopher S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

2017-07-10

Truncated accretion disks are commonly invoked to explain the spectro-temporal variability in accreting black holes in both small systems, i.e., state transitions in galactic black hole binaries (GBHBs), and large systems, i.e., low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs). In the canonical truncated disk model of moderately low accretion rate systems, gas in the inner region of the accretion disk occupies a hot, radiatively inefficient phase, which leads to a geometrically thick disk, while the gas in the outer region occupies a cooler, radiatively efficient phase that resides in the standard geometrically thin disk. Observationally, there is strong empirical evidence to support this phenomenological model, but a detailed understanding of the dynamics of truncated disks is lacking. We present a well-resolved viscous, hydrodynamic simulation that uses an ad hoc cooling prescription to drive a thermal instability and, hence, produce the first sustained truncated accretion disk. With this simulation, we perform a study of the dynamics, angular momentum transport, and energetics of a truncated disk. We find that the time variability introduced by the quasi-periodic transition of gas from efficient cooling to inefficient cooling impacts the evolution of the simulated disk. A consequence of the thermal instability is that an outflow is launched from the hot/cold gas interface, which drives large, sub-Keplerian convective cells into the disk atmosphere. The convective cells introduce a viscous θ − ϕ stress that is less than the generic r − ϕ viscous stress component, but greatly influences the evolution of the disk. In the truncated disk, we find that the bulk of the accreted gas is in the hot phase.

Magnetohydrodynamics of accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torkelsson, U.

1994-04-01

The thesis consists of an introduction and summary, and five research papers. The introduction and summary provides the background in accretion disk physics and magnetohydrodynamics. The research papers describe numerical studies of magnetohydrodynamical processes in accretion disks. Paper 1 is a one-dimensional study of the effect of magnetic buoyancy on a flux tube in an accretion disk. The stabilizing influence of an accretion disk corona on the flux tube is demonstrated. Paper 2-4 present numerical simulations of mean-field dynamos in accretion disks. Paper 11 verifies the correctness of the numerical code by comparing linear models to previous work by other groups. The results are also extended to somewhat modified disk models. A transition from an oscillatory mode of negative parity for thick disks to a steady mode of even parity for thin disks is found. Preliminary results for nonlinear dynamos at very high dynamo numbers are also presented. Paper 3 describes the bifurcation behaviour of the nonlinear dynamos. For positive dynamo numbers it is found that the initial steady solution is replaced by an oscillatory solution of odd parity. For negative dynamo numbers the solution becomes chaotic at sufficiently high dynamo numbers. Paper 4 continues the studies of nonlinear dynamos, and it is demonstrated that a chaotic solution appears even for positive dynamo numbers, but that it returns to a steady solution of mixed parity at very high dynamo numbers. Paper 5 describes a first attempt at simulating the small-scale turbulence of an accretion disk in three dimensions. There is only find cases of decaying turbulence, but this is rather due to limitations of the simulations than that turbulence is really absent in accretion disks

New Insights into AGN Mass Outflows: Detailed Study of the Spectral Properties of NGC 4151

Science.gov (United States)

Denes Couto, Jullianna

2017-08-01

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) exist in a few percent of all massive galaxies. It is believed that AGNs are powered by accretion of matter onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH), generating in the process huge amounts of radiation that span the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In turn, this also triggers the so-called AGN Feedback phenomenon, by inducing the formation of accretion disk winds (or outflows) that accelerate highly ionized gas outwards and affect the intergalactic medium of the host galaxy, reducing star formation rates and preventing bulge growth. It has been suggested that a dominant component of mass outflows is observable in the X-rays, and there are a limited number of detailed studies of single objects for which the relation between outflows and power of the central engine can be determined directly. The Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151 is a great study candidate, given its proximity (14.077 Mpc, z = 0.0033), X-ray brightness and orientation. Over the past decades, it has been the target of many single and multiwavelength observations, and its heavily absorbed X-ray spectrum and complex absorption features have been extensively stud- ied and characterized. I have investigated the relationship between the long term X-ray spectral variability in and its intrinsic absorption, by comparing our 2014 simultaneous ultraviolet/X-Ray observations taken with Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrometer (STIS) Echelle and Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) with archival observations from Chandra, XMM-Newton and Suzaku. The observations were divided into "high" and "low" flux states, with the low states showing strong and unabsorbed extended emission at energies below 2 keV. The X-ray model consists of a broken powerlaw, neutral reflection and two dominant absorption components, a high and a low ionization component, which are present in all epochs. The model fittings suggest that the absorbers are very stable, with the principal changes

Momentum-driven Winds from Radiatively Efficient Black Hole Accretion and Their Impact on Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Ryan; Choi, Ena; Somerville, Rachel S.; Hirschmann, Michaela; Naab, Thorsten; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

2018-06-01

We explore the effect of momentum-driven winds representing radiation-pressure-driven outflows from accretion onto supermassive black holes in a set of numerical hydrodynamical simulations. We explore two matched sets of cosmological zoom-in runs of 24 halos with masses ∼1012.0–1013.4 M ⊙ run with two different feedback models. Our “NoAGN” model includes stellar feedback via UV heating, stellar winds and supernovae, photoelectric heating, and cosmic X-ray background heating from a metagalactic background. Our fiducial “MrAGN” model is identical except that it also includes a model for black hole seeding and accretion, as well as heating and momentum injection associated with the radiation from black hole accretion. Our MrAGN model launches galactic outflows, which result in both “ejective” feedback—the outflows themselves that drive gas out of galaxies—and “preventative” feedback, which suppresses the inflow of new and recycling gas. As much as 80% of outflowing galactic gas can be expelled, and accretion can be suppressed by as much as a factor of 30 in the MrAGN runs when compared with the NoAGN runs. The histories of NoAGN galaxies are recycling dominated, with ∼70% of material that leaves the galaxy eventually returning, and the majority of outflowing gas reaccretes on 1 Gyr timescales without AGN feedback. Outflowing gas in the MrAGN runs has a higher characteristic velocity (500–1000 km s‑1 versus 100–300 km s‑1 for outflowing NoAGN gas) and travels as far as a few megaparsecs. Only ∼10% of ejected material is reaccreted in the MrAGN galaxies.

Dissecting the Butterfly: Dual Outflows in the Dual AGN NGC 6240

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller Sanchez, Francisco; Comerford, Julie; Nevin, Rebecca; Davies, Richard; Treister, Ezequiel; Privon, George

2018-01-01

Current theories of galaxy evolution invoke some kind of feedback (from the stars or the supermassive black hole) to explain the properties of galaxies. However, numerical simulations and observations have not been able to evaluate the real impact of feedback in galaxies. This is largely because most studies have focused on studying stellar feedback or AGN feedback alone, instead of considering the combined effect of both. In fact, this is an unexplored territory for observations due to the difficulty of separating the contribution from the two sources.In this contribution I present the discovery of a dual outflow of different species of gas in the prototypical merging galaxy NGC 6240 using HST imaging, long-slit and integral-eld spectroscopy: an AGN-driven outflow of highly-ionized gas to the northeast and a starburst-driven outflow of ionized hydrogen to the northwest. The AGN outflow extends up to 4 kpc along a position angle of 56 degrees, has a conical shape with an opening angle of 52 degrees and a maximum line-of-sight velocity of 350 km/s. The WFC3 images also reveal a bubble of Halpha emission in the northwest, which has no counterpart in [O III], consistent with a scenario in which the starburst is ionizing and driving outflowing winds which inflate the bubble at an expansion velocity of 380 km/s. Assuming a spherical geometry for the starburst-driven bubble and a conical geometry for the AGN-driven outflow, we estimate mass outflow rates of 26 Msun/yr and 62 Msun/yr, respectively. We conclude that the AGN contribution to the evolution of the merger remnant and the formation of outflowing winds is signicant in the central 5 kpc of NGC 6240.

COST meeting - Polarization and AGN II - Abstracts and slides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishimoto, M.; Rouan, D.; Tadhunter, C.; Lopez Rodriguez, E.; Braibant, L.; Pasetto, A.; Matt, G.; Afanasiev, V.; Lira, P.; Hutsemekers, D.; Sluse, D.; Marin, F.; Tamborra, F.; Yankova, K.; Laing, R.; Lico, R.; Agudo, I.; Hovatta, T.; Jermak, H.; Chen, X.; Myserlis, I.; Cellone, S.A.; Chidiac, C.; Chakraborty, N.; Bozhilov, V.

2016-01-01

This meeting is the 2. COST workshop on Polarization and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Accreting supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei are the most powerful, long-lasting sources in the universe. Emitting over ten orders of magnitude in photon energy or more, the radiation of AGN encodes information about a multitude of astrophysical processes: accretion, thermal and non-thermal radiative transfer, acceleration of outflows and jets, shock physics, special and general relativity. Observationally, AGN appear as numerous types and polarization studies have played a key role in establishing the idea of a unifying AGN geometry. The topics covered at the meeting include the following: 1) Polarimetry of AGN from the radio to gamma-rays; 2) Tools for modeling and data analysis of AGN polarization; 3) Polarization due to magnetic fields and dust in AGN; 4) Polarization of AGN inflows, outflows and jets; 5) Spectropolarimetry and polarization variability of AGN; and 6) From Sgr A* to the most luminous quasars: what can polarimetry do for AGN (super-)unification? This document is made up of the abstracts and slides of the presentations

WIND-ACCRETION DISKS IN WIDE BINARIES, SECOND-GENERATION PROTOPLANETARY DISKS, AND ACCRETION ONTO WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perets, Hagai B.; Kenyon, Scott J.

2013-01-01

Mass transfer from an evolved donor star to its binary companion is a standard feature of stellar evolution in binaries. In wide binaries, the companion star captures some of the mass ejected in a wind by the primary star. The captured material forms an accretion disk. Here, we study the evolution of wind-accretion disks, using a numerical approach which allows us to follow the long-term evolution. For a broad range of initial conditions, we derive the radial density and temperature profiles of the disk. In most cases, wind accretion leads to long-lived stable disks over the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch donor star. The disks have masses of a few times 10 –5 -10 –3 M ☉ , with surface density and temperature profiles that follow broken power laws. The total mass in the disk scales approximately linearly with the viscosity parameter used. Roughly, 50%-80% of the mass falling into the disk accretes onto the central star; the rest flows out through the outer edge of the disk into the stellar wind of the primary. For systems with large accretion rates, the secondary accretes as much as 0.1 M ☉ . When the secondary is a white dwarf, accretion naturally leads to nova and supernova eruptions. For all types of secondary star, the surface density and temperature profiles of massive disks resemble structures observed in protoplanetary disks, suggesting that coordinated observational programs might improve our understanding of uncertain disk physics.

The LLAMA Project: A SINFONI Study of Gas Outflows and Feeding in Local, X-ray Selected AGN

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Thomas Taro; Davies, Richard; Burtscher, Leonard; Lin, Ming-yi

2018-01-01

We present new results from our survey of the inner few hundred parsecs of nearby galaxies as part of our Local Luminous AGN with Matched Analogues (LLAMA) project. AGN within the LLAMA sample were selected based on detection at ultra-hard X-rays (14-195 keV) by the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope ensuring the definitive presence of an AGN. We further imposed a redshift (z 42.5) cutoff to create a complete and volume-limited sample of nearby, luminous AGN. Inactive galaxies were chosen carefully by matching in redshift, host galaxy morphology, inclination, and stellar mass to create a clean sample with which to compare to the AGN. A subset of LLAMA AGN and inactive galaxies were observed with VLT/SINFONI using adaptive optics producing high spatial resolution integral field unit spectra in the H and K band. This unique IFU data allows for analysis of a suite of NIR emission lines including [FeII], H2 (1-0) S(1), [SiVI], and Br-gamma to probe the ionized and warm molecular gas in the circumnuclear region as well as CO absorption lines to probe the stellar disk. I will present initial results from our study including the prevalence of AGN outflows along with their geometry, kinematics, and mass outflow rates and compare the mass, state, and excitation mechanisms of circumnuclear gas between AGN and inactive galaxies. Finally, I will discuss our results in the context of AGN fuelling and feedback and provide insight on interpreting similar data at higher redshift.

AN IONIZED OUTFLOW FROM AB AUR, A HERBIG AE STAR WITH A TRANSITIONAL DISK

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Rodríguez, Luis F.; Zapata, Luis A.; Ortiz-León, Gisela N.; Loinard, Laurent [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán (Mexico); Dzib, Sergio A. [Max Planck Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Macías, Enrique; Anglada, Guillem, E-mail: l.rodriguez@crya.unam.mx [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Apartado 3004, E-18080 Granada (Spain)

2014-09-20

AB Aur is a Herbig Ae star with a transitional disk. Transitional disks present substantial dust clearing in their inner regions, most probably because of the formation of one or more planets, although other explanations are still viable. In transitional objects, accretion is found to be about an order of magnitude smaller than in classical full disks. Since accretion is believed to be correlated with outflow activity, centimeter free-free jets are expected to be present in association with these systems, at weaker levels than in classical protoplanetary (full) systems. We present new observations of the centimeter radio emission associated with the inner regions of AB Aur and conclude that the morphology, orientation, spectral index, and lack of temporal variability of the centimeter source imply the presence of a collimated, ionized outflow. The radio luminosity of this radio jet is, however, about 20 times smaller than that expected for a classical system of similar bolometric luminosity. We conclude that centimeter continuum emission is present in association with stars with transitional disks, but at levels than are becoming detectable only with the upgraded radio arrays. On the other hand, assuming that the jet velocity is 300 km s{sup –1}, we find that the ratio of mass loss rate to accretion rate in AB Aur is ∼0.1, similar to that found for less evolved systems.

WIND-ACCRETION DISKS IN WIDE BINARIES, SECOND-GENERATION PROTOPLANETARY DISKS, AND ACCRETION ONTO WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perets, Hagai B. [Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel); Kenyon, Scott J., E-mail: hperets@physics.technion.ac.il [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-02-20

Mass transfer from an evolved donor star to its binary companion is a standard feature of stellar evolution in binaries. In wide binaries, the companion star captures some of the mass ejected in a wind by the primary star. The captured material forms an accretion disk. Here, we study the evolution of wind-accretion disks, using a numerical approach which allows us to follow the long-term evolution. For a broad range of initial conditions, we derive the radial density and temperature profiles of the disk. In most cases, wind accretion leads to long-lived stable disks over the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch donor star. The disks have masses of a few times 10{sup -5}-10{sup -3} M {sub Sun }, with surface density and temperature profiles that follow broken power laws. The total mass in the disk scales approximately linearly with the viscosity parameter used. Roughly, 50%-80% of the mass falling into the disk accretes onto the central star; the rest flows out through the outer edge of the disk into the stellar wind of the primary. For systems with large accretion rates, the secondary accretes as much as 0.1 M {sub Sun }. When the secondary is a white dwarf, accretion naturally leads to nova and supernova eruptions. For all types of secondary star, the surface density and temperature profiles of massive disks resemble structures observed in protoplanetary disks, suggesting that coordinated observational programs might improve our understanding of uncertain disk physics.

Source to Accretion Disk Tilt

OpenAIRE

Montgomery, M. M.; Martin, E. L.

2010-01-01

Many different system types retrogradely precess, and retrograde precession could be from a tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk. However, a source to cause and maintain disk tilt is unknown. In this work, we show that accretion disks can tilt due to a force called lift. Lift results from differing gas stream supersonic speeds over and under an accretion disk. Because lift acts at the disk's center of pressure, a torque is applied around a rotation axis passing through...

Radio Loud AGN Unification: Connecting Jets and Accretion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meyer Eileen T.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available While only a fraction of Active Galactic Nuclei are observed to host a powerful relativistic jet, a cohesive picture is emerging that radio-loud AGN may represent an important phase in the evolution of galaxies and the growth of the central super-massive black hole. I will review my own recent observational work in radio-loud AGN unification in the context of understanding how and why jets form and their the connection to different kinds of accretion and growing the black hole, along with a brief discussion of possible connections to recent modeling work in jet formation. Starting from the significant observational advances in our understanding of jetted AGN as a population over the last decade thanks to new, more sensitive instruments such as Fermi and Swift as well as all-sky surveys at all frequencies, I will lay out the case for a dichotomy in the jetted AGN population connected to accretion mode onto the black hole. In recent work, we have identified two sub-populations of radio-loud AGN which appear to be distinguished by jet structure, where low-efficiency accreting systems produce ‘weak’ jets which decelerate more rapidly than the ’strong’ jets of black holes accreting near the Eddington limit. The two classes are comprised of: (1The weak jet sources, corresponding to the less collimated, edge-darkened FR Is, with a decelerating or spine-sheath jet with velocity gradients, and (2 The strong jet sources, having fast, collimated jets, and typically displaying strong emission lines. The dichotomy in the vp-Lp plane can be understood as a "broken power sequence" in which jets exist on one branch or the other based on the particular accretion mode (Georganopolous 2011.We suggest that the intrinsic kinetic power (as measured by low-frequency, isotropic radio emission, the orientation, and the accretion rate of the SMBH system are the the fundamental axes needed for unification of radio-loud AGN by studying a well-characterized sample

Relativistic, accreting disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramowicz, M.A; Jaroszynski, M.; Sikora, M.

1978-01-01

An analytic theory of the hydrodynamical structure of accreting disks (without self-gravitation but with pressure) orbiting around and axially symmetric, stationary, compact body (e.g. black hole) is presented. The inner edge of the marginally stable accreting disk (i.e. disk with constant angular momentum density) has a sharp cusp located on the equatorial plane between rsub(ms) and rsub(mb). The existence of the cusp is also typical for any angular momentum distribution. The physical importance of the cusp follows from the close analogy with the case of a close binary system (L 1 Lagrange point on the Roche lobe). The existence of the cusp is thus a crucial phenomenon in such problems as boundary condition for the viscous stresses, accretion rate etc. (orig.) [de

Probing the accretion flow and emission-line regions of M81, the nearest broad-lined low-luminosity AGN

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Aaron

2017-08-01

The nucleus of M81 is an object of singular importance as a template for low-luminosity accretion flows onto supermassive black holes. We propose to obtain a complete, small-aperture, high S/N STIS UV/optical spectrum of the M81 nucleus and multi-filter WFC3 imaging covering the UV through near-IR. Such data have never previously been obtained with HST; the only prior archival UV/optical spectra of M81 have low S/N, incomplete wavelength coverage, and are strongly contaminated by starlight. Combined with new Chandra X-ray data, our proposed observations will comprise the definitive reference dataset on the spectral energy distribution of this benchmark low-luminosity AGN. These data will provide unique new constraints on the possible contribution of a truncated thin accretion disk to the AGN emission spectrum, clarifying a fundamental property of low-luminosity accretion flows. The data will additionally provide new insights into broad-line region structure and black hole mass scaling relationships at the lowest AGN luminosities, and spatially resolved diagnostics of narrow-line region excitation conditions at unprecedented spatial resolution to assess the impact of the AGN on the ionization state of the gas in the host galaxy bulge.

Relativistic, accreting disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abramowicz, M A; Jaroszynski, M; Sikora, M [Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw

1978-02-01

An analytic theory of the hydrodynamical structure of accreting disks (without self-gravitation but with pressure) orbiting around an axially symmetric, stationary, compact body (e.g. black hole) is presented. The inner edge of the marginally stable accreting disk (i.e. disk with constant angular momentum density) has a sharp cusp located on the equatorial plane between r/sub ms/ and r/sub mb/. The existence of the cusp is also typical for any angular momentum distribution. The physical importance of the cusp follows from the close analogy with the case of a close binary system (L/sub 1/ Lagrange point on the Roche lobe). The existence of the cusp is thus a crucial phenomenon in such problems as boundary condition for the viscous stresses, accretion rate, etc.

Foundations of Black Hole Accretion Disk Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek A. Abramowicz

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This review covers the main aspects of black hole accretion disk theory. We begin with the view that one of the main goals of the theory is to better understand the nature of black holes themselves. In this light we discuss how accretion disks might reveal some of the unique signatures of strong gravity: the event horizon, the innermost stable circular orbit, and the ergosphere. We then review, from a first-principles perspective, the physical processes at play in accretion disks. This leads us to the four primary accretion disk models that we review: Polish doughnuts (thick disks, Shakura-Sunyaev (thin disks, slim disks, and advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs. After presenting the models we discuss issues of stability, oscillations, and jets. Following our review of the analytic work, we take a parallel approach in reviewing numerical studies of black hole accretion disks. We finish with a few select applications that highlight particular astrophysical applications: measurements of black hole mass and spin, black hole vs. neutron star accretion disks, black hole accretion disk spectral states, and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs.

Foundations of Black Hole Accretion Disk Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramowicz, Marek A; Fragile, P Chris

2013-01-01

This review covers the main aspects of black hole accretion disk theory. We begin with the view that one of the main goals of the theory is to better understand the nature of black holes themselves. In this light we discuss how accretion disks might reveal some of the unique signatures of strong gravity: the event horizon, the innermost stable circular orbit, and the ergosphere. We then review, from a first-principles perspective, the physical processes at play in accretion disks. This leads us to the four primary accretion disk models that we review: Polish doughnuts (thick disks), Shakura-Sunyaev (thin) disks, slim disks, and advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs). After presenting the models we discuss issues of stability, oscillations, and jets. Following our review of the analytic work, we take a parallel approach in reviewing numerical studies of black hole accretion disks. We finish with a few select applications that highlight particular astrophysical applications: measurements of black hole mass and spin, black hole vs. neutron star accretion disks, black hole accretion disk spectral states, and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs).

Stratified magnetically driven accretion-disk winds and their relations to jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukumura, Keigo; Tombesi, Francesco; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Shrader, Chris; Behar, Ehud; Contopoulos, Ioannis

2014-01-01

We explore the poloidal structure of two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) winds in relation to their potential association with the X-ray warm absorbers (WAs) and the highly ionized ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), in a single unifying approach. We present the density n(r, θ), ionization parameter ξ(r, θ), and velocity structure v(r, θ) of such ionized winds for typical values of their fluid-to-magnetic flux ratio, F, and specific angular momentum, H, for which wind solutions become super-Alfvénic. We explore the geometrical shape of winds for different values of these parameters and delineate the values that produce the widest and narrowest opening angles of these winds, quantities necessary in the determination of the statistics of AGN obscuration. We find that winds with smaller H show a poloidal geometry of narrower opening angles with their Alfvén surface at lower inclination angles and therefore they produce the highest line of sight (LoS) velocities for observers at higher latitudes with the respect to the disk plane. We further note a physical and spatial correlation between the X-ray WAs and UFOs that form along the same LoS to the observer but at different radii, r, and distinct values of n, ξ, and v consistent with the latest spectroscopic data of radio-quiet Seyfert galaxies. We also show that, at least in the case of 3C 111, the winds' pressure is sufficient to contain the relativistic plasma responsible for its radio emission. Stratified MHD disk winds could therefore serve as a unique means to understand and unify the diverse AGN outflows.

Bipolar Jets Launched by a Mean-field Accretion Disk Dynamo

Science.gov (United States)

Fendt, Christian; Gaßmann, Dennis

2018-03-01

By applying magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the launching of jets driven by a disk magnetic field generated by a mean-field disk dynamo. Extending our earlier studies, we explore the bipolar evolution of the disk α 2Ω-dynamo and the outflow. We confirm that a negative dynamo-α leads to a dipolar field geometry, whereas positive values generate quadrupolar fields. The latter remain mainly confined to the disk and cannot launch outflows. We investigate a parameter range for the dynamo-α ranging from a critical value below which field generation is negligible, {α }0,{crit}=-0.0005, to α 0 = ‑1.0. For weak | {α }0| ≤slant 0.07, two magnetic loop structures with opposite polarity may arise, which leads to reconnection and disturbs the field evolution and accretion-ejection process. For a strong dynamo-α, a higher poloidal magnetic energy is reached, roughly scaling with {E}mag}∼ | {α }0| , which also leads to higher accretion and ejection rates. The terminal jet speed is governed by the available magnetic energy and increases with the dynamo-α. We find jet velocities on the order of the inner disk Keplerian velocity. For a strong dynamo-α, oscillating dynamo modes may occur that can lead to a pulsed ejection. This is triggered by an oscillating mode in the toroidal field component. The oscillation period is comparable to the Keplerian timescale in the launching region, thus too short to be associated with the knots in observed jets. We find a hemispherically asymmetric evolution for the jet and counter-jet in the mass flux and field structure.

The origin of ultrafast outflows in AGN: Monte Carlo simulations of the wind in PDS 456

Science.gov (United States)

Hagino, Kouichi; Odaka, Hirokazu; Done, Chris; Gandhi, Poshak; Watanabe, Shin; Sako, Masao; Takahashi, Tadayuki

2015-01-01

Ultrafast outflows (UFOs) are seen in many AGN, giving a possible mode for AGN feedback on to the host galaxy. However, the mechanism(s) for the launch and acceleration of these outflows are currently unknown, with UV line driving apparently strongly disfavoured as the material along the line of sight is so highly ionized that it has no UV transitions. We revisit this issue using the Suzaku X-ray data from PDS 456, an AGN with the most powerful UFO seen in the local Universe. We explore conditions in the wind by developing a new 3D Monte Carlo code for radiation transport. The code only handles highly ionized ions, but the data show the ionization state of the wind is high enough that this is appropriate, and this restriction makes it fast enough to explore parameter space. We reproduce the results of earlier work, confirming that the mass-loss rate in the wind is around 30 per cent of the inferred inflow rate through the outer disc. We show for the first time that UV line driving is likely to be a major contribution to the wind acceleration. The mass-loss rate in the wind matches that predicted from a purely line driven system, and this UV absorption can take place out of the line of sight. Continuum driving should also play a role as the source is close to Eddington. This predicts that the most extreme outflows will be produced from the highest mass accretion rate flows on to high-mass black holes, as observed.

Circumstellar Disks and Outflows in Turbulent Molecular Cloud Cores: Possible Formation Mechanism for Misaligned Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsumoto, Tomoaki [Faculty of Sustainability Studies, Hosei University, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8160 (Japan); Machida, Masahiro N. [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581 (Japan); Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro, E-mail: matsu@hosei.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

2017-04-10

We investigate the formation of circumstellar disks and outflows subsequent to the collapse of molecular cloud cores with the magnetic field and turbulence. Numerical simulations are performed by using an adaptive mesh refinement to follow the evolution up to ∼1000 years after the formation of a protostar. In the simulations, circumstellar disks are formed around the protostars; those in magnetized models are considerably smaller than those in nonmagnetized models, but their size increases with time. The models with stronger magnetic fields tend to produce smaller disks. During evolution in the magnetized models, the mass ratios of a disk to a protostar is approximately constant at ∼1%–10%. The circumstellar disks are aligned according to their angular momentum, and the outflows accelerate along the magnetic field on the 10–100 au scale; this produces a disk that is misaligned with the outflow. The outflows are classified into two types: a magnetocentrifugal wind and a spiral flow. In the latter, because of the geometry, the axis of rotation is misaligned with the magnetic field. The magnetic field has an internal structure in the cloud cores, which also causes misalignment between the outflows and the magnetic field on the scale of the cloud core. The distribution of the angular momentum vectors in a core also has a non-monotonic internal structure. This should create a time-dependent accretion of angular momenta onto the circumstellar disk. Therefore, the circumstellar disks are expected to change their orientation as well as their sizes in the long-term evolutions.

HOT HIGH-MASS ACCRETION DISK CANDIDATES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beuther, H.; Walsh, A. J.; Longmore, S. N.

2009-01-01

To better understand the physical properties of accretion disks in high-mass star formation, we present a study of a dozen high-mass accretion disk candidates observed at high spatial resolution with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) in the high-excitation (4,4) and (5,5) lines of NH 3 . All of our originally selected sources were detected in both NH 3 transitions, directly associated with CH 3 OH Class II maser emission and implying that high-excitation NH 3 lines are good tracers of the dense gas components in hot-core-type targets. Only the one source that did not satisfy the initial selection criteria remained undetected. From the 11 mapped sources, six show clear signatures of rotation and/or infall motions. These signatures vary from velocity gradients perpendicular to the outflows, to infall signatures in absorption against ultracompact H II regions, to more spherical infall signatures in emission. Although our spatial resolution is ∼1000 AU, we do not find clear Keplerian signatures in any of the sources. Furthermore, we also do not find flattened structures. In contrast to this, in several of the sources with rotational signatures, the spatial structure is approximately spherical with sizes exceeding 10 4 AU, showing considerable clumpy sub-structure at even smaller scales. This implies that on average typical Keplerian accretion disks-if they exist as expected-should be confined to regions usually smaller than 1000 AU. It is likely that these disks are fed by the larger-scale rotating envelope structure we observe here. Furthermore, we do detect 1.25 cm continuum emission in most fields of view. While in some cases weak cm continuum emission is associated with our targets, more typically larger-scale H II regions are seen offset more than 10'' from our sources. While these H II regions are unlikely to be directly related to the target regions, this spatial association nevertheless additionally stresses that high-mass star formation rarely

Line-driven disk winds in active galactic nuclei: The critical importance of ionization and radiative transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higginbottom, Nick; Knigge, Christian; Matthews, James H. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ (United Kingdom); Proga, Daniel [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4002 (United States); Long, Knox S. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Sim, Stuart A., E-mail: nick_higginbottom@fastmail.fm [School of Mathematics and Physics, Queens University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN (United Kingdom)

2014-07-01

Accretion disk winds are thought to produce many of the characteristic features seen in the spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). These outflows also represent a natural form of feedback between the central supermassive black hole and its host galaxy. The mechanism for driving this mass loss remains unknown, although radiation pressure mediated by spectral lines is a leading candidate. Here, we calculate the ionization state of, and emergent spectra for, the hydrodynamic simulation of a line-driven disk wind previously presented by Proga and Kallman. To achieve this, we carry out a comprehensive Monte Carlo simulation of the radiative transfer through, and energy exchange within, the predicted outflow. We find that the wind is much more ionized than originally estimated. This is in part because it is much more difficult to shield any wind regions effectively when the outflow itself is allowed to reprocess and redirect ionizing photons. As a result, the calculated spectrum that would be observed from this particular outflow solution would not contain the ultraviolet spectral lines that are observed in many AGN/QSOs. Furthermore, the wind is so highly ionized that line driving would not actually be efficient. This does not necessarily mean that line-driven winds are not viable. However, our work does illustrate that in order to arrive at a self-consistent model of line-driven disk winds in AGN/QSO, it will be critical to include a more detailed treatment of radiative transfer and ionization in the next generation of hydrodynamic simulations.

FORMING AN O STAR VIA DISK ACCRETION?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Keping; Zhang Qizhou; Beuther, Henrik; Fallscheer, Cassandra

2012-01-01

We present a study of outflow, infall, and rotation in a ∼10 5 L ☉ star-forming region, IRAS 18360-0537, with Submillimeter Array and IRAM 30 m observations. The 1.3 mm continuum map shows a 0.5 pc dust ridge, of which the central compact part has a mass of ∼80 M ☉ and harbors two condensations, MM1 and MM2. The CO (2-1) and SiO (5-4) maps reveal a biconical outflow centered at MM1, which is a hot molecular core (HMC) with a gas temperature of 320 ± 50 K and a mass of ∼13 M ☉ . The outflow has a gas mass of 54 M ☉ and a dynamical timescale of 8 × 10 3 yr. The kinematics of the HMC are probed by high-excitation CH 3 OH and CH 3 CN lines, which are detected at subarcsecond resolution and unveil a velocity gradient perpendicular to the outflow axis, suggesting a disk-like rotation of the HMC. An infalling envelope around the HMC is evidenced by CN lines exhibiting a profound inverse P Cygni profile, and the estimated mass infall rate, 1.5 × 10 –3 M ☉ yr –1 , is well comparable to that inferred from the mass outflow rate. A more detailed investigation of the kinematics of the dense gas around the HMC is obtained from the 13 CO and C 18 O (2-1) lines; the position-velocity diagrams of the two lines are consistent with the model of a free-falling and Keplerian-like rotating envelope. The observations suggest that the protostar of a current mass ∼10 M ☉ embedded within MM1 will develop into an O star via disk accretion and envelope infall.

SIMULATING THE FORMATION OF MASSIVE PROTOSTARS. I. RADIATIVE FEEDBACK AND ACCRETION DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klassen, Mikhail; Pudritz, Ralph E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1 (Canada); Kuiper, Rolf [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, D-72076 Tübingen (Germany); Peters, Thomas [Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Banerjee, Robi, E-mail: klassm@mcmaster.ca [Hamburger Sternwarte, Universität Hamburg, Gojenbergsweg 112, D-21029 Hamburg (Germany)

2016-05-20

We present radiation hydrodynamic simulations of collapsing protostellar cores with initial masses of 30, 100, and 200 M {sub ⊙}. We follow their gravitational collapse and the formation of a massive protostar and protostellar accretion disk. We employ a new hybrid radiative feedback method blending raytracing techniques with flux-limited diffusion for a more accurate treatment of the temperature and radiative force. In each case, the disk that forms becomes Toomre-unstable and develops spiral arms. This occurs between 0.35 and 0.55 freefall times and is accompanied by an increase in the accretion rate by a factor of 2–10. Although the disk becomes unstable, no other stars are formed. In the case of our 100 and 200 M {sub ⊙} simulations, the star becomes highly super-Eddington and begins to drive bipolar outflow cavities that expand outwards. These radiatively driven bubbles appear stable, and appear to be channeling gas back onto the protostellar accretion disk. Accretion proceeds strongly through the disk. After 81.4 kyr of evolution, our 30 M {sub ⊙} simulation shows a star with a mass of 5.48 M {sub ⊙} and a disk of mass 3.3 M {sub ⊙}, while our 100 M {sub ⊙} simulation forms a 28.8 M {sub ⊙} mass star with a 15.8 M {sub ⊙} disk over the course of 41.6 kyr, and our 200 M {sub ⊙} simulation forms a 43.7 M {sub ⊙} star with an 18 M {sub ⊙} disk in 21.9 kyr. In the absence of magnetic fields or other forms of feedback, the masses of the stars in our simulation do not appear to be limited by their own luminosities.

Warm Absorber Diagnostics of AGN Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Kallman, Timothy

Warm absorbers and related phenomena are observable manifestations of outflows or winds from active galactic nuclei (AGN) that have great potential value. Understanding AGN outflows is important for explaining the mass budgets of the central accreting black hole, and also for understanding feedback and the apparent co-evolution of black holes and their host galaxies. In the X-ray band warm absorbers are observed as photoelectric absorption and resonance line scattering features in the 0.5-10 keV energy band; the UV band also shows resonance line absorption. Warm absorbers are common in low luminosity AGN and they have been extensively studied observationally. They may play an important role in AGN feedback, regulating the net accretion onto the black hole and providing mechanical energy to the surroundings. However, fundamental properties of the warm absorbers are not known: What is the mechanism which drives the outflow?; what is the gas density in the flow and the geometrical distribution of the outflow?; what is the explanation for the apparent relation between warm absorbers and the surprising quasi-relativistic 'ultrafast outflows' (UFOs)? We propose a focused set of model calculations that are aimed at synthesizing observable properties of warm absorber flows and associated quantities. These will be used to explore various scenarios for warm absorber dynamics in order to answer the questions in the previous paragraph. The guiding principle will be to examine as wide a range as possible of warm absorber driving mechanisms, geometry and other properties, but with as careful consideration as possible to physical consistency. We will build on our previous work, which was a systematic campaign for testing important class of scenarios for driving the outflows. We have developed a set of tools that are unique and well suited for dynamical calculations including radiation in this context. We also have state-of-the-art tools for generating synthetic spectra, which are

Relativistic Outflows from ADAFs

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Peter; Subramanian, Prasad; Kazanas, Demosthenes

2001-04-01

Advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) have a positive Bernoulli parameter, and are therefore gravitationally bound. The Newtonian ADAF model has been generalized recently to obtain the ADIOS model that includes outflows of energy and angular momentum, thereby allowing accretion to proceed self-consistently. However, the utilization of a Newtonian gravitational potential limits the ability of this model to describe the inner region of the disk, where any relativistic outflows are likely to originate. In this paper we modify the ADIOS scenario to incorporate a seudo - Newtonian potential, which approximates the effects of general relativity. The analysis yields a unique, self - similar solution for the structure of the coupled disk/wind system. Interesting features of the new solution include the relativistic character of the outflow in the vicinity of the radius of marginal stability, which represents the inner edge of the quasi-Keplerian disk in our model. Our self - similar model may therefore help to explain the origin of relativistic jets in active galaxies. At large distances the radial dependence of the accretion rate approachs the unique form dot M ∝ r^1/2, with an associated density variation given by ρ ∝ r-1. This density variation agrees with that implied by the dependence of the X-ray hard time lags on the Fourier frequency for a number of accreting galactic black hole candidates. While intriguing, the results of our self-similar model need to be confirmed in the future by incorporating a detailed physical description of the energization mechanism that drives the outflow, which is likely to be powered by the shear of the underlying accretion disk.

Accretion in Radiative Equipartition (AiRE) Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yazdi, Yasaman K.; Afshordi, Niayesh, E-mail: yyazdi@pitp.ca, E-mail: nafshordi@pitp.ca [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street N, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada)

2017-07-01

Standard accretion disk theory predicts that the total pressure in disks at typical (sub-)Eddington accretion rates becomes radiation pressure dominated. However, radiation pressure dominated disks are thermally unstable. Since these disks are observed in approximate steady state over the instability timescale, our accretion models in the radiation-pressure-dominated regime (i.e., inner disk) need to be modified. Here, we present a modification to the Shakura and Sunyaev model, where the radiation pressure is in equipartition with the gas pressure in the inner region. We call these flows accretion in radiative equipartition (AiRE) disks. We introduce the basic features of AiRE disks and show how they modify disk properties such as the Toomre parameter and the central temperature. We then show that the accretion rate of AiRE disks is limited from above and below, by Toomre and nodal sonic point instabilities, respectively. The former leads to a strict upper limit on the mass of supermassive black holes as a function of cosmic time (and spin), while the latter could explain the transition between hard and soft states of X-ray binaries.

Thin accretion disks in stationary axisymmetric wormhole spacetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harko, Tiberiu; Kovacs, Zoltan; Lobo, Francisco S. N.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we study the physical properties and the equilibrium thermal radiation emission characteristics of matter forming thin accretion disks in stationary axially symmetric wormhole spacetimes. The thin disk models are constructed by taking different values of the wormhole's angular velocity, and the time averaged energy flux, the disk temperature, and the emission spectra of the accretion disks are obtained. Comparing the mass accretion in a rotating wormhole geometry with the one of a Kerr black hole, we verify that the intensity of the flux emerging from the disk surface is greater for wormholes than for rotating black holes with the same geometrical mass and accretion rate. We also present the conversion efficiency of the accreting mass into radiation, and show that the rotating wormholes provide a much more efficient engine for the transformation of the accreting mass into radiation than the Kerr black holes. Therefore specific signatures appear in the electromagnetic spectrum of thin disks around rotating wormholes, thus leading to the possibility of distinguishing wormhole geometries by using astrophysical observations of the emission spectra from accretion disks.

Superluminous Transients at AGN Centers from Interaction between Black Hole Disk Winds and Broad-line Region Clouds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moriya, Takashi J.; Tanaka, Masaomi; Ohsuga, Ken [Division of Theoretical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Morokuma, Tomoki, E-mail: takashi.moriya@nao.ac.jp [Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015 (Japan)

2017-07-10

We propose that superluminous transients that appear at central regions of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) such as CSS100217:102913+404220 (CSS100217) and PS16dtm, which reach near- or super-Eddington luminosities of the central black holes, are powered by the interaction between accretion-disk winds and clouds in broad-line regions (BLRs) surrounding them. If the disk luminosity temporarily increases by, e.g., limit–cycle oscillations, leading to a powerful radiatively driven wind, strong shock waves propagate in the BLR. Because the dense clouds in the AGN BLRs typically have similar densities to those found in SNe IIn, strong radiative shocks emerge and efficiently convert the ejecta kinetic energy to radiation. As a result, transients similar to SNe IIn can be observed at AGN central regions. Since a typical black hole disk-wind velocity is ≃0.1 c , where c is the speed of light, the ejecta kinetic energy is expected to be ≃10{sup 52} erg when ≃1 M {sub ⊙} is ejected. This kinetic energy is transformed to radiation energy in a timescale for the wind to sweep up a similar mass to itself in the BLR, which is a few hundred days. Therefore, both luminosities (∼10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}) and timescales (∼100 days) of the superluminous transients from AGN central regions match those expected in our interaction model. If CSS100217 and PS16dtm are related to the AGN activities triggered by limit–cycle oscillations, they become bright again in coming years or decades.

Accretion-Ejection Instability in magnetized accretion disk around compact objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varniere, Peggy

2002-01-01

The major problem in accretion physics come from the origin of angular momentum transfer in the disk. My PhD deal with a mechanism (the Accretion-Ejection Instability, AEI) able to explain and link together accretion in the inner region of the disk and ejection. This instability occurs in magnetized accretion disk near equipartition with gas pressure. We first study the impact of some relativistic effects on the instability, particularly on the m = 1 mode. And compared the results with the Quasi-Periodic Oscillation (QPO) observed in micro-quasars. In the second part we study analytically and numerically the Alfven wave emission mechanism which re-emit the angular momentum and energy taken from the inner region of the disk into the corona. The last part deals with MHD numerical simulation. First of all a 2D non-linear disk simulation which contribute to QPO modelization. The last chapter is about a beginning collaboration on 3D simulation in order to study the Alfven wave emission in the corona. (author) [fr

Hydrodynamic ejection of bipolar flows from objects undergoing disk accretion: T Tauri stars, massive pre-main-sequence objects, and cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torbett, M.V.

1984-01-01

A general mechanism is presented for generating pressure-driven winds that are intrinsically bipolar from objects undergoing disk accretion. The energy librated in a boundary layer shock as the disk matter impacts the central object is shown to be sufficient to eject a fraction βapprox.10 -2 to 10 -3 of the accreted mass. These winds are driven by a mechanism that accelerates the flow perpendicular to the plane of the disk and can therefore account for the bipolar geometry of the mass loss observed near young stars. The mass loss contained in these winds is comparable to that inferred for young stars. Thus, disk accretion-driven winds may constitute the T Tauri phase of stellar evolution. This mechanism is generally applicable, and thus massive pre-main-sequence objects as well as cataclysmic variables at times of enhanced accretion are predicted to eject bipolar outflows as well. Unmagnetized accreting neutron stas are also expected to eject bipolar flows. Since this mechanism requires stellar surfaces, however, it will not operate in disk accretion onto black holes

X-ray evidence for ultra-fast outflows in Seyfert galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Tombesi, Francesco; Braito, Valentina; Reeves, James; Cappi, Massimo; Dadina, Mauro

2012-07-01

X-ray evidence for massive, highly ionized, ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) has been recently reported in a number of AGNs through the detection of blue-shifted Fe XXV/XXVI absorption lines. We present the results of a comprehensive spectral analysis of a large sample of 42 local Seyferts observed with XMM-Newton. Similar results are also obtained from a Suzaku analysis of 5 radio galaxies. We find that UFOs are common phenomena, being present in >40% of the sources. Their outflow velocity distribution is in the range ˜0.03--0.3c, with mean value of ˜0.14c. The ionization parameter is very high, in the range logξ˜3--6 erg~s^{-1}~cm, and the associated column densities are also large, in the range ˜10^{22}--10^{24} cm^{-2}. Their location is constrained at ˜0.0003--0.03pc (˜10^2--10^4 r_s) from the central black hole, consistent with what is expected for accretion disk winds/outflows. The mass outflow rates are in the interval ˜0.01--1M_{⊙}~yr^{-1}. The associated mechanical power is also high, in the range ˜10^{43}--10^{45} erg/s, which indicates that UFOs are capable to provide a significant contribution to the AGN cosmological feedback.

Theory of Disk Accretion onto Magnetic Stars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lai Dong

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Disk accretion onto magnetic stars occurs in a variety of systems, including accreting neutron stars (with both high and low magnetic fields, white dwarfs, and protostars. We review some of the key physical processes in magnetosphere-disk interaction, highlighting the theoretical uncertainties. We also discuss some applications to the observations of accreting neutron star and protostellar systems, as well as possible connections to protoplanetary disks and exoplanets.

NUSTAR and Suzaku x-ray spectroscopy of NGC 4151: Evidence for reflection from the inner accretion disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keck, M. L.; Brenneman, L. W.; Ballantyne, D. R.; Bauer, F.; Boggs, S. E.; Christensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Dauser, T.; Elvis, M.; Fabian, A. C.; Fuerst, F.; García, J.; Grefenstette, B. W.; Hailey, C. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Madejski, G.; Marinucci, A.; Matt, G.; Reynolds, C. S.; Stern, D.; Walton, D. J.; Zoghbi, A.

2015-06-15

We present X-ray timing and spectral analyses of simultaneous 150 ks Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) and Suzaku X-ray observations of the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151. We disentangle the continuum emission, absorption, and reflection properties of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) by applying inner accretion disk reflection and absorption-dominated models. With a time-averaged spectral analysis, we find strong evidence for relativistic reflection from the inner accretion disk. We find that relativistic emission arises from a highly ionized inner accretion disk with a steep emissivity profile, which suggests an intense, compact illuminating source. We find a preliminary, near-maximal black hole spin $a\\gt 0.9$ accounting for statistical and systematic modeling errors. We find a relatively moderate reflection fraction with respect to predictions for the lamp post geometry, in which the illuminating corona is modeled as a point source. Through a time-resolved spectral analysis, we find that modest coronal and inner disk reflection (IDR) flux variation drives the spectral variability during the observations. We discuss various physical scenarios for the IDR model and we find that a compact corona is consistent with the observed features.

Gravitomagnetic acceleration from black hole accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, J; Mathews, G J

2016-01-01

We demonstrate how the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a general-relativistic magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near an accretion disk upward and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Even though this gravitomagnetic field is not the only mechanism contributing to the production of jets, it presents a novel means to identify one general relativistic effect from a much more complicated problem. In addition, as the accelerated material above or below the accretion disk nears the axis with a nearly vertical direction, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the collimation of the jet. (note)

Gravitomagnetic acceleration from black hole accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, J.; Mathews, G. J.

2016-05-01

We demonstrate how the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a general-relativistic magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near an accretion disk upward and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Even though this gravitomagnetic field is not the only mechanism contributing to the production of jets, it presents a novel means to identify one general relativistic effect from a much more complicated problem. In addition, as the accelerated material above or below the accretion disk nears the axis with a nearly vertical direction, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the collimation of the jet.

EARTH, MOON, SUN, AND CV ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M. M.

2009-01-01

Net tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk, like the net tidal torque by the Moon and the Sun on the equatorial bulge of the spinning and tilted Earth, is suggested by others to be a source to retrograde precession in non-magnetic, accreting cataclysmic variable (CV) dwarf novae (DN) systems that show negative superhumps in their light curves. We investigate this idea in this work. We generate a generic theoretical expression for retrograde precession in spinning disks that are misaligned with the orbital plane. Our generic theoretical expression matches that which describes the retrograde precession of Earths' equinoxes. By making appropriate assumptions, we reduce our generic theoretical expression to those generated by others, or to those used by others, to describe retrograde precession in protostellar, protoplanetary, X-ray binary, non-magnetic CV DN, quasar, and black hole systems. We find that spinning, tilted CV DN systems cannot be described by a precessing ring or by a precessing rigid disk. We find that differential rotation and effects on the disk by the accretion stream must be addressed. Our analysis indicates that the best description of a retrogradely precessing spinning, tilted, CV DN accretion disk is a differentially rotating, tilted disk with an attached rotating, tilted ring located near the innermost disk annuli. In agreement with the observations and numerical simulations by others, we find that our numerically simulated CV DN accretion disks retrogradely precess as a unit. Our final, reduced expression for retrograde precession agrees well with our numerical simulation results and with selective observational systems that seem to have main-sequence secondaries. Our results suggest that a major source to retrograde precession is tidal torques like that by the Moon and the Sun on the Earth. In addition, these tidal torques should be common to a variety of systems where one member is spinning and tilted, regardless if

Review of gravitomagnetic acceleration from accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, J.; Mathews, G. J.

2015-11-01

We review the development of the equations of gravitoelectromagnetism and summarize how the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a general-relativistic magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near the accretion disk upward and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Even though this gravitomagnetic field is not the only mechanism to produce collimated jets, it is a novel means to identify one general relativistic effect from a much more complicated problem. In addition, as the accelerated material above or below the accretion disk nears the axis with a nearly vertical direction, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the collimation of the jet.

Parsec-scale Obscuring Accretion Disk with Large-scale Magnetic Field in AGNs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorodnitsyn, A.; Kallman, T. [Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt, MD, 20771 (United States)

2017-06-10

A magnetic field dragged from the galactic disk, along with inflowing gas, can provide vertical support to the geometrically and optically thick pc-scale torus in AGNs. Using the Soloviev solution initially developed for Tokamaks, we derive an analytical model for a rotating torus that is supported and confined by a magnetic field. We further perform three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of X-ray irradiated, pc-scale, magnetized tori. We follow the time evolution and compare models that adopt initial conditions derived from our analytic model with simulations in which the initial magnetic flux is entirely contained within the gas torus. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the initial conditions based on the analytic solution produce a longer-lived torus that produces obscuration that is generally consistent with observed constraints.

Accretion and ejection in resistive GR-MHD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qian, Qian

2017-05-10

In this thesis, the accretion and ejection processes from a black hole accretion system is investigated by means of resistive general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations. As a supplement to the results from prior research with non-relativistic simulations, my results confirm that the winds and outflows originated from thin accretion disks can also be observed in general relativistic simulations. In the first part, the execution of the implementation of resistivity, namely magnetic diffusivity, into the existing non-resistive general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic code HARM is illustrated. The test simulations of the new code rHARM include the comparison with analytical solution of the diffusion equation and a classic shock tube test. rHARM shows reliable performances in these tests. In the second part, rHARM is applied to investigate the evolution of magnetized tori. The results show that the existence of resistivity leads to inefficient accretions of matter from tori onto black holes by weakening the magnetorotational instability inside the tori. An indication for a critical magnetic diffusivity in this simulation setup is found beyond which no magnetorotational instability develops in the linear regime. In the third part, as the main purpose of this PhD project, rHARM is used to perform simulations of magnetically diffusive thin accretion disks that are threaded by a large-scale poloidal magnetic field around non-rotating and rotating black holes. These long-term simulations last 3000 code time units, which are about 195 rotation periods at the disk inner boundary, correspondingly. Their computational domains extend from black hole horizon to 80 Schwarzschild radii. Outflows driven from the accretion disk are clearly seen. These outflows have the typical radial velocity of 0.1 speed of light. In my analyses, I argue that these outflows are driven by the magnetic pressure gradient from the toroidal magnetic field generated by the rotation of the disk

MODERATE-LUMINOSITY GROWING BLACK HOLES FROM 1.25 < z < 2.7: VARIED ACCRETION IN DISK-DOMINATED HOSTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simmons, B. D.; Glikman, E. [Astronomy Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Urry, C. M.; Schawinski, K. [Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Cardamone, C., E-mail: brooke.simmons@astro.ox.ac.uk [Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University, 96 Waterman St., Providence RI 02912 (United States)

2012-12-10

We compute black hole masses and bolometric luminosities for 57 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the redshift range 1.25 {<=} z {<=} 2.67, selected from the GOODS-South deep multi-wavelength survey field via their X-ray emission. We determine host galaxy morphological parameters by separating the galaxies from their central point sources in deep Hubble Space Telescope images, and host stellar masses and colors by multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution fitting. Of GOODS AGNs at these redshifts, 90% have detected rest-frame optical nuclear point sources; bolometric luminosities range from 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 43} to 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 46} erg s{sup -1}. The black holes are growing at a range of accretion rates, with {approx}> 50% of the sample having L/L{sub Edd} < 0.1. Of the host galaxies, 70% have stellar masses M{sub *} > 10{sup 10} M{sub Sun }, with a range of colors suggesting a complex star formation history. We find no evolution of AGN bolometric luminosity within the sample, and no correlation between AGN bolometric luminosity and host stellar mass, color, or morphology. Fully half the sample of host galaxies are disk-dominated, with another 25% having strong disk components. Fewer than 15% of the systems appear to be at some stage of a major merger. These moderate-luminosity AGN hosts are therefore inconsistent with a dynamical history dominated by mergers strong enough to destroy disks, indicating that minor mergers or secular processes dominate the coevolution of galaxies and their central black holes at z {approx} 2.

The Origin of Fast Molecular Outflows in Quasars: Molecule Formation in AGN-Driven Galactic Winds

Science.gov (United States)

Richings, Alexander James; Faucher-Giguere, Claude-Andre

2017-07-01

Observations of AGN host galaxies have detected fast molecular outflows, with velocities up to 1000 km s-1. However, the origin of these molecular outflows is currently unclear. One possibility is that they are formed from molecular gas that is swept up from the host galaxy by the AGN wind. However, previous studies have suggested that molecular clouds that are swept up by an AGN wind are unlikely to survive being accelerated to such high velocities. An alternative scenario is that molecules may form within the AGN wind material itself. We present a suite of 3D hydrodynamic simulations of an idealised AGN wind that we have run to explore this scenario. These simulations are coupled to a time-dependent chemical model to follow the creation and destruction of molecules, including H2, CO, OH and HCO+. We find that molecules do form within the wind, with molecular outflow rates up to 140 M⊙ yr-1 after 1 Myr. This is sensitive to the ambient ISM density, metallicity, and AGN luminosity. We also compute observable CO emission lines from these simulations using a radiative transfer code in post-processing. The CO-derived outflow rates are comparable to those seen in observations, although the maximum line of sight velocities are a factor ≍2 lower than observed. We find a CO (1-0) to H2 conversion factor of αCO = 0.15 M⊙ (K km s-1 pc2)-1 at solar metallicity, 5 times lower than is typically assumed in observations of such systems.

ALMA Studies of the Disk-Jet-Outflow Connection

Science.gov (United States)

Dougados, Catherine; Louvet, F.; Mardones, D.; Cabrit, S.

2017-06-01

I will describe in this contribution recent results obtained with ALMA on the origin of the disk/jet/outflow connexion in T Tauri stars. I will first present ALMA observations of the disk associated with the jet source Th 28, which question previous jet rotation measurements in this source and the implications drawn from them. I will then discuss Cycle 2 ALMA observations of the disk and small scale CO outflow associated with the prototypical edge-on HH 30 source. The unprecedented angular resolution of this dataset brings new constraints on the origin of the CO outflows in young stars.

Accretion disk emission from a BL Lacertae object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wandel, A.; Urry, C.M.

1991-01-01

It is suggested here that the UV and X-ray emission of BL Lac objects may originate in an accretion disk. Using detailed calculations of accretion disk spectra, the best-measured ultraviolet and soft X-ray spectra of the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 are fitted, and the mass and accretion rate required is determined. The ultraviolet through soft X-ray continuum is well fitted by the spectrum of an accretion disk, but near-Eddington accretion rates are required to produce the soft X-ray excess. A hot disk or corona could Comptonize soft photons from the cool disk and produce the observed power-law spectrum in the 1-10 keV range. The dynamic time scale in the disk regions that contribute most of the observed ultraviolet and soft X-ray photons are consistent with the respective time scales for intensity variations observed in these two wave bands; the mass derived from fitting the continuum spectrum is consistent with the limit derived from the fastest hard X-ray variability. 37 refs

Bare AGN: an Unobscured View of the Innermost Accretion Geometry

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, M.; Dauser, T.; Beuchert, T.; Jeffreson, S.; Tawabutr, J.; Wilms, J.; Garcia, J.; Walton, D.

2017-10-01

In a systematic study of the relativistic reflection spectra and coronal properties for a sample of bare AGN we analyze high signal-to-noise spectra obtained with the XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observatories utilizing state-of-the-art reflection codes. Features of blurred reflection off an ionized accretion disk are modelled using different flavors of the relativistic ray-tracing code Relxill. We show that the more physically motivated and self-consistent lamp-post geometry is largely consistent with fits of broken power-law emissivity profiles. We provide good constraints on parameters describing the compact reprocessing corona, i.e., the reflection fraction and the lamp-post height. The latter are found to be prevalent within 1-10 r_{g}, while our models generally find close-to-maximal black hole spins. These results are discussed and compared with previous studies by Walton et al. (2013).

Accretion Disk Assembly During Common Envelope Evolution: Implications for Feedback and LIGO Binary Black Hole Formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murguia-Berthier, Ariadna; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Antoni, Andrea; Macias, Phillip [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); MacLeod, Morgan, E-mail: armurgui@ucsc.edu [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

2017-08-20

During a common envelope (CE) episode in a binary system, the engulfed companion spirals to tighter orbital separations under the influence of drag from the surrounding envelope material. As this object sweeps through material with a steep radial gradient of density, net angular momentum is introduced into the flow, potentially leading to the formation of an accretion disk. The presence of a disk would have dramatic consequences for the outcome of the interaction because accretion might be accompanied by strong, polar outflows with enough energy to unbind the entire envelope. Without a detailed understanding of the necessary conditions for disk formation during CE, therefore, it is difficult to accurately predict the population of merging compact binaries. This paper examines the conditions for disk formation around objects embedded within CEs using the “wind tunnel” formalism developed by MacLeod et al. We find that the formation of disks is highly dependent on the compressibility of the envelope material. Disks form only in the most compressible of stellar envelope gas, found in envelopes’ outer layers in zones of partial ionization. These zones are largest in low-mass stellar envelopes, but comprise small portions of the envelope mass and radius in all cases. We conclude that disk formation and associated accretion feedback in CE is rare, and if it occurs, transitory. The implication for LIGO black hole binary assembly is that by avoiding strong accretion feedback, CE interactions should still result in the substantial orbital tightening needed to produce merging binaries.

Hydrodynamic simulations of accretion disks in cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Masahito; Osaki, Yoji

1990-01-01

The tidal effects of secondary stars on accretion disks in cataclysmic variables are studied by two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations. The time evolution of an accretion disk under a constant mass supply rate from the secondary is followed until it reaches a quasi-steady state. We have examined various cases of different mass ratios of binary systems. It is found that the accretion disk settles into a steady state of an elongated disk fixed in the rotating frame of the binary in a binary system with comparable masses of component stars. On the other hand, in the case of a low-mass secondary, the accretion disk develops a non-axisymmetric (eccentric) structure and finally settles into a periodically oscillating state in which a non-axisymmetric eccentric disk rotates in the opposite direction to the orbital motion of the binary in the rotating frame of the binary. The period of oscillation is a few percent longer than the orbital period of the binary, and it offers a natural explanation for the ''superhump'' periodicity of SU UMa stars. Our results thus confirm basically those of Whitehurst (1988, AAA 45.064.032) who discovered the tidal instability of an accretion disk in the case of a low-mass secondary. We then discuss the cause of the tidal instability. It is shown that the tidal instability of accretion disks is caused by a parametric resonance between particle orbits and an orbiting secondary star with a 1:3 period ratio. (author)

TEMPERATURE STRUCTURE OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS UNDERGOING LAYERED ACCRETION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lesniak, M. V.; Desch, S. J.

2011-01-01

We calculate the temperature structures of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) around T Tauri stars heated by both incident starlight and viscous dissipation. We present a new algorithm for calculating the temperatures in disks in hydrostatic and radiative equilibrium, based on Rybicki's method for iteratively calculating the vertical temperature structure within an annulus. At each iteration, the method solves for the temperature at all locations simultaneously, and converges rapidly even at high (>>10 4 ) optical depth. The method retains the full frequency dependence of the radiation field. We use this algorithm to study for the first time disks evolving via the magnetorotational instability. Because PPD midplanes are weakly ionized, this instability operates preferentially in their surface layers, and disks will undergo layered accretion. We find that the midplane temperatures T mid are strongly affected by the column density Σ a of the active layers, even for fixed mass accretion rate M-dot . Models assuming uniform accretion predict midplane temperatures in the terrestrial planet forming region several x 10 2 K higher than our layered accretion models do. For M-dot -7 M sun yr -1 and the column densities Σ a -2 associated with layered accretion, disk temperatures are indistinguishable from those of a passively heated disk. We find emergent spectra are insensitive to Σ a , making it difficult to observationally identify disks undergoing layered versus uniform accretion.

Dynamically important magnetic fields near accreting supermassive black holes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamaninasab, M; Clausen-Brown, E; Savolainen, T; Tchekhovskoy, A

2014-06-05

Accreting supermassive black holes at the centres of active galaxies often produce 'jets'--collimated bipolar outflows of relativistic particles. Magnetic fields probably play a critical role in jet formation and in accretion disk physics. A dynamically important magnetic field was recently found near the Galactic Centre black hole. If this is common and if the field continues to near the black hole event horizon, disk structures will be affected, invalidating assumptions made in standard models. Here we report that jet magnetic field and accretion disk luminosity are tightly correlated over seven orders of magnitude for a sample of 76 radio-loud active galaxies. We conclude that the jet-launching regions of these radio-loud galaxies are threaded by dynamically important fields, which will affect the disk properties. These fields obstruct gas infall, compress the accretion disk vertically, slow down the disk rotation by carrying away its angular momentum in an outflow and determine the directionality of jets.

LUNAR ACCRETION FROM A ROCHE-INTERIOR FLUID DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salmon, Julien; Canup, Robin M., E-mail: julien@boulder.swri.edu, E-mail: robin@boulder.swri.edu [Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302 (United States)

2012-11-20

We use a hybrid numerical approach to simulate the formation of the Moon from an impact-generated disk, consisting of a fluid model for the disk inside the Roche limit and an N-body code to describe accretion outside the Roche limit. As the inner disk spreads due to a thermally regulated viscosity, material is delivered across the Roche limit and accretes into moonlets that are added to the N-body simulation. Contrary to an accretion timescale of a few months obtained with prior pure N-body codes, here the final stage of the Moon's growth is controlled by the slow spreading of the inner disk, resulting in a total lunar accretion timescale of {approx}10{sup 2} years. It has been proposed that the inner disk may compositionally equilibrate with the Earth through diffusive mixing, which offers a potential explanation for the identical oxygen isotope compositions of the Earth and Moon. However, the mass fraction of the final Moon that is derived from the inner disk is limited by resonant torques between the disk and exterior growing moons. For initial disks containing <2.5 lunar masses (M{sub Last-Quarter-Moon }), we find that a final Moon with mass > 0.8 M{sub Last-Quarter-Moon} contains {<=}60% material derived from the inner disk, with this material preferentially delivered to the Moon at the end of its accretion.

RINGED ACCRETION DISKS: EQUILIBRIUM CONFIGURATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugliese, D.; Stuchlík, Z., E-mail: d.pugliese.physics@gmail.com, E-mail: zdenek.stuchlik@physics.cz [Institute of Physics and Research Centre of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava, Bezručovo náměstí 13, CZ-74601 Opava (Czech Republic)

2015-12-15

We investigate a model of a ringed accretion disk, made up by several rings rotating around a supermassive Kerr black hole attractor. Each toroid of the ringed disk is governed by the general relativity hydrodynamic Boyer condition of equilibrium configurations of rotating perfect fluids. Properties of the tori can then be determined by an appropriately defined effective potential reflecting the background Kerr geometry and the centrifugal effects. The ringed disks could be created in various regimes during the evolution of matter configurations around supermassive black holes. Therefore, both corotating and counterrotating rings have to be considered as being a constituent of the ringed disk. We provide constraints on the model parameters for the existence and stability of various ringed configurations and discuss occurrence of accretion onto the Kerr black hole and possible launching of jets from the ringed disk. We demonstrate that various ringed disks can be characterized by a maximum number of rings. We present also a perturbation analysis based on evolution of the oscillating components of the ringed disk. The dynamics of the unstable phases of the ringed disk evolution seems to be promising in relation to high-energy phenomena demonstrated in active galactic nuclei.

AGN Outflow Shocks on Bonnor–Ebert Spheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dugan, Zachary; Silk, Joseph; Rahman, Mubdi [The Johns Hopkins University Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy, Room 366, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Gaibler, Volker [Universität Heidelberg, Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Bieri, Rebekka [Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS, UPMC Univ. Paris VI, 98 bis Boulevard Arago, F-75014 Paris (France)

2017-04-20

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and subsequent jet cocoons and outflow bubbles can have a significant impact on star formation in the host galaxy. To investigate feedback physics on small scales, we perform hydrodynamic simulations of realistically fast AGN winds striking Bonnor–Ebert spheres and examine gravitational collapse and ablation. We test AGN wind velocities ranging from 300 to 3000 km s{sup −1} and wind densities ranging from 0.5 to 10 m {sub p} cm{sup −3}. We include heating and cooling of low- and high-temperature gas, self-gravity, and spatially correlated perturbations in the shock, with a maximum resolution of 0.01 pc. We find that the ram pressure is the most important factor that determines the fate of the cloud. High ram pressure winds increase fragmentation and decrease the star formation rate, but they also cause star formation to occur on a much shorter timescale and with increased velocities of the newly formed stars. We find a threshold ram pressure of ∼2 × 10{sup −8} dyn cm{sup −2} above which stars are not formed because the resulting clumps have internal velocities large enough to prevent collapse. Our results indicate that simultaneous positive and negative feedback will be possible in a single galaxy, as AGN wind parameters will vary with location within a galaxy.

MIGRATION TRAPS IN DISKS AROUND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellovary, Jillian M.; Low, Mordecai-Mark Mac; McKernan, Barry; Ford, K. E. Saavik

2016-01-01

Accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) contain stars, stellar mass black holes, and other stellar remnants, which perturb the disk gas gravitationally. The resulting density perturbations exert torques on the embedded masses causing them to migrate through the disk in a manner analogous to planets in protoplanetary disks. We determine the strength and direction of these torques using an empirical analytic description dependent on local disk gradients, applied to two different analytic, steady-state disk models of SMBH accretion disks. We find that there are radii in such disks where the gas torque changes sign, trapping migrating objects. Our analysis shows that major migration traps generally occur where the disk surface density gradient changes sign from positive to negative, around 20–300R g , where R g  = 2GM/c 2 is the Schwarzschild radius. At these traps, massive objects in the AGN disk can accumulate, collide, scatter, and accrete. Intermediate mass black hole formation is likely in these disk locations, which may lead to preferential gap and cavity creation at these radii. Our model thus has significant implications for SMBH growth as well as gravitational wave source populations

Jet creation in post-AGB binaries: the circum-companion accretion disk around BD+46°442

Science.gov (United States)

Bollen, Dylan; Van Winckel, Hans; Kamath, Devika

2017-11-01

Aims: We aim at describing and understanding binary interaction processes in systems with very evolved companions. Here, we focus on understanding the origin and determining the properties of the high-velocity outflow observed in one such system. Methods: We present a quantitative analysis of BD+46°442, a post-AGB binary that shows active mass transfer that leads to the creation of a disk-driven outflow or jet. We obtained high-resolution optical spectra from the HERMES spectrograph, mounted on the 1.2 m Flemish Mercator Telescope. By performing a time-series analysis of the Hα profile, we identified the different components of the system. We deduced the jet geometry by comparing the orbital phased data with our jet model. In order to image the accretion disk around the companion of BD+46°442, we applied the technique of Doppler tomography. Results: The orbital phase-dependent variations in the Hα profile can be related to an accretion disk around the companion, from which a high-velocity outflow or jet is launched. Our model shows that there is a clear correlation between the inclination angle and the jet opening angle. The latitudinally dependent velocity structure of our jet model shows a good correspondence to the data, with outflow velocities higher than at least 400 km s-1. The intensity peak in the Doppler map might be partly caused by a hot spot in the disk, or by a larger asymmetrical structure in the disk. Conclusions: We show that BD+46°442 is a result of a binary interaction channel. The origin of the fast outflow in this system might be to a gaseous disk around the secondary component, which is most likely a main-sequence star. Our analysis suggests that the outflow has a rather wide opening angle and is not strongly collimated. Our time-resolved spectral monitoring reveals the launching site of the jet in the binary BD+46°442. Similar orbital phase-dependent Hα profiles are commonly observed in post-AGB binaries. Post-AGB binaries provide ideal

Pre-main-sequence disk accretion in Z Canis Majoris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, L.; Kenyon, S.J.; Hewett, R.; Edwards, S.; Strom, K.M.; Strom, S.E.; Stauffer, J.R.

1989-01-01

It is suggested that the pre-main-sequence object Z CMa is a luminous accretion disk, similar in many respects to the FU Orionis variables. Z CMa shows the broad, doubled optical absorption lines expected from a rapidly rotating accretion disk. The first overtone CO absorption detected in Z CMa is blue-shifted, suggesting line formation in a disk wind. Accretion at rates about 0.001 solar mass/yr over 100 yr is required to explain the luminosity of Z CMa. The large amount of material accreted (0.1 solar mass/yr) indicates that Z CMa is in a very early stage of stellar evolution, possibly in an initial phase of massive disk accretion. 41 references

Pre-main-sequence disk accretion in Z Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, L.; Kenyon, S. J.; Hewett, R.; Edwards, S.; Strom, K. M.; Strom, S. E.; Stauffer, J. R.

1989-01-01

It is suggested that the pre-main-sequence object Z CMa is a luminous accretion disk, similar in many respects to the FU Orionis variables. Z CMa shows the broad, doubled optical absorption lines expected from a rapidly rotating accretion disk. The first overtone CO absorption detected in Z CMa is blue-shifted, suggesting line formation in a disk wind. Accretion at rates about 0.001 solar mass/yr over 100 yr is required to explain the luminosity of Z CMa. The large amount of material accreted (0.1 solar mass/yr) indicates that Z CMa is in a very early stage of stellar evolution, possibly in an initial phase of massive disk accretion.

Non-LTE effects on the strength of the Lyman edge in quasar accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Stoerzer, H.; Hauschildt, P. H.; Allard, F.

1994-01-01

We have calculated UV/EUV (300 A which is less than or equal to lambda which is less than or equal to 1500 A) continuous energy distributions of accretion disks in the centers of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) for disk luminosities in the range 0.1 L(sub Edd) less than or equal to L(sub acc) less than 1.0 L(sub Edd) and central masses ranging from 10(exp 8) solar mass to 10(exp 9) solar mass. The vertical gas pressure structure of the disk and the disk height are obtained analytically; the temperature stratification and the resulting continuum radiation fields are calculated numerically. We have included non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (LTE) effects of both the ionization equilibrium and the level populations of hydrogen and helium. We show that these non-LTE effects reduce the strength of the Lyman edge when comapred to the LTE case. In non-LTE we find that the edge can be weakly in emission or absorption for disks seen face-on, depending on the disk parameters.

Evolution of accretion disks in tidal disruption events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Rong-Feng [Current address: Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. (Israel); Matzner, Christopher D., E-mail: rf.shen@mail.huji.ac.il, E-mail: matzner@astro.utoronto.ca [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, M5S 3H4 (Canada)

2014-04-01

During a stellar tidal disruption event (TDE), an accretion disk forms as stellar debris returns to the disruption site and circularizes. Rather than being confined within the circularizing radius, the disk can spread to larger radii to conserve angular momentum. A spreading disk is a source of matter for re-accretion at rates that may exceed the later stellar fallback rate, although a disk wind can suppress its contribution to the central black hole accretion rate. A spreading disk is detectible through a break in the central accretion rate history or, at longer wavelengths, by its own emission. We model the evolution of TDE disk size and accretion rate by accounting for the time-dependent fallback rate, for the influence of wind losses in the early advective stage, and for the possibility of thermal instability for accretion rates intermediate between the advection-dominated and gas-pressure-dominated states. The model provides a dynamic basis for modeling TDE light curves. All or part of a young TDE disk will precess as a solid body because of the Lense-Thirring effect, and precession may manifest itself as a quasi-periodic modulation of the light curve. The precession period increases with time. Applying our results to the jetted TDE candidate Swift J1644+57, whose X-ray light curve shows numerous quasi-periodic dips, we argue that the data best fit a scenario in which a main-sequence star was fully disrupted by an intermediate mass black hole on an orbit significantly inclined from the black hole equator, with the apparent jet shutoff at t = 500 days corresponding to a disk transition from the advective state to the gas-pressure-dominated state.

Chaotic cold accretion on to black holes in rotating atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Gaspari, M.; Brighenti, F.; Temi, P.

2015-07-01

The fueling of black holes is one key problem in the evolution of baryons in the universe. Chaotic cold accretion (CCA) profoundly differs from classic accretion models, as Bondi and thin disc theories. Using 3D high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations, we now probe the impact of rotation on the hot and cold accretion flow in a typical massive galaxy. In the hot mode, with or without turbulence, the pressure-dominated flow forms a geometrically thick rotational barrier, suppressing the black hole accretion rate to ~1/3 of the spherical case value. When radiative cooling is dominant, the gas loses pressure support and quickly circularizes in a cold thin disk; the accretion rate is decoupled from the cooling rate, although it is higher than that of the hot mode. In the more common state of a turbulent and heated atmosphere, CCA drives the dynamics if the gas velocity dispersion exceeds the rotational velocity, i.e., turbulent Taylor number Tat 1), the broadening of the distribution and the efficiency of collisions diminish, damping the accretion rate ∝ Tat-1, until the cold disk drives the dynamics. This is exacerbated by the increased difficulty to grow TI in a rotating halo. The simulated sub-Eddington accretion rates cover the range inferred from AGN cavity observations. CCA predicts inner flat X-ray temperature and r-1 density profiles, as recently discovered in M 87 and NGC 3115. The synthetic Hα images reproduce the main features of cold gas observations in massive ellipticals, as the line fluxes and the filaments versus disk morphology. Such dichotomy is key for the long-term AGN feedback cycle. As gas cools, filamentary CCA develops and boosts AGN heating; the cold mode is thus reduced and the rotating disk remains the sole cold structure. Its consumption leaves the atmosphere in hot mode with suppressed accretion and feedback, reloading the cycle.

Basic properties of a stationary accretion disk surrounding a black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshi, Reiun

1977-01-01

The structure of a stationary accretion disk surrounding a black hole is studied by means of newly developed basic equations. The basic equations are derived under the assumption that the vertical distribution of disk matter is given by a polytrope. For a Keplerian accretion disk, basic equations reduce to a differential equation of the first order. We have found that solutions of an optically thick accretion disk converge to a limiting value, irrespective of the outer boundary condition. This gives the happy consequence that the inner structure of an optically thick accretion disk is determined irrespective of the outer boundary condition. On the contrary, an optically thin accretion disk shows bimodal behavior, that is, two physically distinct states exist depending on the outer boundary condition imposed at the outer edge of the accretion disk. (auth.)

Accreting planets as dust dams in 'transition' disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, James E.

2014-01-01

We investigate under what circumstances an embedded planet in a protoplanetary disk may sculpt the dust distribution such that it observationally presents as a 'transition' disk. We concern ourselves with 'transition' disks that have large holes (≳ 10 AU) and high accretion rates (∼10 –9 -10 –8 M ☉ yr –1 ), particularly, those disks which photoevaporative models struggle to explain. Adopting the observed accretion rates in 'transition' disks, we find that the accretion luminosity from the forming planet is significant, and can dominate over the stellar luminosity at the gap edge. This planetary accretion luminosity can apply a significant radiation pressure to small (s ≲ 1 μm) dust particles provided they are suitably decoupled from the gas. Secular evolution calculations that account for the evolution of the gas and dust components in a disk with an embedded, accreting planet, show that only with the addition of the radiation pressure can we explain the full observed characteristics of a 'transition' disk (NIR dip in the spectral energy distribution (SED), millimeter cavity, and high accretion rate). At suitably high planet masses (≳ 3-4 M J ), radiation pressure from the accreting planet is able to hold back the small dust particles, producing a heavily dust-depleted inner disk that is optically thin to infrared radiation. The planet-disk system will present as a 'transition' disk with a dip in the SED only when the planet mass and planetary accretion rate are high enough. At other times, it will present as a disk with a primordial SED, but with a cavity in the millimeter, as observed in a handful of protoplanetary disks.

The Accretion Disk Wind in the Black Hole GRS 1915 + 105

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J.M.; Raymond, J.; Fabian, A. C.; Gallo, E.; Kaastra, J.; Kallman, T.; King, A. L.; Proga, D.; Reynolds, C. S.; Zoghbi, A.

2016-01-01

We report on a 120 kiloseconds Chandra/HETG spectrum of the black hole GRS 1915+105. The observation was made during an extended and bright soft state in 2015 June. An extremely rich disk wind absorption spectrum is detected, similar to that observed at lower sensitivity in 2007. The very high resolution of the third-order spectrum reveals four components to the disk wind in the Fe K band alone; the fastest has a blueshift of v = 0.03 c (velocity equals 0.03 the speed of light). Broadened reemission from the wind is also detected in the first-order spectrum, giving rise to clear accretion disk P Cygni profiles. Dynamical modeling of the re-emission spectrum gives wind launching radii of r approximately equal to 10 (sup 2-4) GM (Gravitational constant times Mass) divided by c (sup 2) (the speed of light squared). Wind density values of n approximately equal to 10 (sup 13-16) per cubic centimeter are then required by the ionization parameter formalism. The small launching radii, high density values, and inferred high mass outflow rates signal a role for magnetic driving. With simple, reasonable assumptions, the wind properties constrain the magnitude of the emergent magnetic field to be B approximately equal to 10 (sup 3-4) G (Gravitational constant) if the wind is driven via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure from within the disk and B approximately equal to 10 (sup 4-5) G (Gravitational constant) if the wind is driven by magnetocentrifugal acceleration. The MHD estimates are below upper limits predicted by the canonical alpha-disk model. We discuss these results in terms of fundamental disk physics and black hole accretion modes.

A COMMON SOURCE OF ACCRETION DISK TILT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M. M.; Martin, E. L.

2010-01-01

Many different system types retrogradely precess, and retrograde precession could be from a tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk. However, a source that causes and maintains disk tilt is unknown. In this work, we show that accretion disks can tilt due to a force called lift. Lift results from differing gas stream supersonic speeds over and under an accretion disk. Because lift acts at the disk's center of pressure, a torque is applied around a rotation axis passing through the disk's center of mass. The disk responds to lift by pitching around the disk's line of nodes. If the gas stream flow ebbs, then lift also ebbs and the disk attempts to return to its original orientation. To first approximation, lift does not depend on magnetic fields or radiation sources but does depend on the mass and the surface area of the disk. Also, for disk tilt to be initiated, a minimum mass transfer rate must be exceeded. For example, a 10 -11 M sun disk around a 0.8 M sun compact central object requires a mass transfer rate greater than ∼ 8 x 10 -11 M sun yr -1 , a value well below the known mass transfer rates in cataclysmic variable dwarf novae systems that retrogradely precess and exhibit negative superhumps in their light curves and a value well below mass transfer rates in protostellar-forming systems.

The multi-phase winds of Markarian 231: from the hot, nuclear, ultra-fast wind to the galaxy-scale, molecular outflow

Science.gov (United States)

Feruglio, C.; Fiore, F.; Carniani, S.; Piconcelli, E.; Zappacosta, L.; Bongiorno, A.; Cicone, C.; Maiolino, R.; Marconi, A.; Menci, N.; Puccetti, S.; Veilleux, S.

2015-11-01

Mrk 231 is a nearby ultra-luminous IR galaxy exhibiting a kpc-scale, multi-phase AGN-driven outflow. This galaxy represents the best target to investigate in detail the morphology and energetics of powerful outflows, as well as their still poorly-understood expansion mechanism and impact on the host galaxy. In this work, we present the best sensitivity and angular resolution maps of the molecular disk and outflow of Mrk 231, as traced by CO(2-1) and (3-2) observations obtained with the IRAM/PdBI. In addition, we analyze archival deep Chandra and NuSTAR X-ray observations. We use this unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength data sets to constrain the physical properties of both the molecular disk and outflow, the presence of a highly-ionized ultra-fast nuclear wind, and their connection. The molecular CO(2-1) outflow has a size of 1 kpc, and extends in all directions around the nucleus, being more prominent along the south-west to north-east direction, suggesting a wide-angle biconical geometry. The maximum projected velocity of the outflow is nearly constant out to 1 kpc, thus implying that the density of the outflowing material must decrease from the nucleus outwards as r-2. This suggests that either a large part of the gas leaves the flow during its expansion or that the bulk of the outflow has not yet reached out to 1 kpc, thus implying a limit on its age of 1 Myr. Mapping the mass and energy rates of the molecular outflow yields dot {M} OF = [500-1000] M⊙ yr-1 and Ėkin,OF = [7-10] × 1043 erg s-1. The total kinetic energy of the outflow is Ekin,OF is of the same order of the total energy of the molecular disk, Edisk. Remarkably, our analysis of the X-ray data reveals a nuclear ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with velocity -20 000 km s-1, dot {M}UFO = [0.3-2.1] M⊙ yr-1, and momentum load dot {P}UFO/ dot {P}rad = [0.2-1.6]. We find Ėkin,UFO Ėkin,OF as predicted for outflows undergoing an energy conserving expansion. This suggests that most of the UFO

MIGRATION TRAPS IN DISKS AROUND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellovary, Jillian M.; Low, Mordecai-Mark Mac; McKernan, Barry; Ford, K. E. Saavik [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, NY 10024 (United States)

2016-03-10

Accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) contain stars, stellar mass black holes, and other stellar remnants, which perturb the disk gas gravitationally. The resulting density perturbations exert torques on the embedded masses causing them to migrate through the disk in a manner analogous to planets in protoplanetary disks. We determine the strength and direction of these torques using an empirical analytic description dependent on local disk gradients, applied to two different analytic, steady-state disk models of SMBH accretion disks. We find that there are radii in such disks where the gas torque changes sign, trapping migrating objects. Our analysis shows that major migration traps generally occur where the disk surface density gradient changes sign from positive to negative, around 20–300R{sub g}, where R{sub g} = 2GM/c{sup 2} is the Schwarzschild radius. At these traps, massive objects in the AGN disk can accumulate, collide, scatter, and accrete. Intermediate mass black hole formation is likely in these disk locations, which may lead to preferential gap and cavity creation at these radii. Our model thus has significant implications for SMBH growth as well as gravitational wave source populations.

A Multi-wavelength Analysis of Binary-AGN Candidate PSO J334.2028+01.4075

OpenAIRE

Foord, Adi; Gultekin, Kayhan; Reynolds, Mark; Ayers, Megan; Liu, Tingting; Gezari, Suvi; Runnoe, Jessie

2017-01-01

We present analysis of the first Chandra observation of PSO J334.2028+01.4075 (PSO J334), targeted as a binary-AGN candidate based on periodic variations of the optical flux. With no prior targeted X-ray coverage for PSO J334, our new 40 ksec Chandra observation allows for the opportunity to differentiate between a single or binary-AGN system, and if a binary, can characterize the mode of accretion. Simulations show that the two expected accretion disk morphologies for binary-AGN systems are ...

Accretion outbursts in self-gravitating protoplanetary disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Jaehan; Hartmann, Lee [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (United States); Zhu, Zhaohuan [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Nelson, Richard P., E-mail: jaehbae@umich.edu, E-mail: lhartm@umich.edu, E-mail: zhuzh@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: r.p.nelson@qmul.ac.uk [Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2014-11-01

We improve on our previous treatments of the long-term evolution of protostellar disks by explicitly solving disk self-gravity in two dimensions. The current model is an extension of the one-dimensional layered accretion disk model of Bae et al. We find that gravitational instability (GI)-induced spiral density waves heat disks via compressional heating (i.e., PdV work), and can trigger accretion outbursts by activating the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in the magnetically inert disk dead zone. The GI-induced spiral waves propagate well inside of the gravitationally unstable region before they trigger outbursts at R ≲ 1 AU where GI cannot be sustained. This long-range propagation of waves cannot be reproduced with the previously used local α treatments for GI. In our standard model where zero dead-zone residual viscosity (α{sub rd}) is assumed, the GI-induced stress measured at the onset of outbursts is locally as large as 0.01 in terms of the generic α parameter. However, as suggested in our previous one-dimensional calculations, we confirm that the presence of a small but finite α{sub rd} triggers thermally driven bursts of accretion instead of the GI + MRI-driven outbursts that are observed when α{sub rd} = 0. The inclusion of non-zero residual viscosity in the dead zone decreases the importance of GI soon after mass feeding from the envelope cloud ceases. During the infall phase while the central protostar is still embedded, our models stay in a 'quiescent' accretion phase with M-dot {sub acc}∼10{sup −8}--10{sup −7} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} over 60% of the time and spend less than 15% of the infall phase in accretion outbursts. While our models indicate that episodic mass accretion during protostellar evolution can qualitatively help explain the low accretion luminosities seen in most low-mass protostars, detailed tests of the mechanism will require model calculations for a range of protostellar masses with some constraint on the

Accretion outbursts in self-gravitating protoplanetary disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Jaehan; Hartmann, Lee; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Nelson, Richard P.

2014-01-01

We improve on our previous treatments of the long-term evolution of protostellar disks by explicitly solving disk self-gravity in two dimensions. The current model is an extension of the one-dimensional layered accretion disk model of Bae et al. We find that gravitational instability (GI)-induced spiral density waves heat disks via compressional heating (i.e., PdV work), and can trigger accretion outbursts by activating the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in the magnetically inert disk dead zone. The GI-induced spiral waves propagate well inside of the gravitationally unstable region before they trigger outbursts at R ≲ 1 AU where GI cannot be sustained. This long-range propagation of waves cannot be reproduced with the previously used local α treatments for GI. In our standard model where zero dead-zone residual viscosity (α rd ) is assumed, the GI-induced stress measured at the onset of outbursts is locally as large as 0.01 in terms of the generic α parameter. However, as suggested in our previous one-dimensional calculations, we confirm that the presence of a small but finite α rd triggers thermally driven bursts of accretion instead of the GI + MRI-driven outbursts that are observed when α rd = 0. The inclusion of non-zero residual viscosity in the dead zone decreases the importance of GI soon after mass feeding from the envelope cloud ceases. During the infall phase while the central protostar is still embedded, our models stay in a 'quiescent' accretion phase with M-dot acc ∼10 −8 --10 −7 M ⊙ yr −1 over 60% of the time and spend less than 15% of the infall phase in accretion outbursts. While our models indicate that episodic mass accretion during protostellar evolution can qualitatively help explain the low accretion luminosities seen in most low-mass protostars, detailed tests of the mechanism will require model calculations for a range of protostellar masses with some constraint on the initial core angular momentum, which

On Hydromagnetic Stresses in Accretion Disk Boundary Layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pessah, Martin Elias; Chan, Chi-kwan

2012-01-01

Detailed calculations of the physical structure of accretion disk boundary layers, and thus their inferred observational properties, rely on the assumption that angular momentum transport is opposite to the radial angular frequency gradient of the disk. The standard model for turbulent shear...... of efficient angular momentum transport in the inner disk regions. This suggests that the detailed structure of turbulent MHD accretion disk boundary layers could differ appreciably from those derived within the standard framework of turbulent shear viscosity...

EVOLUTION OF MASSIVE PROTOSTARS VIA DISK ACCRETION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosokawa, Takashi; Omukai, Kazuyuki; Yorke, Harold W.

2010-01-01

Mass accretion onto (proto-)stars at high accretion rates M-dot * > 10 -4 M sun yr -1 is expected in massive star formation. We study the evolution of massive protostars at such high rates by numerically solving the stellar structure equations. In this paper, we examine the evolution via disk accretion. We consider a limiting case of 'cold' disk accretion, whereby most of the stellar photosphere can radiate freely with negligible backwarming from the accretion flow, and the accreting material settles onto the star with the same specific entropy as the photosphere. We compare our results to the calculated evolution via spherically symmetric accretion, the opposite limit, whereby the material accreting onto the star contains the entropy produced in the accretion shock front. We examine how different accretion geometries affect the evolution of massive protostars. For cold disk accretion at 10 -3 M sun yr -1 , the radius of a protostar is initially small, R * ≅ a few R sun . After several solar masses have accreted, the protostar begins to bloat up and for M * ≅ 10 M sun the stellar radius attains its maximum of 30-400 R sun . The large radius ∼100 R sun is also a feature of spherically symmetric accretion at the same accreted mass and accretion rate. Hence, expansion to a large radius is a robust feature of accreting massive protostars. At later times, the protostar eventually begins to contract and reaches the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) for M * ≅ 30 M sun , independent of the accretion geometry. For accretion rates exceeding several 10 -3 M sun yr -1 , the protostar never contracts to the ZAMS. The very large radius of several hundreds R sun results in the low effective temperature and low UV luminosity of the protostar. Such bloated protostars could well explain the existence of bright high-mass protostellar objects, which lack detectable H II regions.

Numerical Study on Outflows in Seyfert Galaxies I: Narrow Line Region Outflows in NGC 4151

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mou, Guobin; Wang, Tinggui; Yang, Chenwei, E-mail: gbmou@ustc.edu.cn [CAS Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

2017-07-20

The origin of narrow line region (NLR) outflows remains unknown. In this paper, we explore the scenario in which these outflows are circumnuclear clouds driven by energetic accretion disk winds. We choose the well-studied nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 as an example. By performing 3D hydrodynamical simulations, we are able to reproduce the radial distributions of velocity, mass outflow rate, and kinetic luminosity of NLR outflows in the inner 100 pc deduced from spatial resolved spectroscopic observations. The demanded kinetic luminosity of disk winds is about two orders of magnitude higher than that inferred from the NLR outflows, but is close to the ultrafast outflows (UFO) detected in the X-ray spectrum and a few times lower than the bolometric luminosity of the Seyfert. Our simulations imply that the scenario is viable for NGC 4151. The existence of the underlying disk winds can be confirmed by their impacts on higher density ISM, e.g., shock excitation signs, and the pressure in NLR.

Numerical Study on Outflows in Seyfert Galaxies I: Narrow Line Region Outflows in NGC 4151

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mou, Guobin; Wang, Tinggui; Yang, Chenwei

2017-01-01

The origin of narrow line region (NLR) outflows remains unknown. In this paper, we explore the scenario in which these outflows are circumnuclear clouds driven by energetic accretion disk winds. We choose the well-studied nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 as an example. By performing 3D hydrodynamical simulations, we are able to reproduce the radial distributions of velocity, mass outflow rate, and kinetic luminosity of NLR outflows in the inner 100 pc deduced from spatial resolved spectroscopic observations. The demanded kinetic luminosity of disk winds is about two orders of magnitude higher than that inferred from the NLR outflows, but is close to the ultrafast outflows (UFO) detected in the X-ray spectrum and a few times lower than the bolometric luminosity of the Seyfert. Our simulations imply that the scenario is viable for NGC 4151. The existence of the underlying disk winds can be confirmed by their impacts on higher density ISM, e.g., shock excitation signs, and the pressure in NLR.

Numerical Study on Outflows in Seyfert Galaxies I: Narrow Line Region Outflows in NGC 4151

Science.gov (United States)

Mou, Guobin; Wang, Tinggui; Yang, Chenwei

2017-07-01

The origin of narrow line region (NLR) outflows remains unknown. In this paper, we explore the scenario in which these outflows are circumnuclear clouds driven by energetic accretion disk winds. We choose the well-studied nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 as an example. By performing 3D hydrodynamical simulations, we are able to reproduce the radial distributions of velocity, mass outflow rate, and kinetic luminosity of NLR outflows in the inner 100 pc deduced from spatial resolved spectroscopic observations. The demanded kinetic luminosity of disk winds is about two orders of magnitude higher than that inferred from the NLR outflows, but is close to the ultrafast outflows (UFO) detected in the X-ray spectrum and a few times lower than the bolometric luminosity of the Seyfert. Our simulations imply that the scenario is viable for NGC 4151. The existence of the underlying disk winds can be confirmed by their impacts on higher density ISM, e.g., shock excitation signs, and the pressure in NLR.

MAGNETOROTATIONAL-INSTABILITY-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Xuening

2011-01-01

Non-ideal MHD effects play an important role in the gas dynamics in protoplanetary disks (PPDs). This paper addresses the influence of non-ideal MHD effects on the magnetorotational instability (MRI) and angular momentum transport in PPDs using the most up-to-date results from numerical simulations. We perform chemistry calculations using a complex reaction network with standard prescriptions for X-ray and cosmic-ray ionizations. We first show that whether or not grains are included, the recombination time is at least one order of magnitude less than the orbital time within five disk scale heights, justifying the validity of local ionization equilibrium and strong coupling limit in PPDs. The full conductivity tensor at different disk radii and heights is evaluated, with the MRI active region determined by requiring that (1) the Ohmic Elsasser number Λ be greater than 1 and (2) the ratio of gas to magnetic pressure β be greater than β min (Am) as identified in the recent study by Bai and Stone, where Am is the Elsasser number for ambipolar diffusion. With full flexibility as to the magnetic field strength, we provide a general framework for estimating the MRI-driven accretion rate M-dot and the magnetic field strength in the MRI active layer. We find that the MRI active layer always exists at any disk radius as long as the magnetic field in PPDs is sufficiently weak. However, the optimistically predicted M-dot in the inner disk (r = 1-10 AU) appears insufficient to account for the observed range of accretion rates in PPDs (around 10 -8 M sun yr -1 ) even in the grain-free calculation, and the presence of solar abundance sub-micron grains further reduces M-dot by one to two orders of magnitude. Moreover, we find that the predicted M-dot increases with radius in the inner disk where accretion is layered, which would lead to runaway mass accumulation if disk accretion is solely driven by the MRI. Our results suggest that stronger sources of ionization and

Disk accretion onto magnetic T Tauri stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenigl, A.

1991-01-01

The dynamical and radiative consequences of disk accretion onto magnetic T Tauri stars (TTS) are examined using the Ghosh and Lamb model. It is shown that a prolonged disk accretion phase is compatible with the low rotation rates measured in these stars if they possess a kilogauss strength field that disrupts the disk at a distance of a few stellar radii from the center. It is estimated that a steady state in which the net torque exerted on the star is zero can be attained on a time scale that is shorter than the age of the youngest visible TTS. Although the disk does not develop an ordinary shear boundary layer in this case, one can account for the observed UV excess and Balmer emission in terms of the shocks that form at the bottom of the high-latitude magnetic accretion columns on the stellar surface. This picture also provides a natural explanation of some of the puzzling variability properties of stars like DF Tau and RY Lup. YY Ori stars are interpreted as magnetic TTS in which the observer's line of sight is roughly parallel to an accretion column. 37 refs

WIND-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN TRANSITIONAL PROTOSTELLAR DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Lile; Goodman, Jeremy J. [Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2017-01-20

Transitional protostellar disks have inner cavities that are heavily depleted in dust and gas, yet most of them show signs of ongoing accretion, often at rates comparable to full disks. We show that recent constraints on the gas surface density in a few well-studied disk cavities suggest that the accretion speed is at least transsonic. We propose that this is the natural result of accretion driven by magnetized winds. Typical physical conditions of the gas inside these cavities are estimated for plausible X-ray and FUV radiation fields. The gas near the midplane is molecular and predominantly neutral, with a dimensionless ambipolar parameter in the right general range for wind solutions of the type developed by Königl, Wardle, and others. That is to say, the density of ions and electrons is sufficient for moderately good coupling to the magnetic field, but it is not so good that the magnetic flux needs to be dragged inward by the accreting neutrals.

Gravitomagnetic acceleration of accretion disk matter to polar jets

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, John; Mathews, Grant

2016-03-01

The motion of the masses of an accretion disk around a black hole creates a general relativistic, gravitomagnetic field (GEM) from the moving matter (be it charged or uncharged) of the accretion disk. This GEM field accelerates moving masses (neutral or charged) near the accretion disk vertically upward and away from the disk, and then inward toward the axis of the disk. As the accelerated material nears the axis with approximately vertical angles, a frame dragging effect contributes to the formation of narrow jets emanating from the poles. This GEM effect is numerically evaluated in the first post Newtonian (1PN) approximation from observable quantities like the mass and velocity of the disk. This GEM force is linear in the total mass of the accretion disk matter and quadratic in the velocity of matter near to the disk with approximately the same velocity. Since these masses and velocities can be quite high in astrophysical contexts, the GEM force, which in other contexts is weak, is quite significant. This GEM effect is compared to the ordinary electromagnetic effects applied to this problem in the past.

ACCRETION DISKS WITH A LARGE SCALE MAGNETIC FIELD AROUND BLACK HOLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gennady Bisnovatyi-Kogan

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We consider accretion disks around black holes at high luminosity, and the problem of the formation of a large-scale magnetic field in such disks, taking into account the non-uniform vertical structure of the disk. The structure of advective accretion disks is investigated, and conditions for the formation of optically thin regions in central parts of the accretion disk are found. The high electrical conductivity of the outer layers of the disk prevents outward diffusion of the magnetic field. This implies a stationary state with a strong magnetic field in the inner parts of the accretion disk close to the black hole, and zero radial velocity at the surface of the disk. The problem of jet collimation by magneto-torsion oscillations is investigated.

X-RAY OUTFLOWS AND SUPER-EDDINGTON ACCRETION IN THE ULTRALUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCE HOLMBERG IX X-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, D. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Miller, J. M.; Reis, R. C.; Fabian, A. C.; Roberts, T. P.; Middleton, M. J.

2013-01-01

Studies of X-ray continuum emission and flux variability have not conclusively revealed the nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) at the high-luminosity end of the distribution (those with L X ≥ 10 40 erg s –1 ). These are of particular interest because the luminosity requires either super-Eddington accretion onto a black hole of mass ∼10 M ☉ or more standard accretion onto an intermediate-mass black hole. Super-Eddington accretion models predict strong outflowing winds, making atomic absorption lines a key diagnostic of the nature of extreme ULXs. To search for such features, we have undertaken a long, 500 ks observing campaign on Holmberg IX X-1 with Suzaku. This is the most sensitive data set in the iron K bandpass for a bright, isolated ULX to date, yet we find no statistically significant atomic features in either emission or absorption; any undetected narrow features must have equivalent widths less than 15-20 eV at 99% confidence. These limits are far below the ∼>150 eV lines expected if observed trends between mass inflow and outflow rates extend into the super-Eddington regime and in fact rule out the line strengths observed from disk winds in a variety of sub-Eddington black holes. We therefore cannot be viewing the central regions of Holmberg IX X-1 through any substantial column of material, ruling out models of spherical super-Eddington accretion. If Holmberg IX X-1 is a super-Eddington source, any associated outflow must have an anisotropic geometry. Finally, the lack of iron emission suggests that the stellar companion cannot be launching a strong wind and that Holmberg IX X-1 must primarily accrete via Roche-lobe overflow

Recent Chandra/HETGS and NuSTAR observations of the quasar PDS 456 and its Ultra-Fast Outflow

Science.gov (United States)

Boissay Malaquin, Rozenn; Marshall, Herman L.; Nowak, Michael A.

2018-01-01

Evidence is growing that the interaction between outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGN) and their surrounding medium may play an important role in galaxy evolution, i.e. in the regulation of star formation in galaxies, through AGN feedback processes. Indeed, powerful outflows, such as the ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) that can reach mildly relativistic velocities of 0.2-0.4c, could blow away a galaxy’s reservoir of star-forming gas and hence quench the star formation in host galaxies. The low-redshift (z=0.184) radio-quiet quasar PDS 456 has showed the presence of a strong and blueshifted absorption trough in the Fe K band above 7 keV, that has been associated with the signature of such a fast and highly ionized accretion disk wind of a velocity of 0.25-0.3c. This persistent and variable feature has been detected in many observations of PDS 456, in particular by XMM-Newton, Suzaku and NuSTAR, together with other blueshifted absorption lines in the soft energy band (e.g. Nardini et al. 2015, Reeves et al. 2016). I will present here the results of the analysis of recent and contemporaneous high-resolution Chandra/HETGS and NuSTAR observations of PDS 456, and compare them with the previous findings.

The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS)

Science.gov (United States)

Husemann, B.; Tremblay, G.; Davis, T.; Busch, G.; McElroy, R.; Neumann, J.; Urrutia, T.; Krumpe, M.; Scharwächter, J.; Powell, M.; Perez-Torres, M.; The CARS Team

2017-09-01

The role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the evolution of galaxies remains a mystery. The energy released by these accreting supermassive black holes can vastly exceed the entire binding energy of their host galaxies, yet it remains unclear how this energy is dissipated throughout the galaxy, and how that might couple to the galaxy's evolution. The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS) is a multi-wavelength survey of a representative sample of luminous Type I AGN at redshifts 0.01 connection. These AGN are more luminous than very nearby AGN but are still close enough for spatially resolved mapping at sub-kpc scales with various state- of-the art facilities and instruments, such as VLT-MUSE, ALMA, JVLA, Chandra, SOFIA, and many more. In this article we showcase the power of CARS with examples of a multi-phase AGN outflow, diverse views on star formation activity and a unique changing-look AGN. CARS will provide an essential low-redshift reference sample for ongoing and forthcoming AGN surveys at high redshift.

X-ray surveys - Weighting the dark matter haloes of X-ray AGN: towards a physical description of the accretion history of the Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Georgakakis, Antonis; Mountrichas, G.; Fanidakis, N.; Finoguenov, A.; Aegis Collaboration

2012-09-01

The masses of the dark matter haloes in which AGN live is powerful diagnostic of the conditions under which supermassive black holes form and evolve across cosmic time. A new clustering estimation method will be presented which requires spectroscopy only for the AGN and uses photometric redshift probability density functions for galaxies to determine the projected real-space AGN/galaxy cross-correlation function. Our method is superior to traditional AGN clustering estimators (e.g. auto-correlation function) because (i) random errors are significantly suppressed when counting AGN/galaxy pairs, (ii) the impact of sample variance is minimized, and (iii) the requirements for spectroscopy are minimal; only spectroscopic redshift measurements for the AGN are needed. This method is applied to the combined AEGIS, COSMOS and ECDFS fields to infer the bias and dark matter halo mass of moderate luminosity (Lx~10^43 erg/s/cm^2) X-ray AGN at z~1 (total of 400). Predictions from the GALFORM semi-analytic model will be compared to the observations to show that a combination of hot and cold-gas accretion (the latter triggered by disk instabilities in spirals rather than mergers) reproduce well the clustering properties of X-ray AGN over a range of redshifts and luminosities.

COMPARING THE ACCRETION DISK EVOLUTION OF BLACK HOLE AND NEUTRON STAR X-RAY BINARIES FROM LOW TO SUPER-EDDINGTON LUMINOSITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng Shanshan; Zhang Shuangnan

2011-01-01

Low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) are systems in which a low-mass companion transfers mass via Roche-lobe overflow onto a black hole (BH) or a weakly magnetized neutron star (NS). It is believed that both the solid surface and the magnetic field of an NS can affect the accretion flow and show some observable effects. Using the disk emission dominant data, we compare the disk evolution of the two types of systems from low luminosity to super-Eddington luminosity. As the luminosity decreases the disk in the NS LMXB 4U1608-522 begins to leave the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) at much higher luminosity (∼0.1 L Edd ), compared with BH LMXBs at much lower luminosity (∼0.03 L Edd ), due to the interaction between the NS magnetosphere and accretion flow. However, as the luminosity increases above a critical luminosity, the disks in BH and NS LMXBs trace the same evolutionary pattern, because the magnetosphere is restricted inside ISCO, and then both the NS surface emission and (dipole) magnetic field do not significantly affect the secular evolution of the accretion disk, which is driven by the increased radiation pressure in the inner region. We further suggest that the NS surface emission provides additional information about the accretion disk not available in BH systems. Through the observed NS surface emission, we argue that the disk thickness H/R is less than 0.3-0.4, and that the significant outflow from the inner disk edge exists at a luminosity close to Eddington luminosity.

Hot accretion disks with electron-positron pairs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

White, T.R.; Lightman, A.P.

1989-01-01

The hot thermal accretion disks of the 1970s are studied and consideration is given to the effects of electron-positron pairs, which were originally neglected. It is found that disks cooled by internally produced photons have a critical accretion rate above which equilibrium is not possible in a radial annulus centered around r = 10 GM/c-squared, where M is the mass of the central object. This confirms and extends previous work by Kusunose and Takahara. Above the critical rate, pairs are created more rapidly than they can be destroyed. Below the critical rate, there are two solutions to the disk structure, one with a high pair density and one with a low pair density. Depending on the strength of the viscosity, the critical accretion rate corresponds to a critical luminosity of about 3-10 percent of the Eddington limit. 32 refs

SPIN EVOLUTION OF ACCRETING YOUNG STARS. II. EFFECT OF ACCRETION-POWERED STELLAR WINDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matt, Sean P.; Pinzón, Giovanni; Greene, Thomas P.; Pudritz, Ralph E.

2012-01-01

We present a model for the rotational evolution of a young, solar-mass star interacting magnetically with an accretion disk. As in a previous paper (Paper I), the model includes changes in the star's mass and radius as it descends the Hayashi track, a decreasing accretion rate, and a prescription for the angular momentum transfer between the star and disk. Paper I concluded that, for the relatively strong magnetic coupling expected in real systems, additional processes are necessary to explain the existence of slowly rotating pre-main-sequence stars. In the present paper, we extend the stellar spin model to include the effect of a spin-down torque that arises from an accretion-powered stellar wind (APSW). For a range of magnetic field strengths, accretion rates, initial spin rates, and mass outflow rates, the modeled stars exhibit rotation periods within the range of 1-10 days in the age range of 1-3 Myr. This range coincides with the bulk of the observed rotation periods, with the slow rotators corresponding to stars with the lowest accretion rates, strongest magnetic fields, and/or highest stellar wind mass outflow rates. We also make a direct, quantitative comparison between the APSW scenario and the two types of disk-locking models (namely, the X-wind and Ghosh and Lamb type models) and identify some remaining theoretical issues for understanding young star spins.

The combined effect of AGN and supernovae feedback in launching massive molecular outflows in high-redshift galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Biernacki, Pawel; Teyssier, Romain

2018-04-01

We have recently improved our model of active galactic nucleus (AGN) by attaching the supermassive black hole (SMBH) to a massive nuclear star cluster (NSC). Here, we study the effects of this new model in massive, gas-rich galaxies with several simulations of different feedback recipes with the hydrodynamics code RAMSES. These simulations are compared to a reference simulation without any feedback, in which the cooling halo gas is quickly consumed in a burst of star formation. In the presence of strong supernovae (SN) feedback, we observe the formation of a galactic fountain that regulates star formation over a longer period, but without halting it. If only AGN feedback is considered, as soon as the SMBH reaches a critical mass, strong outflows of hot gas are launched and prevent the cooling halo gas from reaching the disc, thus efficiently halting star formation, leading to the so-called `quenching'. If both feedback mechanisms act in tandem, we observe a non-linear coupling, in the sense that the dense gas in the supernovae-powered galactic fountain is propelled by the hot outflow powered by the AGN at much larger radii than without AGN. We argue that these particular outflows are able to unbind dense gas from the galactic halo, thanks to the combined effect of SN and AGN feedback. We speculate that this mechanism occurs at the end of the fast growing phase of SMBH, and is at the origin of the dense molecular outflows observed in many massive high-redshift galaxies.

Is Black Hole Growth a Universal Process? Exploring Selection Effects in Measurements of AGN Accretion Rates and Host Galaxies.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Mackenzie

2018-01-01

At the center of essentially every massive galaxy is a monstrous black hole producing luminous radiation driven by the accretion of gas. By observing these active galactic nuclei (AGN) we may trace the growth of black holes across cosmic time. However, our knowledge of the full underlying AGN population is hindered by complex observational biases. My research aims to untangle these biases by using a novel approach to simulate the impact of selection effects on multiwavelength observations.The most statistically powerful studies of AGN to date come from optical spectroscopic surveys, with some reporting a complex relationship between AGN accretion rates and host galaxy characteristics. However, the optical waveband can be strongly influenced by selection effects and dilution from host galaxy star formation. I have shown that accounting for selection effects, the Eddington ratio distribution for optically-selected AGN is consistent with a broad power-law, as seen in the X-rays (Jones et al. 2016). This suggests that a universal Eddington ratio distribution may be enough to describe the full multiwavelength AGN population.Building on these results, I have expanded a semi-numerical galaxy formation simulation to include this straightforward prescription for AGN accretion and explicitly model selection effects. I have found that a simple model for AGN accretion can broadly reproduce the host galaxies and halos of X-ray AGN, and that different AGN selection techniques yield samples with very different host galaxy properties (Jones et al. 2017). Finally, I will discuss the capabilities of this simulation to build synthetic multiwavelength SEDs in order to explore what AGN populations would be detected with the next generation of observatories. This research is supported by a NASA Jenkins Graduate Fellowship under grant no. NNX15AU32H.

Gravitomagnetic Acceleration of Black Hole Accretion Disk Matter to Polar Jets

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, John; Mathews, Grant

2015-04-01

It is shown that the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near the accretion disk away from the disk and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Moreover, as the accelerated material nears the axis, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the formation of a narrow polar jet emanating from the poles.

Extraplanar H II Regions in Spiral Galaxies. I. Low-metallicity Gas Accreting through the Disk-halo Interface of NGC 4013

Science.gov (United States)

Howk, J. Christopher; Rueff, Katherine M.; Lehner, Nicolas; Wotta, Christopher B.; Croxall, Kevin; Savage, Blair D.

2018-04-01

The interstellar thick disks of galaxies serve as the interface between the thin star-forming disk, where feedback-driven outflows originate, and the distant halo, the repository for accreted gas. We present optical emission line spectroscopy of a luminous, thick disk H II region located at z = 860 pc above the plane of the spiral galaxy NGC 4013 taken with the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph on the Large Binocular Telescope. This nebula, with an Hα luminosity ∼4–7 times that of the Orion nebula, surrounds a luminous cluster of young, hot stars that ionize the surrounding interstellar gas of the thick disk, providing a measure of the properties of that gas. We demonstrate that strong emission line methods can provide accurate measures of relative abundances between pairs of H II regions. From our emission line spectroscopy, we show that the metal content of the thick disk H II region is a factor of ≈2 lower than gas in H II regions at the midplane of this galaxy (with the relative abundance of O in the thick disk lower by ‑0.32 ± 0.09 dex). This implies incomplete mixing of material in the thick disk on small scales (hundreds of parsecs) and that there is accretion of low-metallicity gas through the thick disks of spirals. The inclusion of low-metallicity gas this close to the plane of NGC 4013 is reminiscent of the recently proposed “fountain-driven” accretion models.

Compact objects and accretion disks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blandford, Roger; Agol, Eric; Broderick, Avery; Heyl, Jeremy; Koopmans, Leon; Lee, Hee-Won

2002-01-01

Recent developments in the spectropolarimetric study of compact objects, specifically black holes (stellar and massive) and neutron stars are reviewed. The lectures are organized around five topics: disks, jets, outflows, neutron stars and black holes. They emphasize physical mechanisms and are

SS Cygni: The accretion disk in eruption and at minimum light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiplinger, A.L.

1979-01-01

Absolute spectrophotometric observations of the dwarf nova SS Cygni have been obtained at maximum light, during the subsequent decline, and at minimum light. In order to provide a critical test of accretion disk theory, a model for a steady-state α-model accretion disk has been constructed which utilizes a grid of stellar energy distributions to synthesize the disk flux. Physical parameters for the accretion disk at maximum light are set by estimates of the intrinsic luminosity of the system that result from a desynthesis of a composite minimum light energy distribution. At maximum light, agreements between observational and theoretical continuum slopes and the Balmer jump are remarkably good. The model fails, however, during the eruption decline and at minimum light. It appears that the physical character of an accretion disk at minimum light must radiacally differ from the disk observed at maximum light

Optical Time-Domain and Radio Imaging Analyses of the Dynamic Hearts of AGN

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Krista Lynne

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are among the most extreme objects in the universe: galaxies with a central supermassive black hole feeding on gas from a hot accretion disk. Despite their potential as powerful tools to study topics ranging from relativity to cosmology, they remain quite mysterious. In the first portion of this thesis, we explore how an AGN may influence the formation of stars in its host galaxy. Using high-resolution 22 GHz radio imaging of an X-ray selected sample of radio-quiet AGN, we find that the far-infrared radio correlation for normal star forming galaxies remains valid within a few hundred parsecs of the central engine. Because the core flux is often spatially isolated from star formation, we can also determine that the radio emission in radio-quiet AGN is consistent with both coronal and disk-jet coupling models. Finally, we find that AGN with jet-like radio morphologies have suppressed star formation, possibly indicating ongoing feedback. The second portion of this thesis uses optical AGN light curves to study the physics of accretion. The Kepler spacecraft produces groundbreaking light curves, but its fixed field of view only contained a handful of known AGN. We conduct an X-ray survey of this field, yielding 93 unique X-ray sources identified by optical follow-up spectroscopy as a mixture of AGN and stars. For the AGN, we spectroscopically measure black hole masses and accretion rates. We then analyze a sample of 22 Kepler AGN light curves. We develop a customized pipeline for AGN science with Kepler, a necessary step since the initial data was optimized for the unique goal of exoplanet detection. The light curves display an astonishing variety of behaviors in a new regime of optical variability inaccessible with previous facilities. We find power spectral slopes inconsistent with the damped random walk model, characteristic variability timescales, correlations of variability properties with physical parameters, and bimodal flux

Constraining jet physics in weakly accreting black holes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Markoff, S.

2007-01-01

Outflowing jets are observed in a variety of astronomical objects such as accreting compact objects from X-ray binaries (XRBs) to active galactic nuclei (AGN), as well as at stellar birth and death. Yet we still do not know exactly what they are comprised of, why and how they form, or their exact

Disk tides and accretion runaway

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, William R.; Hahn, Joseph M.

1995-01-01

It is suggested that tidal interaction of an accreting planetary embryo with the gaseous preplanetary disk may provide a mechanism to breach the so-called runaway limit during the formation of the giant planet cores. The disk tidal torque converts a would-be shepherding object into a 'predator,' which can continue to cannibalize the planetesimal disk. This is more likely to occur in the giant planet region than in the terrestrial zone, providing a natural cause for Jupiter to predate the inner planets and form within the O(10(exp 7) yr) lifetime of the nebula.

Two-temperature accretion disks in pair equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusunose, Masaaki; Takahara, Fumio.

1989-01-01

We investigate two-temperature accretion disks with electron-positron pair production, taking account of the bremsstrahlung and Comptonization of soft photons produced by the cyclotron higher harmonics. The properties of the disks are qualitatively the same as those of disks in which bremsstrahlung is the only photon source. For an accretion rate higher than a critical value, M cr , no steady solutions exist for a certain range of radial distance from a central black hole. The critical value increases only slightly with the input of soft photons; the increment is 45%, i.e., M cr ∼ 0.43 M Edd , for the viscosity parameter α = 0.1, where M Edd ≡ L Edd /c 2 = 4πGM BH m p /(σ T c) with M BH being the mass of the central black hole. Furthermore, the disks are unstable against perturbations of the proton temperature. For α ∼ 0.1, the equipartition magnetic field, and a range of accretion rates, emission spectra obey the power law with a spectral index of -0.7 to -0.6, which coincides with the observed universal X-ray spectra of Seyfert galaxies. Brief comments on the model of the γ-ray flare of Cyg X-1 are also given. (author)

RINGED ACCRETION DISKS: INSTABILITIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugliese, D.; Stuchlík, Z., E-mail: d.pugliese.physics@gmail.com, E-mail: zdenek.stuchlik@physics.cz [Institute of Physics and Research Centre of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava, Bezručovo náměstí 13, CZ-74601 Opava (Czech Republic)

2016-04-01

We analyze the possibility that several instability points may be formed, due to the Paczyński mechanism of violation of mechanical equilibrium, in the orbiting matter around a supermassive Kerr black hole. We consider a recently proposed model of a ringed accretion disk, made up by several tori (rings) that can be corotating or counter-rotating relative to the Kerr attractor due to the history of the accretion process. Each torus is governed by the general relativistic hydrodynamic Boyer condition of equilibrium configurations of rotating perfect fluids. We prove that the number of the instability points is generally limited and depends on the dimensionless spin of the rotating attractor.

Stratified Simulations of Collisionless Accretion Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirabayashi, Kota; Hoshino, Masahiro, E-mail: hirabayashi-k@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 (Japan)

2017-06-10

This paper presents a series of stratified-shearing-box simulations of collisionless accretion disks in the recently developed framework of kinetic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which can handle finite non-gyrotropy of a pressure tensor. Although a fully kinetic simulation predicted a more efficient angular-momentum transport in collisionless disks than in the standard MHD regime, the enhanced transport has not been observed in past kinetic-MHD approaches to gyrotropic pressure anisotropy. For the purpose of investigating this missing link between the fully kinetic and MHD treatments, this paper explores the role of non-gyrotropic pressure and makes the first attempt to incorporate certain collisionless effects into disk-scale, stratified disk simulations. When the timescale of gyrotropization was longer than, or comparable to, the disk-rotation frequency of the orbit, we found that the finite non-gyrotropy selectively remaining in the vicinity of current sheets contributes to suppressing magnetic reconnection in the shearing-box system. This leads to increases both in the saturated amplitude of the MHD turbulence driven by magnetorotational instabilities and in the resultant efficiency of angular-momentum transport. Our results seem to favor the fast advection of magnetic fields toward the rotation axis of a central object, which is required to launch an ultra-relativistic jet from a black hole accretion system in, for example, a magnetically arrested disk state.

Eclipsing the innermost accretion disc regions in AGN

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sanfrutos, M.; Miniutti, G.; Dovčiak, Michal; Agis-Gonzalez, B.

2016-01-01

Roč. 337, 4-5 (2016), s. 546-551 ISSN 0004-6337 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : accretion disks * black hole physics * relativistic effects Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 0.916, year: 2016

Angular momentum transfer in steady disk accretion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorbatskij, V.G.

1977-01-01

The conditions of steady disk accretion have been investigated. The disk axisymmetric model is considered. It is shown that the gas is let at the outer boundary of the disk with the azimuthal velocity which is slightly less than the Kepler circular one. Gas possesses the motion quality moment which is transferred from the outer layers of the disk to the surface of the star. The steady state of the disk preserved until the inflow of the moment to the star increases its rotation velocity up to magnitudes close to the critical one

Thermal Comptonization in standard accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maraschi, L.; Molendi, S.

1990-01-01

Using the theory of geometrically thin accretion disks (where the effects of viscosity are parametrized in terms of the total pressure, viscosity parameter, α) equations are presented for the innermost region of the disk (where the pressure is due to radiation, and the main source of opacity is Thompson scattering). It is important to stress that the four equations can be solved without making use of an equation for the temperature. This is not true for the other regions of the disk. An equation given is used to determine the temperature, assuming that the disk is homogeneous and isothermal in the vertical direction. (author)

Angular Momentum Transport in Quasi-Keplerian Accretion Disks ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Keplerian accretion disk yield results that are inconsistent with the generally accepted model. If correct, the ideas proposed by Hayashi &. Matsuda would radically alter our understanding of the nature of the angular momentum transport in the disk, ...

Self-gravity in Magnetized Neutrino-dominated Accretion Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shahamat, Narjes; Abbassi, Shahram, E-mail: abbassi@um.ac.ir [Department of Physics, School of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, P.O. Box 91775-1436 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-08-10

In the present work we study self-gravity effects on the vertical structure of a magnetized neutrino-dominated accretion disk as a central engine for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Some of the disk physical timescales that are supposed to play a pivotal role in the late-time evolutions of the disk, such as viscous, cooling, and diffusion timescales, have been studied. We are interested in investigating the possibility of the occurrence of X-ray flares, observed in late-time GRBs’ extended emission through the “magnetic barrier” and “fragmentation” processes in our model. The results lead us to interpret self-gravity as an amplifier for Blandford–Payne luminosity (BP power) and the generated magnetic field, but a suppressor for neutrino luminosity and magnetic barrier processes via highlighting the fragmentation mechanism in the outer disk, especially for the higher mass accretion rates.

Accretion disks in active galactic nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begelman, M.C.

1985-01-01

The innermost regions of the central engines in active galactic nuclei are examined, and it is shown how different modes of accretion with angular momentum may account for the diverse manifestations of activity in the nuclei of galaxies. These modes are subsequently compared with the observed properties of quasars, Type I Seyferts, and radio galaxies. It was found that the qualitative features of an accretion flow orbiting a massive black hole depend principally on the ratio of the actual accretion rate to the Eddington accretion rate. For a value of this ratio much less than one, the flow may become an ion torus supported by gas pressure; for a value much greater than one, the flow traps its radiative output and becomes an inefficient radiation torus. At intermediate values, the flow may settle into a thin accretion disk. 62 references

Parsec-Scale Accretion and Winds Irradiated by a Quasar

Science.gov (United States)

Dorodnitsyn, A.; Kallman, T.; Proga, D.

2016-01-01

We present numerical simulations of properties of a parsec-scale torus exposed to illumination by the central black hole in an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Our physical model allows to investigate the balance between the formation of winds and accretion simultaneously. Radiation-driven winds are allowed by taking into account radiation pressure due to UV and IR radiation along with X-ray heating and dust sublimation. Accretion is allowed through angular momentum transport and the solution of the equations of radiative, viscous radiation hydrodynamics. Our methods adopt flux-limited diffusion radiation hydrodynamics for the dusty, infrared pressure driven part of the flow, along with X-ray heating and cooling. Angular momentum transport in the accreting part of the flow is modeled using effective viscosity. Our results demonstrate that radiation pressure on dust can play an important role in shaping AGN obscuration. For example, when the luminosity illuminating the torus exceeds L greater than 0.01 L(sub Edd), where L(sub Edd) is the Eddington luminosity, we find no episodes of sustained disk accretion because radiation pressure does not allow a disk to form. Despite the absence of the disk accretion, the flow of gas to smaller radii still proceeds at a rate 10(exp -4)-10(exp -1)M dot yr(exp -1) through the capturing of the gas from the hot evaporative flow, thus providing a mechanism to deliver gas from a radiation-pressure dominated torus to the inner accretion disk. As L L(sub edd) increases, larger radiation input leads to larger torus aspect ratios and increased obscuration of the central black hole. We also find the important role of the X-ray heated gas in shaping the obscuring torus.

ACCRETION DISKS AROUND KICKED BLACK HOLES: POST-KICK DYNAMICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponce, Marcelo; Faber, Joshua A.; Lombardi, James C.

2012-01-01

Numerical calculations of merging black hole binaries indicate that asymmetric emission of gravitational radiation can kick the merged black hole at up to thousands of km s –1 , and a number of systems have been observed recently whose properties are consistent with an active galactic nucleus containing a supermassive black hole moving with substantial velocity with respect to its broader accretion disk. We study here the effect of an impulsive kick delivered to a black hole on the dynamical evolution of its accretion disk using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, focusing attention on the role played by the kick angle with respect to the orbital angular momentum vector of the pre-kicked disk. We find that for more vertical kicks, for which the angle between the kick and the normal vector to the disk θ ∼ 45°, matter rapidly accretes toward the black hole. There is a systematic trend for higher potential luminosities for more oblique kick angles for a given black hole mass, disk mass, and kick velocity, and we find large amplitude oscillations in time in the case of a kick oriented 60° from the vertical.

Misaligned Accretion and Jet Production

Science.gov (United States)

King, Andrew; Nixon, Chris

2018-04-01

Disk accretion onto a black hole is often misaligned from its spin axis. If the disk maintains a significant magnetic field normal to its local plane, we show that dipole radiation from Lense–Thirring precessing disk annuli can extract a significant fraction of the accretion energy, sharply peaked toward small disk radii R (as R ‑17/2 for fields with constant equipartition ratio). This low-frequency emission is immediately absorbed by surrounding matter or refracted toward the regions of lowest density. The resultant mechanical pressure, dipole angular pattern, and much lower matter density toward the rotational poles create a strong tendency to drive jets along the black hole spin axis, similar to the spin-axis jets of radio pulsars, also strong dipole emitters. The coherent primary emission may explain the high brightness temperatures seen in jets. The intrinsic disk emission is modulated at Lense–Thirring frequencies near the inner edge, providing a physical mechanism for low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). Dipole emission requires nonzero hole spin, but uses only disk accretion energy. No spin energy is extracted, unlike the Blandford–Znajek process. Magnetohydrodynamic/general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD/GRMHD) formulations do not directly give radiation fields, but can be checked post-process for dipole emission and therefore self-consistency, given sufficient resolution. Jets driven by dipole radiation should be more common in active galactic nuclei (AGN) than in X-ray binaries, and in low accretion-rate states than high, agreeing with observation. In non-black hole accretion, misaligned disk annuli precess because of the accretor’s mass quadrupole moment, similarly producing jets and QPOs.

Hydrodynamical wind in magnetized accretion flows with convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbassi, Shahram; Mosallanezhad, Amin

2012-01-01

The existence of outflow and magnetic fields in the inner region of hot accretion flows has been confirmed by observations and numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. We present self-similar solutions for radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs) around black holes in the presence of outflow and a global magnetic field. The influence of outflow is taken into account by adopting a radius that depends on mass accretion rate M-dot = M-dot 0 (r/r 0 ) s with s > 0. We also consider convection through a mixing length formula to calculate convection parameter α con . Moreover we consider the additional magnetic field parameters β r,φ,z [ = c 2 r,φ,z /(2c 2 s )], where c 2 r,φ,z are the Alfvén sound speeds in three directions of cylindrical coordinates. Our numerical results show that by increasing all components of the magnetic field, the surface density and rotational velocity increase, but the sound speed and radial infall velocity of the disk decrease. We have also found that the existence of wind will lead to reduction of surface density as well as rotational velocity. Moreover, the radial velocity, sound speed, advection parameter and the vertical thickness of the disk will increase when outflow becomes important in the RIAF. (research papers)

CONSTRAINTS ON COMPTON-THICK WINDS FROM BLACK HOLE ACCRETION DISKS: CAN WE SEE THE INNER DISK?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, Christopher S.

2012-01-01

Strong evidence is emerging that winds can be driven from the central regions of accretion disks in both active galactic nuclei and Galactic black hole binaries. Direct evidence for highly ionized, Compton-thin inner-disk winds comes from observations of blueshifted (v ∼ 0.05-0.1c) iron-K X-ray absorption lines. However, it has been suggested that the inner regions of black hole accretion disks can also drive Compton-thick winds—such winds would enshroud the inner disk, preventing us from seeing direct signatures of the accretion disk (i.e., the photospheric thermal emission, or the Doppler/gravitationally broadened iron Kα line). Here, we show that, provided the source is sub-Eddington, the well-established wind-driving mechanisms fail to launch a Compton-thick wind from the inner disk. For the accelerated region of the wind to be Compton-thick, the momentum carried in the wind must exceed the available photon momentum by a factor of at least 2/λ, where λ is the Eddington ratio of the source, ruling out radiative acceleration unless the source is very close to the Eddington limit. Compton-thick winds also carry large mass fluxes, and a consideration of the connections between the wind and the disk shows this to be incompatible with magneto-centrifugal driving. Finally, thermal driving of the wind is ruled out on the basis of the large Compton radii that typify black hole systems. In the absence of some new acceleration mechanisms, we conclude that the inner regions of sub-Eddington accretion disks around black holes are indeed naked.

CANDELS: CONSTRAINING THE AGN-MERGER CONNECTION WITH HOST MORPHOLOGIES AT z {approx} 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kocevski, Dale D.; Faber, S. M.; Mozena, Mark; Trump, Jonathan R.; Koo, David C. [University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Koekemoer, Anton M.; Somerville, Rachel S.; Lotz, Jennifer M.; Dahlen, Tomas; Donley, Jennifer L. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Nandra, Kirpal; Brusa, Marcella; Wuyts, Stijn [Max-Planck-Institut fuer extraterrestrische Physik, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Rangel, Cyprian; Laird, Elise S. [Astrophysics Group, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Bell, Eric F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Alexander, David M. [Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Bournaud, Frederic [CEA, IRFU, SAp and Laboratoire AIM Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Conselice, Christopher J. [Centre for Astronomy and Particle Theory, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD (United Kingdom); Dekel, Avishai, E-mail: kocevski@ucolick.org [Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); and others

2012-01-10

Using Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 imaging taken as part of the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey, we examine the role that major galaxy mergers play in triggering active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity at z {approx} 2. Our sample consists of 72 moderate-luminosity (L{sub X} {approx} 10{sup 42-44} erg s{sup -1}) AGNs at 1.5 < z < 2.5 that are selected using the 4 Ms Chandra observations in the Chandra Deep Field South, the deepest X-ray observations to date. Employing visual classifications, we have analyzed the rest-frame optical morphologies of the AGN host galaxies and compared them to a mass-matched control sample of 216 non-active galaxies at the same redshift. We find that most of the AGNs reside in disk galaxies (51.4{sup +5.8}{sub -5.9}%), while a smaller percentage are found in spheroids (27.8{sup +5.8}{sub -4.6}%). Roughly 16.7{sup +5.3}{sub -3.5}% of the AGN hosts have highly disturbed morphologies and appear to be involved in a major merger or interaction, while most of the hosts (55.6{sup +5.6}{sub -5.9}%) appear relatively relaxed and undisturbed. These fractions are statistically consistent with the fraction of control galaxies that show similar morphological disturbances. These results suggest that the hosts of moderate-luminosity AGNs are no more likely to be involved in an ongoing merger or interaction relative to non-active galaxies of similar mass at z {approx} 2. The high disk fraction observed among the AGN hosts also appears to be at odds with predictions that merger-driven accretion should be the dominant AGN fueling mode at z {approx} 2, even at moderate X-ray luminosities. Although we cannot rule out that minor mergers are responsible for triggering these systems, the presence of a large population of relatively undisturbed disk-like hosts suggests that the stochastic accretion of gas plays a greater role in fueling AGN activity at z {approx} 2 than previously thought.

SHOCK-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS: OBSERVABLES AND SATELLITE FORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Zhaohuan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154 (United States); Ju, Wenhua; Stone, James M., E-mail: zhzhu@physics.unlv.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-12-01

Circumplanetary disks (CPDs) control the growth of planets, supply material for satellites to form, and provide observational signatures of young forming planets. We have carried out two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with radiative cooling to study CPDs and suggested a new mechanism to drive the disk accretion. Two spiral shocks are present in CPDs, excited by the central star. We find that spiral shocks can at least contribute to, if not dominate, the angular momentum transport and energy dissipation in CPDs. Meanwhile, dissipation and heating by spiral shocks have a positive feedback on shock-driven accretion itself. As the disk is heated up by spiral shocks, the shocks become more open, leading to more efficient angular momentum transport. This shock-driven accretion is, on the other hand, unsteady due to production and destruction of vortices in disks. After being averaged over time, a quasi-steady accretion is reached from the planet’s Hill radius all the way to the planet surface, and the disk α  coefficient characterizing angular momentum transport is ∼0.001–0.02. The disk surface density ranges from 10 to 1000 g cm{sup −2} in our simulations, which is at least three orders of magnitude smaller than the “minimum-mass subnebula” model used to study satellite formation; instead it is more consistent with the “gas-starved” satellite formation model. Finally, we calculate the millimeter flux emitted by CPDs at ALMA and EVLA wavelength bands and predict the flux for several recently discovered CPD candidates, which suggests that ALMA is capable of discovering these accreting CPDs.

SHOCK-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS: OBSERVABLES AND SATELLITE FORMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zhaohuan; Ju, Wenhua; Stone, James M.

2016-01-01

Circumplanetary disks (CPDs) control the growth of planets, supply material for satellites to form, and provide observational signatures of young forming planets. We have carried out two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with radiative cooling to study CPDs and suggested a new mechanism to drive the disk accretion. Two spiral shocks are present in CPDs, excited by the central star. We find that spiral shocks can at least contribute to, if not dominate, the angular momentum transport and energy dissipation in CPDs. Meanwhile, dissipation and heating by spiral shocks have a positive feedback on shock-driven accretion itself. As the disk is heated up by spiral shocks, the shocks become more open, leading to more efficient angular momentum transport. This shock-driven accretion is, on the other hand, unsteady due to production and destruction of vortices in disks. After being averaged over time, a quasi-steady accretion is reached from the planet’s Hill radius all the way to the planet surface, and the disk α  coefficient characterizing angular momentum transport is ∼0.001–0.02. The disk surface density ranges from 10 to 1000 g cm −2 in our simulations, which is at least three orders of magnitude smaller than the “minimum-mass subnebula” model used to study satellite formation; instead it is more consistent with the “gas-starved” satellite formation model. Finally, we calculate the millimeter flux emitted by CPDs at ALMA and EVLA wavelength bands and predict the flux for several recently discovered CPD candidates, which suggests that ALMA is capable of discovering these accreting CPDs.

Strong disk winds traced throughout outbursts in black-hole X-ray binaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Tetarenko, B E; Lasota, J-P; Heinke, C O; Dubus, G; Sivakoff, G R

2018-02-01

Recurring outbursts associated with matter flowing onto compact stellar remnants (such as black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs) in close binary systems provide a way of constraining the poorly understood accretion process. The light curves of these outbursts are shaped by the efficiency of angular-momentum (and thus mass) transport in the accretion disks, which has traditionally been encoded in a viscosity parameter, α. Numerical simulations of the magneto-rotational instability that is believed to be the physical mechanism behind this transport yield values of α of roughly 0.1-0.2, consistent with values determined from observations of accreting white dwarfs. Equivalent viscosity parameters have hitherto not been estimated for disks around neutron stars or black holes. Here we report the results of an analysis of archival X-ray light curves of 21 outbursts in black-hole X-ray binaries. By applying a Bayesian approach to a model of accretion, we determine corresponding values of α of around 0.2-1.0. These high values may be interpreted as an indication either of a very high intrinsic rate of angular-momentum transport in the disk, which could be sustained by the magneto-rotational instability only if a large-scale magnetic field threads the disk, or that mass is being lost from the disk through substantial outflows, which strongly shape the outburst in the black-hole X-ray binary. The lack of correlation between our estimates of α and the accretion state of the binaries implies that such outflows can remove a substantial fraction of the disk mass in all accretion states and therefore suggests that the outflows correspond to magnetically driven disk winds rather than thermally driven ones, which require specific radiative conditions.

Strong disk winds traced throughout outbursts in black-hole X-ray binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Tetarenko, B. E.; Lasota, J.-P.; Heinke, C. O.; Dubus, G.; Sivakoff, G. R.

2018-02-01

Recurring outbursts associated with matter flowing onto compact stellar remnants (such as black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs) in close binary systems provide a way of constraining the poorly understood accretion process. The light curves of these outbursts are shaped by the efficiency of angular-momentum (and thus mass) transport in the accretion disks, which has traditionally been encoded in a viscosity parameter, α. Numerical simulations of the magneto-rotational instability that is believed to be the physical mechanism behind this transport yield values of α of roughly 0.1–0.2, consistent with values determined from observations of accreting white dwarfs. Equivalent viscosity parameters have hitherto not been estimated for disks around neutron stars or black holes. Here we report the results of an analysis of archival X-ray light curves of 21 outbursts in black-hole X-ray binaries. By applying a Bayesian approach to a model of accretion, we determine corresponding values of α of around 0.2–1.0. These high values may be interpreted as an indication either of a very high intrinsic rate of angular-momentum transport in the disk, which could be sustained by the magneto-rotational instability only if a large-scale magnetic field threads the disk, or that mass is being lost from the disk through substantial outflows, which strongly shape the outburst in the black-hole X-ray binary. The lack of correlation between our estimates of α and the accretion state of the binaries implies that such outflows can remove a substantial fraction of the disk mass in all accretion states and therefore suggests that the outflows correspond to magnetically driven disk winds rather than thermally driven ones, which require specific radiative conditions.

Accretion Disks and Coronae in the X-Ray Flashlight

Science.gov (United States)

Degenaar, Nathalie; Ballantyne, David R.; Belloni, Tomaso; Chakraborty, Manoneeta; Chen, Yu-Peng; Ji, Long; Kretschmar, Peter; Kuulkers, Erik; Li, Jian; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Malzac, Julien; Zhang, Shu; Zhang, Shuang-Nan

2018-02-01

Plasma accreted onto the surface of a neutron star can ignite due to unstable thermonuclear burning and produce a bright flash of X-ray emission called a Type-I X-ray burst. Such events are very common; thousands have been observed to date from over a hundred accreting neutron stars. The intense, often Eddington-limited, radiation generated in these thermonuclear explosions can have a discernible effect on the surrounding accretion flow that consists of an accretion disk and a hot electron corona. Type-I X-ray bursts can therefore serve as direct, repeating probes of the internal dynamics of the accretion process. In this work we review and interpret the observational evidence for the impact that Type-I X-ray bursts have on accretion disks and coronae. We also provide an outlook of how to make further progress in this research field with prospective experiments and analysis techniques, and by exploiting the technical capabilities of the new and concept X-ray missions ASTROSAT, NICER, Insight-HXMT, eXTP, and STROBE-X.

Simulating the Growth of a Disk Galaxy and its Supermassive Black Hole in a Cosmological Simulating the Growth of a Disk Galaxy and its Supermassive Black Hole in a Cosmological Context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, Robyn Deborah; JILA, Boulder

2008-01-01

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are ubiquitous in the centers of galaxies. Their formation and subsequent evolution is inextricably linked to that of their host galaxies, and the study of galaxy formation is incomplete without the inclusion of SMBHs. The present work seeks to understand the growth and evolution of SMBHs through their interaction with the host galaxy and its environment. In the first part of the thesis (Chap. 2 and 3), we combine a simple semi-analytic model of outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGN) with a simulated dark matter density distribution to study the impact of SMBH feedback on cosmological scales. We find that constraints can be placed on the kinetic efficiency of such feedback using observations of the filling fraction of the Lyα forest. We also find that AGN feedback is energetic enough to redistribute baryons over cosmological distances, having potentially significant effects on the interpretation of cosmological data which are sensitive to the total matter density distribution (e.g. weak lensing). However, truly assessing the impact of AGN feedback in the universe necessitates large-dynamic range simulations with extensive treatment of baryonic physics to first model the fueling of SMBHs. In the second part of the thesis (Chap. 4-6) we use a hydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement simulation to follow the growth and evolution of a typical disk galaxy hosting a SMBH, in a cosmological context. The simulation covers a dynamical range of 10 million allowing us to study the transport of matter and angular momentum from super-galactic scales all the way down to the outer edge of the accretion disk around the SMBH. Focusing our attention on the central few hundred parsecs of the galaxy, we find the presence of a cold, self-gravitating, molecular gas disk which is globally unstable. The global instabilities drive super-sonic turbulence, which maintains local stability and allows gas to fuel a SMBH without first fragmenting completely

Ultrafast Outflows: Galaxy-scale Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V.

2013-01-01

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

ULTRAFAST OUTFLOWS: GALAXY-SCALE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M. [Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577 (Japan); Bicknell, G. V., E-mail: ayw@ccs.tsukuba.ac.jp [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, ACT 2611 (Australia)

2013-01-20

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

ULTRAFAST OUTFLOWS: GALAXY-SCALE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V.

2013-01-01

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF NATURALLY TILTED, RETROGRADELY PRECESSING, NODAL SUPERHUMPING ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M. M.

2012-01-01

Accretion disks around black hole, neutron star, and white dwarf systems are thought to sometimes tilt, retrogradely precess, and produce hump-shaped modulations in light curves that have a period shorter than the orbital period. Although artificially rotating numerically simulated accretion disks out of the orbital plane and around the line of nodes generate these short-period superhumps and retrograde precession of the disk, no numerical code to date has been shown to produce a disk tilt naturally. In this work, we report the first naturally tilted disk in non-magnetic cataclysmic variables using three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Our simulations show that after many hundreds of orbital periods, the disk has tilted on its own and this disk tilt is without the aid of radiation sources or magnetic fields. As the system orbits, the accretion stream strikes the bright spot (which is on the rim of the tilted disk) and flows over and under the disk on different flow paths. These different flow paths suggest the lift force as a source to disk tilt. Our results confirm the disk shape, disk structure, and negative superhump period and support the source to disk tilt, source to retrograde precession, and location associated with X-ray and He II emission from the disk as suggested in previous works. Our results identify the fundamental negative superhump frequency as the indicator of disk tilt around the line of nodes.

A MODEL FOR TYPE 2 CORONAL LINE FOREST (CLiF) AGNs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glidden, Ana [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Rose, Marvin; Elvis, Martin; McDowell, Jonathan [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2016-06-10

We present a model for the classification of Coronal Line Forest Active Galactic Nuclei (CLiF AGNs). CLiF AGNs are of special interest due to their remarkably large number of emission lines, especially forbidden high-ionization lines (FHILs). Rose et al. suggest that their emission is dominated by reflection from the inner wall of the obscuring region rather than direct emission from the accretion disk. This makes CLiF AGNs laboratories to test AGN-torus models. Modeling an AGN as an accreting supermassive black hole surrounded by a cylinder of dust and gas, we show a relationship between the viewing angle and the revealed area of the inner wall. From the revealed area, we can determine the amount of FHIL emission at various angles. We calculate the strength of [Fe vii] λ 6087 emission for a number of intermediate angles (30°, 40°, and 50°) and compare the results with the luminosity of the observed emission line from six known CLiF AGNs. We find that there is good agreement between our model and the observational results. The model also enables us to determine the relationship between the type 2:type 1 AGN fraction vs the ratio of torus height to radius, h / r .

A model for neutrino emission from nuclear accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Deaton, Michael

2015-04-01

Compact object mergers involving at least one neutron star can produce short-lived black hole accretion engines. Over tens to hundreds of milliseconds such an engine consumes a disk of hot, nuclear-density fluid, and drives changes to its surrounding environment through luminous emission of neutrinos. The neutrino emission may drive an ultrarelativistic jet, may peel off the disk's outer layers as a wind, may irradiate those winds or other forms of ejecta and thereby change their composition, may change the composition and thermodynamic state of the disk itself, and may oscillate in its flavor content. We present the full spatial-, angular-, and energy-dependence of the neutrino distribution function around a realistic model of a nuclear accretion disk, to inform future explorations of these types of behaviors. Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC).

STRONG FIELD EFFECTS ON EMISSION LINE PROFILES: KERR BLACK HOLES AND WARPED ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yan; Li Xiangdong

2012-01-01

If an accretion disk around a black hole is illuminated by hard X-rays from non-thermal coronae, fluorescent iron lines will be emitted from the inner region of the accretion disk. The emission line profiles will show a variety of strong field effects, which may be used as a probe of the spin parameter of the black hole and the structure of the accretion disk. In this paper, we generalize the previous relativistic line profile models by including both the black hole spinning effects and the non-axisymmetries of warped accretion disks. Our results show different features from the conventional calculations for either a flat disk around a Kerr black hole or a warped disk around a Schwarzschild black hole by presenting, at the same time, multiple peaks, rather long red tails, and time variations of line profiles with the precession of the disk. We show disk images as seen by a distant observer, which are distorted by the strong gravity. Although we are primarily concerned with the iron K-shell lines in this paper, the calculation is general and is valid for any emission lines produced from a warped accretion disk around a black hole.

Vacuum birefringence and the x-ray polarization from black-hole accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Caiazzo, Ilaria; Heyl, Jeremy

2018-04-01

In the next decade, x-ray polarimetry will open a new window on the high-energy Universe, as several missions that include an x-ray polarimeter are currently under development. Observations of the polarization of x rays coming from the accretion disks of stellar-mass and supermassive black holes are among the new polarimeters' major objectives. In this paper, we show that these observations can be affected by the quantum electrodynamic (QED) effect of vacuum birefringence: after an x-ray photon is emitted from the accretion disk, its polarization changes as the photon travels through the accretion disk's magnetosphere, as a result of the vacuum becoming birefringent in the presence of a magnetic field. We show that this effect can be important for black holes in the energy band of the upcoming polarimeters and has to be taken into account in a complete model of the x-ray polarization that we expect to detect from black-hole accretion disks, both for stellar mass and for supermassive black holes. We find that, for a chaotic magnetic field in the disk, QED can significantly decrease the linear polarization fraction of edge-on photons, depending on the spin of the hole and on the strength of the magnetic field. This effect can provide, for the first time, a direct way to probe the magnetic field strength close to the innermost stable orbit of black-hole accretion disks and to study the role of magnetic fields in astrophysical accretion in general.

Nonradial and nonpolytropic astrophysical outflows. X. Relativistic MHD rotating spine jets in Kerr metric

Science.gov (United States)

Chantry, L.; Cayatte, V.; Sauty, C.; Vlahakis, N.; Tsinganos, K.

2018-04-01

Context. High-resolution radio imaging of active galactic nuclei (AGN) has revealed that the jets of some sources present superluminal knots and transverse stratification. Recent observational projects, such as ALMA and γ-ray telescopes, such as HESS and HESS2 have provided new observational constraints on the central regions of rotating black holes in AGN, suggesting that there is an inner- or spine-jet surrounded by a disk wind. This relativistic spine-jet is likely to be composed of electron-positron pairs extracting energy from the black hole and will be explored by the future γ-ray telescope CTA. Aims: In this article we present an extension to and generalization of relativistic jets in Kerr metric of the Newtonian meridional self-similar mechanism. We aim at modeling the inner spine-jet of AGN as a relativistic light outflow emerging from a spherical corona surrounding a Kerr black hole and its inner accretion disk. Methods: The model is built by expanding the metric and the forces with colatitude to first order in the magnetic flux function. As a result of the expansion, all colatitudinal variations of the physical quantities are quantified by a unique parameter. Unlike previous models, effects of the light cylinder are not neglected. Results: Solutions with high Lorentz factors are obtained and provide spine-jet models up to the polar axis. As in previous publications, we calculate the magnetic collimation efficiency parameter, which measures the variation of the available energy across the field lines. This collimation efficiency is an integral part of the model, generalizing the classical magnetic rotator efficiency criterion to Kerr metric. We study the variation of the magnetic efficiency and acceleration with the spin of the black hole and show their high sensitivity to this integral. Conclusions: These new solutions model collimated or radial, relativistic or ultra-relativistic outflows in AGN or γ-ray bursts. In particular, we discuss the

QPOs and Resonance in Accretion Disks

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kluzniak, W.; Abramowicz, M. A.; Bursa, Michal; Török, G.

2007-01-01

Roč. 27, Marzo 2007 (2007), s. 18-25 ISSN 1405-2059 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA300030510 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10030501 Keywords : quasi-periodic oscillations * accretion disks * general relativity Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics

Empirical links between XRB and AGN accretion using the complete z < 0.4 spectroscopic CSC/SDSS catalog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trichas, Markos [EADS Astrium, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2AS (United Kingdom); Green, Paul J.; Aldcroft, Tom; Sobolewska, Malgosia; Kim, Dong-Woo [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Constantin, Anca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, James Madison University, PHCH, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 (United States); Kalfountzou, Eleni [Center for Astrophysics, Science and Technology Research Institute, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); Hyde, Ashley K. [Astrophysics Group, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Zhou, Hongyan [Center for Astrophysics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China); Haggard, Daryl [Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Kelly, Brandon C., E-mail: markos.trichas@astrium.eads.net [Department of Physics, Broida Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93107 (United States)

2013-12-01

Striking similarities have been seen between accretion signatures of Galactic X-ray binary (XRB) systems and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). XRB spectral states show a V-shaped correlation between X-ray spectral hardness and Eddington ratio as they vary, and some AGN samples reveal a similar trend, implying analogous processes at vastly larger masses and timescales. To further investigate the analogies, we have matched 617 sources from the Chandra Source Catalog to Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopy, and uniformly measured both X-ray and optical spectral characteristics across a broad range of AGN and galaxy types. We provide useful tabulations of X-ray spectral slope for broad- and narrow-line AGNs, star-forming and passive galaxies, and composite systems, also updating relationships between optical (Hα and [O III]) line emission and X-ray luminosity. We further fit broadband spectral energy distributions with a variety of templates to estimate bolometric luminosity. Our results confirm a significant trend in AGNs between X-ray spectral hardness and Eddington ratio expressed in X-ray luminosity, albeit with significant dispersion. The trend is not significant when expressed in the full bolometric or template-estimated AGN luminosity. We also confirm a relationship between the X-ray/optical spectral slope α{sub ox} and Eddington ratio, but it may not follow the trend predicted by analogy with XRB accretion states.

Non-thermal AGN models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Band, D.L.

1986-12-01

The infrared, optical and x-ray continua from radio quiet active galactic nuclei (AGN) are explained by a compact non-thermal source surrounding a thermal ultraviolet emitter, presumably the accretion disk around a supermassive black hole. The ultraviolet source is observed as the ''big blue bump.'' The flat (..cap alpha.. approx. = .7) hard x-ray spectrum results from the scattering of thermal ultraviolet photons by the flat, low energy end of an electron distribution ''broken'' by Compton losses; the infrared through soft x-ray continuum is the synchrotron radiation of the steep, high energy end of the electron distribution. Quantitative fits to specific AGN result in models which satisfy the variability constraints but require electron (re)acceleration throughout the source. 11 refs., 1 fig.

SIZES AND TEMPERATURE PROFILES OF QUASAR ACCRETION DISKS FROM CHROMATIC MICROLENSING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackburne, Jeffrey A.; Pooley, David; Rappaport, Saul; Schechter, Paul L.

2011-01-01

Microlensing perturbations to the flux ratios of gravitationally lensed quasar images can vary with wavelength because of the chromatic dependence of the accretion disk's apparent size. Multiwavelength observations of microlensed quasars can thus constrain the temperature profiles of their accretion disks, a fundamental test of an important astrophysical process which is not currently possible using any other method. We present single-epoch broadband flux ratios for 12 quadruply lensed quasars in 8 bands ranging from 0.36 to 2.2 μm, as well as Chandra 0.5-8 keV flux ratios for five of them. We combine the optical/IR and X-ray ratios, together with X-ray ratios from the literature, using a Bayesian approach to constrain the half-light radii of the quasars in each filter. Comparing the overall disk sizes and wavelength slopes to those predicted by the standard thin accretion disk model, we find that on average the disks are larger than predicted by nearly an order of magnitude, with sizes that grow with wavelength with an average slope of ∼0.2 rather than the slope of 4/3 predicted by the standard thin disk theory. Though the error bars on the slope are large for individual quasars, the large sample size lends weight to the overall result. Our results present severe difficulties for a standard thin accretion disk as the main source of UV/optical radiation from quasars.

Spectral energy distributions of T Tauri stars - disk flaring and limits on accretion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenyon, S.J.; Hartmann, L.

1987-01-01

The Adams et al. (1987) conclusion that much of the IR excess emission in the spectral energy distribution of T Tauri stars arises from reprocessing of stellar radiation by a dusty circumstellar disk is presently supported by analyses conducted in light of various models of these stars' spectra. A low mass reprocessing disk can, however, produce these spectra as well as a massive accretion disk. The detection of possible boundary layer radiation in the optical and near-UV regions poses the strongest limits on accretion rates. Disk accretion in the T Tauri phase does not significantly modify stellar evolution. 85 references

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC ACCRETION DISK WINDS AS X-RAY ABSORBERS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukumura, Keigo; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Behar, Ehud; Contopoulos, Ioannis

2010-01-01

We present the two-dimensional ionization structure of self-similar magnetohydrodynamic winds off accretion disks around and irradiated by a central X-ray point source. On the basis of earlier observational clues and theoretical arguments, we focus our attention on a subset of these winds, namely those with radial density dependence n(r) ∝ 1/r (r is the spherical radial coordinate). We employ the photoionization code XSTAR to compute the ionic abundances of a large number of ions of different elements and then compile their line-of-sight (LOS) absorption columns. We focus our attention on the distribution of the column density of the various ions as a function of the ionization parameter ξ (or equivalently r) and the angle θ. Particular attention is paid to the absorption measure distribution (AMD), namely their hydrogen-equivalent column per logarithmic ξ interval, dN H /dlog ξ, which provides a measure of the winds' radial density profiles. For the chosen density profile n(r) ∝ 1/r, the AMD is found to be independent of ξ, in good agreement with its behavior inferred from the X-ray spectra of several active galactic nuclei (AGNs). For the specific wind structure and X-ray spectrum, we also compute detailed absorption line profiles for a number of ions to obtain their LOS velocities, v ∼ 100-300 km s -1 (at log ξ ∼ 2-3) for Fe XVII and v ∼ 1000-4000 km s -1 (at log ξ ∼ 4-5) for Fe XXV, in good agreement with the observation. Our models describe the X-ray absorption properties of these winds with only two parameters, namely the mass-accretion rate m-dot and the LOS angle θ. The probability of obscuration of the X-ray ionizing source in these winds decreases with increasing m-dot and increases steeply with the LOS inclination angle θ. As such, we concur with previous authors that these wind configurations, viewed globally, incorporate all the requisite properties of the parsec scale 'torii' invoked in AGN unification schemes. We indicate that a

Optical veiling, disk accretion, and the evolution of T Tauri stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, L.W.; Kenyon, S.J.

1990-01-01

High-resolution spectra of 31 K7-M1 T Tauri stars (TTs) in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud demonstrate that most of these objects exhibit substantial excess emission at 5200 A. Extrapolations of these data consistent with low-resolution spectrophotometry indicate that the extra emission is comparable to the stellar luminosity in many cases. If this continuum emission arises in the boundary layers of accreting disks, more than about 30 percent of all TTs may be accreting material at a rate which is sufficiently rapid to alter their evolution from standard Hayashi tracks. It is estimated that roughly 10 percent of the final stellar mass is accreted in the TT phase. This amount of material is comparable to the minimum gravitationally unstable disk mass estimated by Larson and it is speculated that the TT phase represents the final stages of disk accretion driven by gravitational instabilities. 40 refs

Constraints on Black Hole Spin in a Sample of Broad Iron Line AGN

Science.gov (United States)

Brenneman, Laura W.; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2008-01-01

We present a uniform X-ray spectral analysis of nine type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) that have been previously found to harbor relativistically broadened iron emission lines. We show that the need for relativistic effects in the spectrum is robust even when one includes continuum "reflection" from the accretion disk. We then proceed to model these relativistic effects in order to constrain the spin of the supermassive black holes in these AGN. Our principal assumption, supported by recent simulations of geometrically-thin accretion disks, is that no iron line emission (or any associated Xray reflection features) can originate from the disk within the innermost stable circular orbit. Under this assumption, which tends to lead to constraints in the form of lower limits on the spin parameter, we obtain non-trivial spin constraints on five AGN. The spin parameters of these sources range from moderate (a approximates 0.6) to high (a > 0.96). Our results allow, for the first time, an observational constraint on the spin distribution function of local supermassive black holes. Parameterizing this as a power-law in dimensionless spin parameter (f(a) varies as absolute value of (a) exp zeta), we present the probability distribution for zeta implied by our results. Our results suggest 90% and 95% confidence limits of zeta > -0.09 and zeta > -0.3 respectively.

A COMPACT GROUP OF GALAXIES AT Z = 2.48 HOSTING AN AGN-DRIVEN OUTFLOW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shih, Hsin-Yi [Gemini Observatory, 670 N Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Stockton, Alan, E-mail: jshih@gemini.edu, E-mail: stockton@ifa.hawaii.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2015-12-10

We present observations of a remarkable compact group of galaxies at z = 2.48. Four galaxies, all within 40 kpc of each other, surround a powerful high-redshift radio source. This group comprises two compact red passive galaxies and a pair of merging galaxies. One of the red galaxies, with an apparent stellar mass of 3.6 × 10{sup 11}M{sub ⊙} and an effective radius of 470 pc, is one of the most extreme examples of a massive quiescent compact galaxy found so far. One of the pair of merging galaxies hosts the active galactic nucleus (AGN) producing the large powerful radio structure. The merger is massive and enriched, consistent with the mass–metallicity relation expected at this redshift. Close to the merging nuclei, the emission lines exhibit broad and asymmetric profiles that suggest outflows powered either by a very young expanding radio jet or by AGN radiation. At ≳50 kpc from the system, we found a fainter extended-emission region that may be a part of a radio-jet-driven outflow.

ALIGNMENT OF PROTOSTARS AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS DURING THE EMBEDDED PHASE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spalding, Christopher; Batygin, Konstantin; Adams, Fred C.

2014-01-01

Star formation proceeds via the collapse of a molecular cloud core over multiple dynamical timescales. Turbulence within cores results in a spatially non-uniform angular momentum of the cloud, causing a stochastic variation in the orientation of the disk forming from the collapsing material. In the absence of star-disk angular momentum coupling, such disk-tilting would provide a natural mechanism for the production of primordial spin-orbit misalignments in the resulting planetary systems. However, owing to high accretion rates in the embedded phase of star formation, the inner edge of the circumstellar disk extends down to the stellar surface, resulting in efficient gravitational and accretional angular momentum transfer between the star and the disk. Here, we demonstrate that the resulting gravitational coupling is sufficient to suppress any significant star-disk misalignment, with accretion playing a secondary role. The joint tilting of the star-disk system leads to a stochastic wandering of star-aligned bipolar outflows. Such wandering widens the effective opening angle of stellar outflows, allowing for more efficient clearing of the remainder of the protostar's gaseous envelope. Accordingly, the processes described in this work provide an additional mechanism responsible for sculpting the stellar initial mass function

Thin accretion disk around regular black hole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

QIU Tianqi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The Penrose′s cosmic censorship conjecture says that naked singularities do not exist in nature.So,it seems reasonable to further conjecture that not even a singularity exists in nature.In this paper,a regular black hole without singularity is studied in detail,especially on its thin accretion disk,energy flux,radiation temperature and accretion efficiency.It is found that the interaction of regular black hole is stronger than that of the Schwarzschild black hole. Furthermore,the thin accretion will be more efficiency to lost energy while the mass of black hole decreased. These particular properties may be used to distinguish between black holes.

RADIATION PRESSURE-SUPPORTED ACCRETION DISKS: VERTICAL STRUCTURE, ENERGY ADVECTION, AND CONVECTIVE STABILITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Weimin

2012-01-01

By taking into account the local energy balance per unit volume between the viscous heating and the advective cooling plus the radiative cooling, we investigate the vertical structure of radiation pressure-supported accretion disks in spherical coordinates. Our solutions show that the photosphere of the disk is close to the polar axis and therefore the disk seems to be extremely thick. However, the density profile implies that most of the accreted matter exists in a moderate range around the equatorial plane. We show that the well-known polytropic relation between the pressure and the density is unsuitable for describing the vertical structure of radiation pressure-supported disks. More importantly, we find that the energy advection is significant even for slightly sub-Eddington accretion disks. We argue that the non-negligible advection may help us understand why the standard thin disk model is likely to be inaccurate above ∼0.3 Eddington luminosity, which was found by some works on black hole spin measurement. Furthermore, the solutions satisfy the Solberg-Høiland conditions, which indicate the disk to be convectively stable. In addition, we discuss the possible link between our disk model and ultraluminous X-ray sources.

The Evolution of a Supermassive Retrograde Binary Embedded in an Accretion Disk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanov P. B.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this note we discuss the main results of a study of a massive binary with unequal mass ratio, q, embedded in an accretion disk, with its orbital rotation being opposed to that of the disk. When the mass ratio is sufficiently large, a gap opens in the disk, but the mechanism of gap formation is very different from the prograde case. Inward migration occurs on a timescale of tev ~ Mp/Ṁ, where Mp is the mass of the less massive component (the perturber, and Ṁ is the accretion rate. When q ≪ 1, the accretion takes place mostly onto the more massive component, with the accretion rate onto the perturber being smaller than, or of order of, q1/3 Ṁ. However, this rate increases when supermassive binary black holes are considered and gravitational wave emission is important. We estimate a typical duration of time for which the accretion onto the perturber and gravitational waves could be detected.

MISALIGNED DISKS AS OBSCURERS IN ACTIVE GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrence, Andy; Elvis, Martin

2010-01-01

We critically review the evidence concerning the fraction of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that appear as Type 2 AGNs, carefully distinguishing strict Type 2 AGNs from both more lightly reddened Type 1 AGNs, and from low excitation narrow line AGNs, which may represent a different mode of activity. Low-excitation AGNs occur predominantly at low luminosities; after removing these, true Type 2 AGNs represent 58% ± 5% of all AGNs, and lightly reddened Type 1 AGNs a further ∼15%. Radio, IR, and volume-limited samples all agree in showing no change of Type 2 fraction with luminosity. X-ray samples do show a change with luminosity; we discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy. We test a very simple picture which produces this Type 2 fraction with minimal assumptions. In this picture, infall from large scales occurs in random directions, but must eventually align with the inner accretion flow, producing a severely warped disk on parsec scales. If the re-alignment is dominated by tilt, with minimal twist, a wide range of covering factors is predicted in individual objects, but with an expected mean fraction of Type 2 AGNs of exactly 50%. This 'tilted disk' picture predicts reasonable alignment of observed nuclear structures on average, but with distinct misalignments in individual cases. Initial case studies of the few well-resolved objects show that such misalignments are indeed present.

PRIMUS: THE DEPENDENCE OF AGN ACCRETION ON HOST STELLAR MASS AND COLOR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aird, James; Coil, Alison L.; Moustakas, John; Smith, M. Stephen M. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Department of Physics, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093 (United States); Blanton, Michael R.; Zhu Guangtun [Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Department of Physics, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003 (United States); Burles, Scott M. [D.E. Shaw and Co., L.P., 20400 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 850, Cupertino, CA 95014 (United States); Cool, Richard J. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Eisenstein, Daniel J. [Harvard College Observatory, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Wong, Kenneth C. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2012-02-10

We present evidence that the incidence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the distribution of their accretion rates do not depend on the stellar masses of their host galaxies, contrary to previous studies. We use hard (2-10 keV) X-ray data from three extragalactic fields (XMM-LSS, COSMOS, and ELAIS-S1) with redshifts from the Prism Multi-object Survey to identify 242 AGNs with L{sub 2-10keV} = 10{sup 42-44} erg s{sup -1} within a parent sample of {approx}25,000 galaxies at 0.2 < z < 1.0 over {approx}3.4 deg{sup 2} and to i {approx} 23. We find that although the fraction of galaxies hosting an AGN at fixed X-ray luminosity rises strongly with stellar mass, the distribution of X-ray luminosities is independent of mass. Furthermore, we show that the probability that a galaxy will host an AGN can be defined by a universal Eddington ratio distribution that is independent of the host galaxy stellar mass and has a power-law shape with slope -0.65. These results demonstrate that AGNs are prevalent at all stellar masses in the range 9.5< log M{sub *}/M{sub sun}<12 and that the same physical processes regulate AGN activity in all galaxies in this stellar mass range. While a higher AGN fraction may be observed in massive galaxies, this is a selection effect related to the underlying Eddington ratio distribution. We also find that the AGN fraction drops rapidly between z {approx} 1 and the present day and is moderately enhanced (factor {approx}2) in galaxies with blue or green optical colors. Consequently, while AGN activity and star formation appear to be globally correlated, we do not find evidence that the presence of an AGN is related to the quenching of star formation or the color transformation of galaxies.

The Circumstellar Disk and Asymmetric Outflow of the EX Lup Outburst System

Science.gov (United States)

Hales, A. S.; Pérez, S.; Saito, M.; Pinte, C.; Knee, L. B. G.; de Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; Dent, B.; López, C.; Plunkett, A.; Cortés, P.; Corder, S.; Cieza, L.

2018-06-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations at 0.″3 resolution of EX Lup, the prototype of the EXor class of outbursting pre-main-sequence stars. The circumstellar disk of EX Lup is resolved for the first time in 1.3 mm continuum emission and in the J = 2–1 spectral line of three isotopologues of CO. At the spatial resolution and sensitivity achieved, the compact dust continuum disk shows no indications of clumps, fragments, or asymmetries above the 5σ level. Radiative transfer modeling constrains the characteristic radius of the dust disk to 23 au and the total dust mass to 1.0 × 10‑4 M ⊙ (33 M ⊕), similar to other EXor sources. The 13CO and C18O line emissions trace the disk rotation and are used to constrain the disk geometry, kinematics, and a total gas disk mass of 5.1 × 10‑4 M ⊙. The 12CO emission extends out to a radius of 200 au and is asymmetric, with one side deviating from Keplerian rotation. We detect blueshifted, 12CO arc-like emission located 0.″8 to the northwest and spatially disconnected from the disk emission. We interpret this extended structure as the brightened walls of a cavity excavated by an outflow, which are more commonly seen in FUor sources. Such outflows have also been seen in the borderline FU/EXor object V1647 Ori, but not toward EXor objects. Our detection provides evidence that the outflow phenomenon persists into the EXor phase, suggesting that FUor and EXor objects are a continuous population in which outflow activity declines with age, with transitional objects such as EX Lup and V1647 Ori.

Superwind Outflow in Seyfert Galaxies? : Optical Observations of an Edge-On Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E.; Gallimore, J.; Baum, S.; O'Dea, C.; Lehnert, M.

1994-12-01

Large-scale galactic winds (superwinds) are commonly found flowing out of the nuclear region of ultraluminous infrared and powerful starburst galaxies. Stellar winds and supernovae from the nuclear starburst are thought to provide the energy to drive these superwinds. The outflowing gas escapes along the rotation axis, sweeping up and shock-heating clouds in the halo, which produces optical line emission, X-rays and radio synchrotron emission. These features can most easily be studied in edge-on systems, so that the wind emission is not confused by that from the disk. Diffuse radio emission has been found (Baum et al. 1993, ApJ, 419, 553) to extend out to kpc-scales in a number of edge-on Seyfert galaxies. We have therefore launched a systematic search for superwind outflows in Seyferts. We present here narrow-band optical images and optical spectra for a sample of edge-on Seyferts. These data have been used to estimate the frequency of occurence of superwinds. Approximately half of the sample objects show evidence for extended emission-line regions which are preferentially oriented perpendicular to the galaxy disk. It is possible that these emission-line regions may be energized by a superwind outflow from a circumnuclear starburst, although there may also be a contribution from the AGN itself. A goal of this work is to find a diagnostic that can be used to distinguish between large-scale outflows that are driven by starbursts and those that are driven by an AGN. The presence of starburst-driven superwinds in Seyferts, if established, would have important implications for the connection between starburst galaxies and AGN.

The Prevalence of Ionized Gas Outflow Signatures in SDSS-IV MaNGA Active Galactic Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Flores, Anthony M.; Wylezalek, Dominika; Zakamska, Nadia

2018-01-01

Actively accreting supermassive black holes (AGN) can have a variety of effects on their host galaxies, from generating large regions of hot, photoionized gas, to driving AGN feedback in the form of galaxy wide outflows that may affect the evolution of the galaxy over time by quenching their star formation and by thus setting limits to the total mass of their host galaxy. The focus of this work is to assess the prevalence of AGN-driven outflows in low-redshift AGN of moderate power using IFU observations of 2778 galaxies available through SDSS-IV MaNGA.SDSS-IV MaNGA is an optical spectroscopic IFU survey which will have obtained spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of ~10,000 galaxies at z ≤ 0.1 and with stellar masses >10^9 solar masses over the next three years, allowing us to describe the kinematic properties of a large galaxy sample across different spatial regions.We have re-mapped the kinematics of the [O III] emission line to account for asymmetries and secondary kinematic components in the emission line brought on by potential AGN-driven outflows. Using all galaxies currently in the MaNGA survey, we implement a new fitting procedure to help determine the prevalence of these secondary components. Specifically, we use the non-parametric W80 value as a proxy for velocity dispersion, which we expect to be affected especially in the case of asymmetries and broadening of the emission lines. Separating these galaxies into two samples of independently identified AGN candidates and non-AGN, I will show that broad secondary components are twice as common in MaNGA-selected AGN compared to galaxies in MaNGA not classified as AGN. Moreover, when the underlying distribution of W80 values are compared between samples, I will show that the differences in these distributions are statistically significant. This demonstrates that large IFU survey like SDSS-IV MaNGA will uncover many previously unknown AGN and AGN feedback signatures. Outflows and feedback from low

Possible Imprints of Cold-mode Accretion on the Present-day Properties of Disk Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Noguchi, Masafumi

2018-01-01

Recent theoretical studies suggest that a significant part of the primordial gas accretes onto forming galaxies as narrow filaments of cold gas without building a shock and experiencing heating. Using a simple model of disk galaxy evolution that combines the growth of dark matter halos predicted by cosmological simulations with a hypothetical form of cold-mode accretion, we investigate how this cold-accretion mode affects the formation process of disk galaxies. It is found that the shock-heating and cold-accretion models produce compatible results for low-mass galaxies owing to the short cooling timescale in such galaxies. However, cold accretion significantly alters the evolution of disk galaxies more massive than the Milky Way and puts observable fingerprints on their present properties. For a galaxy with a virial mass {M}{vir}=2.5× {10}12 {M}ȯ , the scale length of the stellar disk is larger by 41% in the cold-accretion model than in the shock-heating model, with the former model reproducing the steep rise in the size–mass relation observed at the high-mass end. Furthermore, the stellar component of massive galaxies becomes significantly redder (0.66 in u ‑ r at {M}{vir}=2.5× {10}12 {M}ȯ ), and the observed color–mass relation in nearby galaxies is qualitatively reproduced. These results suggest that large disk galaxies with red optical colors may be the product of cold-mode accretion. The essential role of cold accretion is to promote disk formation in the intermediate-evolution phase (0.5< z< 1.5) by providing the primordial gas having large angular momentum and to terminate late-epoch accretion, quenching star formation and making massive galaxies red.

Convection Enhances Magnetic Turbulence in AM CVn Accretion Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Matthew S. B.; Blaes, Omer; Hirose, Shigenobu; Hauschildt, Peter H.

2018-04-01

We present the results of local, vertically stratified, radiation magnetohydrodynamic shearing-box simulations of magnetorotational instability (MRI) turbulence for a (hydrogen poor) composition applicable to accretion disks in AM CVn type systems. Many of these accreting white dwarf systems are helium analogs of dwarf novae (DNe). We utilize frequency-integrated opacity and equation-of-state tables appropriate for this regime to accurately portray the relevant thermodynamics. We find bistability of thermal equilibria in the effective-temperature, surface-mass-density plane typically associated with disk instabilities. Along this equilibrium curve (i.e., the S-curve), we find that the stress to thermal pressure ratio α varied with peak values of ∼0.15 near the tip of the upper branch. Similar to DNe, we found enhancement of α near the tip of the upper branch caused by convection; this increase in α occurred despite our choice of zero net vertical magnetic flux. Two notable differences we find between DN and AM CVn accretion disk simulations are that AM CVn disks are capable of exhibiting persistent convection in outburst, and ideal MHD is valid throughout quiescence for AM CVns. In contrast, DNe simulations only show intermittent convection, and nonideal MHD effects are likely important in quiescence. By combining our previous work with these new results, we also find that convective enhancement of the MRI is anticorrelated with mean molecular weight.

Revisiting the `forbidden' region: AGN radiative feedback with radiation trapping

Science.gov (United States)

Ishibashi, W.; Fabian, A. C.; Ricci, C.; Celotti, A.

2018-06-01

Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, driven by radiation pressure on dust, is an important mechanism for efficiently coupling the accreting black hole to the surrounding environment. Recent observations confirm that X-ray selected AGN samples respect the effective Eddington limit for dusty gas in the plane defined by the observed column density versus the Eddington ratio, the so-called NH - λ plane. A `forbidden' region occurs in this plane, where obscuring clouds cannot be long-lived, due to the action of radiation pressure on dust. Here we compute the effective Eddington limit by explicitly taking into account the trapping of reprocessed radiation (which has been neglected in previous works), and investigate its impact on the NH - λ plane. We show that the inclusion of radiation trapping leads to an enhanced forbidden region, such that even Compton-thick material can potentially be disrupted by sub-Eddington luminosities. We compare our model results to the most complete sample of local AGNs with measured X-ray properties, and find good agreement. Considering the anisotropic emission from the accretion disc, we also expect the development of dusty outflows along the polar axis, which may naturally account for the polar dust emission recently detected in several AGNs from mid-infrared observations. Radiative feedback thus appears to be the key mechanism regulating the obscuration properties of AGNs, and we discuss its physical implications in the context of co-evolution scenarios.

Thin accretion disk signatures of slowly rotating black holes in Horava gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harko, Tiberiu; Kovacs, Zoltan; Lobo, Francisco S N

2011-01-01

In this work, we consider the possibility of observationally testing Horava gravity by using the accretion disk properties around slowly rotating black holes of the Kehagias-Sfetsos (KS) solution in asymptotically flat spacetimes. The energy flux, temperature distribution, the emission spectrum as well as the energy conversion efficiency are obtained, and compared to the standard slowly rotating general relativistic Kerr solution. Comparing the mass accretion in a slowly rotating KS geometry in Horava gravity with the one of a slowly rotating Kerr black hole, we verify that the intensity of the flux emerging from the disk surface is greater for the slowly rotating Kehagias-Sfetsos solution than for rotating black holes with the same geometrical mass and accretion rate. We also present the conversion efficiency of the accreting mass into radiation, and show that the rotating KS solution provides a much more efficient engine for the transformation of the accreting mass into radiation than the Kerr black holes. Thus, distinct signatures appear in the electromagnetic spectrum, leading to the possibility of directly testing Horava gravity models by using astrophysical observations of the emission spectra from accretion disks.

Thin accretion disk signatures of slowly rotating black holes in Horava gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harko, Tiberiu; Kovacs, Zoltan [Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road (Hong Kong); Lobo, Francisco S N, E-mail: harko@hkucc.hku.hk, E-mail: zkovacs@hku.hk, E-mail: flobo@cii.fc.ul.pt [Centro de Astronomia e Astrofisica da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Ed. C8 1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal)

2011-08-21

In this work, we consider the possibility of observationally testing Horava gravity by using the accretion disk properties around slowly rotating black holes of the Kehagias-Sfetsos (KS) solution in asymptotically flat spacetimes. The energy flux, temperature distribution, the emission spectrum as well as the energy conversion efficiency are obtained, and compared to the standard slowly rotating general relativistic Kerr solution. Comparing the mass accretion in a slowly rotating KS geometry in Horava gravity with the one of a slowly rotating Kerr black hole, we verify that the intensity of the flux emerging from the disk surface is greater for the slowly rotating Kehagias-Sfetsos solution than for rotating black holes with the same geometrical mass and accretion rate. We also present the conversion efficiency of the accreting mass into radiation, and show that the rotating KS solution provides a much more efficient engine for the transformation of the accreting mass into radiation than the Kerr black holes. Thus, distinct signatures appear in the electromagnetic spectrum, leading to the possibility of directly testing Horava gravity models by using astrophysical observations of the emission spectra from accretion disks.

Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback in an Elliptical Galaxy with the Most Updated AGN Physics. I. Low Angular Momentum Case

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Feng; Yoon, DooSoo; Li, Ya-Ping; Gan, Zhao-Ming; Ho, Luis C.; Guo, Fulai

2018-04-01

We investigate the effects of AGN feedback on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing two-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamical numerical simulations. The inner boundary of the simulation is chosen so that the Bondi radius is resolved. Compared to previous works, the two accretion modes—namely, hot and cold, which correspond to different accretion rates and have different radiation and wind outputs—are carefully discriminated, and the feedback effects by radiation and wind in each mode are taken into account. The most updated AGN physics, including the descriptions of radiation and wind from the hot accretion flows and wind from cold accretion disks, are adopted. Physical processes like star formation and SNe Ia and II are taken into account. We study the AGN light curve, typical AGN lifetime, growth of the black hole mass, AGN duty cycle, star formation, and X-ray surface brightness of the galaxy. We compare our simulation results with observations and find general consistency. Comparisons with previous simulation works find significant differences, indicating the importance of AGN physics. The respective roles of radiation and wind feedback are examined, and it is found that they are different for different problems of interest, such as AGN luminosity and star formation. We find that it is hard to neglect any of them, so we suggest using the names “cold feedback mode” and “hot feedback mode” to replace the currently used ones.

Constraining jet physics in weakly accreting black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Markoff, Sera

2007-04-01

Outflowing jets are observed in a variety of astronomical objects such as accreting compact objects from X-ray binaries (XRBs) to active galactic nuclei (AGN), as well as at stellar birth and death. Yet we still do not know exactly what they are comprised of, why and how they form, or their exact relationship with the accretion flow. In this talk I will focus on jets in black hole systems, which provide the ideal test population for studying the relationship between inflow and outflow over an extreme range in mass and accretion rate. I will present several recent results from coordinated multi-wavelength studies of low-luminosity sources. These results not only support similar trends in weakly accreting black hole behavior across the mass scale, but also suggest that the same underlying physical model can explain their broadband spectra. I will discuss how comparisons between small- and large-scale systems are revealing new information about the regions nearest the black hole, providing clues about the creation of these weakest of jets. Furthermore, comparisons between our Galactic center nucleus Sgr A* and other sources at slightly higher accretion rates can illucidate the processes which drive central activity, and pave the way for new tests with upcoming instruments.

Hydraulic jumps in ''viscous'' accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, F.C.

1984-01-01

We propose that the dissipative process necessary for rapid accretion disk evolution is driven by hydraulic jump waves on the surface of the disk. These waves are excited by the asymmetric nature of the central rotator (e.g., neutron star magnetosphere) and spiral out into the disk to form a pattern corotating with the central object. Disk matter in turn is slowed slightly at each encounter with the jump and spirals inward. In this process, the disk is heated by true turbulence produced in the jumps. Additional effects, such as a systematic misalignment of the magnetic moment of the neutron star until it is nearly orthogonal, and systematic distortion of the magnetosphere in such a way as to form an even more asymmetric central ''paddle wheel'' may enhance the interaction with inflowing matter. The application to X-ray sources corresponds to the ''slow'' solutions of Ghosh and Lamb, and therefore to rms magnetic fields of about 4 x 10 10 gauss. Analogous phenomena have been proposed to act in the formation of galactic spiral structure

STAR FORMATION IN SELF-GRAVITATING DISKS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. II. EPISODIC FORMATION OF BROAD-LINE REGIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

WangJianmin; Du Pu; Ge Junqiang; Hu Chen; Baldwin, Jack A.; Ferland, Gary J.

2012-01-01

compose the high-ionization line regions whereas the metal-poor clouds are in low-ionization line (LIL) regions. Since metal-rich clouds are optically thin, they will be blown away by radiation pressure, forming the observed outflows. The outflowing clouds could set up a metallicity correlation between the BLRs and narrow-line regions. The LIL regions are episodic due to the mass cycle of clouds with the CAS in response to continuous injection by the SF disk, giving rise to different types of AGNs. Based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasar spectra, we identify a spectral sequence in light of emission-line equivalent width from phase I to IV. A key phase in the episodic appearance of the BLRs is bright type II AGNs with no or only weak BLRs, contrary to the popular picture in which the absence of a BLR is due to a low accretion rate. We discuss observational implications and tests of the theoretical predictions of this model.

Time-Dependent Variations of Accretion Disk

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Hye-Weon Na

1987-06-01

Full Text Available In dward nova we assume the primary star as a white dwarf and the secondary as the late type star which filled Roche lobe. Mass flow from the secondary star leads to the formation of thin accretion disk around the white dwarf. We use the α parameter as viscosity to maintain the disk form and propose that the outburst in dwarf nova cause the steep increase of source term. With these assumptions we solve the basic equations of stellar structure using Newton-Raphson method. We show the physical parameters like temperature, density, pressure, opacity, surface density, height and flux to the radius of disk. Changing the value of α, we compare several parameters when mass flow rate is constant with those of when luminosity of disk is brightest. At the same time, we obtain time-dependent variations of luminosity and mass of disk. We propose the suitable range of α is 0.15-0.18 to the difference of luminosity. We compare several parameters of disk with those of the normal late type stars which have the same molecular weight of disk is lower. Maybe the outburst in dwarf nova is due to the variation of the α value instead of increment of mass flow from the secondary star.

Pebble Accretion in Turbulent Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ziyan; Bai, Xue-Ning; Murray-Clay, Ruth A.

2017-09-01

It has been realized in recent years that the accretion of pebble-sized dust particles onto planetary cores is an important mode of core growth, which enables the formation of giant planets at large distances and assists planet formation in general. The pebble accretion theory is built upon the orbit theory of dust particles in a laminar protoplanetary disk (PPD). For sufficiently large core mass (in the “Hill regime”), essentially all particles of appropriate sizes entering the Hill sphere can be captured. However, the outer regions of PPDs are expected to be weakly turbulent due to the magnetorotational instability (MRI), where turbulent stirring of particle orbits may affect the efficiency of pebble accretion. We conduct shearing-box simulations of pebble accretion with different levels of MRI turbulence (strongly turbulent assuming ideal magnetohydrodynamics, weakly turbulent in the presence of ambipolar diffusion, and laminar) and different core masses to test the efficiency of pebble accretion at a microphysical level. We find that accretion remains efficient for marginally coupled particles (dimensionless stopping time {τ }s˜ 0.1{--}1) even in the presence of strong MRI turbulence. Though more dust particles are brought toward the core by the turbulence, this effect is largely canceled by a reduction in accretion probability. As a result, the overall effect of turbulence on the accretion rate is mainly reflected in the changes in the thickness of the dust layer. On the other hand, we find that the efficiency of pebble accretion for strongly coupled particles (down to {τ }s˜ 0.01) can be modestly reduced by strong turbulence for low-mass cores.

The gravitational microlens influence on X-ray spectral line generated by an AGN accretion disc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović L.Č.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of gravitational microlensing on the X-ray spectral line profiles originated from a relativistic accretion disc has been studied. Using a disc model, we show that microlensing can induce noticeable changes in the line shapes when the Einstein ring radius associated with the microlens is of a size comparable to that of the accretion disc. Taking into account the relatively small size of the X-ray accretion disc, we found that compact objects (of about a Solar mass which belong to the bulge of the host galaxy can produce significant changes in the X-ray line profile of AGN.

Ringed Accretion Disks: Evolution of Double Toroidal Configurations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugliese, D.; Stuchlík, Z., E-mail: daniela.pugliese@fpf.slu.cz, E-mail: zdenek.stuchlik@physics.cz [Institute of Physics and Research Centre of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava, Bezručovo náměstí 13, CZ-74601 Opava (Czech Republic)

2017-04-01

We investigate ringed accretion disks composed of two tori (rings) orbiting on the equatorial plane of a central supermassive Kerr black hole. We discuss the emergence of the instability phases of each ring of the macro-configuration (ringed disk) according to the Paczynski violation of mechanical equilibrium. In the full general relativistic treatment, we consider the effects of the geometry of the Kerr spacetimes relevant to the characterization of the evolution of these configurations. The discussion of ring stability in different spacetimes enables us to identify particular classes of central Kerr attractors depending on their dimensionless spin. As a result of this analysis, we set constraints on the evolutionary schemes of the ringed disks relative to the torus morphology and on their rotation relative to the central black hole and to each other. The dynamics of the unstable phases of this system is significant for the high-energy phenomena related to accretion onto supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei and the extremely energetic phenomena in quasars, which could be observed in their X-ray emission.

SURFACE LAYER ACCRETION IN CONVENTIONAL AND TRANSITIONAL DISKS DRIVEN BY FAR-ULTRAVIOLET IONIZATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez-Becker, Daniel; Chiang, Eugene

2011-01-01

Whether protoplanetary disks accrete at observationally significant rates by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) depends on how well ionized they are. Disk surface layers ionized by stellar X-rays are susceptible to charge neutralization by small condensates, ranging from ∼0.01 μm sized grains to angstrom-sized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Ion densities in X-ray-irradiated surfaces are so low that ambipolar diffusion weakens the MRI. Here we show that ionization by stellar far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation enables full-blown MRI turbulence in disk surface layers. Far-UV ionization of atomic carbon and sulfur produces a plasma so dense that it is immune to ion recombination on grains and PAHs. The FUV-ionized layer, of thickness 0.01-0.1 g cm -2 , behaves in the ideal magnetohydrodynamic limit and can accrete at observationally significant rates at radii ∼> 1-10 AU. Surface layer accretion driven by FUV ionization can reproduce the trend of increasing accretion rate with increasing hole size seen in transitional disks. At radii ∼<1-10 AU, FUV-ionized surface layers cannot sustain the accretion rates generated at larger distance, and unless turbulent mixing of plasma can thicken the MRI-active layer, an additional means of transport is needed. In the case of transitional disks, it could be provided by planets.

A High-mass Protobinary System with Spatially Resolved Circumstellar Accretion Disks and Circumbinary Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, S.; Kluska, J.; Kreplin, A.; Bate, M.; Harries, T. J.; Hone, E.; Anugu, A. [School of Physics, Astrophysics Group, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Hofmann, K.-H.; Weigelt, G. [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Monnier, J. D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 311 West Hall, 1085 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); De Wit, W. J. [ESO, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago 19 (Chile); Wittkowski, M., E-mail: skraus@astro.ex.ac.uk [ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany)

2017-01-20

High-mass multiples might form via fragmentation of self-gravitational disks or alternative scenarios such as disk-assisted capture. However, only a few observational constraints exist on the architecture and disk structure of high-mass protobinaries and their accretion properties. Here, we report the discovery of a close (57.9 ± 0.2 mas = 170 au) high-mass protobinary, IRAS17216-3801, where our VLTI/GRAVITY+AMBER near-infrared interferometry allows us to image the circumstellar disks around the individual components with ∼3 mas resolution. We estimate the component masses to ∼20 and ∼18 M {sub ⊙} and find that the radial intensity profiles can be reproduced with an irradiated disk model, where the inner regions are excavated of dust, likely tracing the dust sublimation region in these disks. The circumstellar disks are strongly misaligned with respect to the binary separation vector, which indicates that the tidal forces did not have time to realign the disks, pointing toward a young dynamical age of the system. We constrain the distribution of the Br γ and CO-emitting gas using VLTI/GRAVITY spectro-interferometry and VLT/CRIRES spectro-astrometry and find that the secondary is accreting at a higher rate than the primary. VLT/NACO imaging shows L ′-band emission on (3–4)× larger scales than the binary separation, matching the expected dynamical truncation radius for the circumbinary disk. The IRAS17216-3801 system is ∼3× more massive and ∼5× more compact than other high-mass multiplies imaged at infrared wavelength and the first high-mass protobinary system where circumstellar and circumbinary dust disks could be spatially resolved. This opens exciting new opportunities for studying star–disk interactions and the role of multiplicity in high-mass star formation.

FROM THE CONVERGENCE OF FILAMENTS TO DISK-OUTFLOW ACCRETION: MASSIVE STAR FORMATION IN W33A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvan-Madrid, Roberto; Zhang Qizhou; Keto, Eric; Ho, Paul T. P.; Pineda, Jaime E.; Zapata, Luis A.; RodrIguez, Luis F.; Vazquez-Semadeni, Enrique

2010-01-01

Interferometric observations of the W33A massive star formation region, performed with the Submillimeter Array and the Very Large Array at resolutions from 5'' (0.1 pc) to 0.''5 (0.01 pc), are presented. Our three main findings are: (1) parsec-scale, filamentary structures of cold molecular gas are detected. Two filaments at different velocities intersect in the zone where the star formation is occurring. This is consistent with triggering of the star formation activity by the convergence of such filaments, as predicted by numerical simulations of star formation initiated by converging flows. (2) The two dusty cores (MM1 and MM2) at the intersection of the filaments are found to be at different evolutionary stages, and each of them is resolved into multiple condensations. MM1 and MM2 have markedly different temperatures, continuum spectral indices, molecular-line spectra, and masses of both stars and gas. (3) The dynamics of the 'hot-core' MM1 indicates the presence of a rotating disk in its center (MM1-Main) around a faint free-free source. The stellar mass is estimated to be ∼10 M sun . A massive molecular outflow is observed along the rotation axis of the disk.

Imprint of accretion disk-induced migration on gravitational waves from extreme mass ratio inspirals.

Science.gov (United States)

Yunes, Nicolás; Kocsis, Bence; Loeb, Abraham; Haiman, Zoltán

2011-10-21

We study the effects of a thin gaseous accretion disk on the inspiral of a stellar-mass black hole into a supermassive black hole. We construct a phenomenological angular momentum transport equation that reproduces known disk effects. Disk torques modify the gravitational wave phase evolution to detectable levels with LISA for reasonable disk parameters. The Fourier transform of disk-modified waveforms acquires a correction with a different frequency trend than post-Newtonian vacuum terms. Such inspirals could be used to detect accretion disks with LISA and to probe their physical parameters. © 2011 American Physical Society

MIGRATION OF EXTRASOLAR PLANETS: EFFECTS FROM X-WIND ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, Fred C.; Cai, Mike J.; Lizano, Susana

2009-01-01

Magnetic fields are dragged in from the interstellar medium during the gravitational collapse that forms star/disk systems. Consideration of mean field magnetohydrodynamics in these disks shows that magnetic effects produce sub-Keplerian rotation curves and truncate the inner disk. This Letter explores the ramifications of these predicted disk properties for the migration of extrasolar planets. Sub-Keplerian flow in gaseous disks drives a new migration mechanism for embedded planets and modifies the gap-opening processes for larger planets. This sub-Keplerian migration mechanism dominates over Type I migration for sufficiently small planets (m P ∼ + ) and/or close orbits (r ∼< 1 AU). Although the inclusion of sub-Keplerian torques shortens the total migration time by only a moderate amount, the mass accreted by migrating planetary cores is significantly reduced. Truncation of the inner disk edge (for typical system parameters) naturally explains final planetary orbits with periods P ∼ 4 days. Planets with shorter periods, P ∼ 2 days, can be explained by migration during FU-Orionis outbursts, when the mass accretion rate is high and the disk edge moves inward. Finally, the midplane density is greatly increased at the inner truncation point of the disk (the X-point); this enhancement, in conjunction with continuing flow of gas and solids through the region, supports the in situ formation of giant planets.

Observational diagnostics of accretion on young stars and brown dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Stelzer, Beate; Argiroffi, Costanza

I present a summary of recent observational constraints on the accretion properties of young stars and brown dwarfs with focus on the high-energy emission. In their T Tauri phase young stars assemble a few percent of their mass by accretion from a disk. Various observational signatures of disks around pre-main sequence stars and the ensuing accretion process are found in the IR and optical regime: e.g. excess emission above the stellar photosphere, strong and broad emission lines, optical veiling. At high energies evidence for accretion is less obvious, and the X-ray emission from stars has historically been ascribed to magnetically confined coronal plasmas. While being true for the bulk of the emission, new insight obtained from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations has unveiled contributions from accretion and outflow processes to the X-ray emission from young stars. Their smaller siblings, the brown dwarfs, have been shown to undergo a T Tauri phase on the basis of optical/IR observations of disks and measurements of accretion rates. Most re-cently, first evidence was found for X-rays produced by accretion in a young brown dwarf, complementing the suspected analogy between stars and substellar objects.

Compton Reflection in AGN with Simbol-X

Science.gov (United States)

Beckmann, V.; Courvoisier, T. J.-L.; Gehrels, N.; Lubiński, P.; Malzac, J.; Petrucci, P. O.; Shrader, C. R.; Soldi, S.

2009-05-01

AGN exhibit complex hard X-ray spectra. Our current understanding is that the emission is dominated by inverse Compton processes which take place in the corona above the accretion disk, and that absorption and reflection in a distant absorber play a major role. These processes can be directly observed through the shape of the continuum, the Compton reflection hump around 30 keV, and the iron fluorescence line at 6.4 keV. We demonstrate the capabilities of Simbol-X to constrain complex models for cases like MCG-05-23-016, NGC 4151, NGC 2110, and NGC 4051 in short (10 ksec) observations. We compare the simulations with recent observations on these sources by INTEGRAL, Swift and Suzaku. Constraining reflection models for AGN with Simbol-X will help us to get a clear view of the processes and geometry near to the central engine in AGN, and will give insight to which sources are responsible for the Cosmic X-ray background at energies >20 keV.

A New Paradigm for Gamma Ray Bursts: Long Term Accretion Rate Modulation by an External Accretion Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Cannizzo, John; Gehrels, Neil

2009-01-01

We present a new way of looking at the very long term evolution of GRBs in which the disk of material surrounding the putative black hole powering the GRB jet modulates the mass flow, and hence the efficacy of the process that extracts rotational energy from the black hole and inner accretion disk. The pre-Swift paradigm of achromatic, shallow-to-steep "breaks" in the long term GRB light curves has not been borne out by detailed Swift data amassed in the past several years. We argue that, given the initial existence of a fall-back disk near the progenitor, an unavoidable consequence will be the formation of an "external disk" whose outer edge continually moves to larger radii due to angular momentum transport and lack of a confining torque. The mass reservoir at large radii moves outward with time and gives a natural power law decay to the GRB light curves. In this model, the different canonical power law decay segments in the GRB identified by Zhang et al. and Nousek et al. represent different physical states of the accretion disk. We identify a physical disk state with each power law segment.

Anchoring Polar Magnetic Field in a Stationary Thick Accretion Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samadi, Maryam; Abbassi, Shahram, E-mail: samadimojarad@um.ac.ir [Department of Physics, School of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, 91775-1436 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-08-20

We investigate the properties of a hot accretion flow bathed in a poloidal magnetic field. We consider an axisymmetric viscous-resistive flow in the steady-state configuration. We assume that the dominant mechanism of energy dissipation is due to turbulence viscosity and magnetic diffusivity. A certain fraction of that energy can be advected toward the central compact object. We employ the self-similar method in the radial direction to find a system of ODEs with just one varible, θ in the spherical coordinates. For the existence and maintenance of a purely poloidal magnetic field in a rotating thick disk, we find that the necessary condition is a constant value of angular velocity along a magnetic field line. We obtain an analytical solution for the poloidal magnetic flux. We explore possible changes in the vertical structure of the disk under the influences of symmetric and asymmetric magnetic fields. Our results reveal that a polar magnetic field with even symmetry about the equatorial plane makes the disk vertically thin. Moreover, the accretion rate decreases when we consider a strong magnetic field. Finally, we notice that hot magnetized accretion flows can be fully advected even in a slim shape.

Global Simulations of the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks with Comprehensive Disk Microphysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, Xue-Ning, E-mail: xbai@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., MS-51, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-08-10

The gas dynamics of weakly ionized protoplanetary disks (PPDs) are largely governed by the coupling between gas and magnetic fields, described by three non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) effects (Ohmic, Hall, ambipolar). Previous local simulations incorporating these processes have revealed that the inner regions of PPDs are largely laminar and accompanied by wind-driven accretion. We conduct 2D axisymmetric, fully global MHD simulations of these regions (∼1–20 au), taking into account all non-ideal MHD effects, with tabulated diffusion coefficients and approximate treatment of external ionization and heating. With the net vertical field aligned with disk rotation, the Hall-shear instability strongly amplifies horizontal magnetic field, making the overall dynamics dependent on initial field configuration. Following disk formation, the disk likely relaxes into an inner zone characterized by asymmetric field configuration across the midplane, which smoothly transitions to a more symmetric outer zone. Angular momentum transport is driven by both MHD winds and laminar Maxwell stress, with both accretion and decretion flows present at different heights, and modestly asymmetric winds from the two disk sides. With anti-aligned field polarity, weakly magnetized disks settle into an asymmetric field configuration with supersonic accretion flow concentrated at one side of the disk surface, and highly asymmetric winds between the two disk sides. In all cases, the wind is magneto-thermal in nature, characterized by a mass loss rate exceeding the accretion rate. More strongly magnetized disks give more symmetric field configuration and flow structures. Deeper far-UV penetration leads to stronger and less stable outflows. Implications for observations and planet formation are also discussed.

Global Simulations of the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks with Comprehensive Disk Microphysics

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Xue-Ning

2017-08-01

The gas dynamics of weakly ionized protoplanetary disks (PPDs) are largely governed by the coupling between gas and magnetic fields, described by three non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) effects (Ohmic, Hall, ambipolar). Previous local simulations incorporating these processes have revealed that the inner regions of PPDs are largely laminar and accompanied by wind-driven accretion. We conduct 2D axisymmetric, fully global MHD simulations of these regions (˜1-20 au), taking into account all non-ideal MHD effects, with tabulated diffusion coefficients and approximate treatment of external ionization and heating. With the net vertical field aligned with disk rotation, the Hall-shear instability strongly amplifies horizontal magnetic field, making the overall dynamics dependent on initial field configuration. Following disk formation, the disk likely relaxes into an inner zone characterized by asymmetric field configuration across the midplane, which smoothly transitions to a more symmetric outer zone. Angular momentum transport is driven by both MHD winds and laminar Maxwell stress, with both accretion and decretion flows present at different heights, and modestly asymmetric winds from the two disk sides. With anti-aligned field polarity, weakly magnetized disks settle into an asymmetric field configuration with supersonic accretion flow concentrated at one side of the disk surface, and highly asymmetric winds between the two disk sides. In all cases, the wind is magneto-thermal in nature, characterized by a mass loss rate exceeding the accretion rate. More strongly magnetized disks give more symmetric field configuration and flow structures. Deeper far-UV penetration leads to stronger and less stable outflows. Implications for observations and planet formation are also discussed.

Quasar Accretion Disk Sizes With Continuum Reverberation Mapping From the Dark Energy Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mudd, D.; et al.

2017-11-30

We present accretion disk size measurements for 15 luminous quasars at $0.7 \\leq z \\leq 1.9$ derived from $griz$ light curves from the Dark Energy Survey. We measure the disk sizes with continuum reverberation mapping using two methods, both of which are derived from the expectation that accretion disks have a radial temperature gradient and the continuum emission at a given radius is well-described by a single blackbody. In the first method we measure the relative lags between the multiband light curves, which provides the relative time lag between shorter and longer wavelength variations. The second method fits the model parameters for the canonical Shakura-Sunyaev thin disk directly rather than solving for the individual time lags between the light curves. Our measurements demonstrate good agreement with the sizes predicted by this model for accretion rates between 0.3-1 times the Eddington rate. These results are also in reasonable agreement with disk size measurements from gravitational microlensing studies of strongly lensed quasars, as well as other photometric reverberation mapping results.

Truncation of the Inner Accretion Disk Around a Black Hole at Low Luminosity

Science.gov (United States)

Tomsick, John A.; Yamoka, Kazutaka; Corbel, Stephane; Kaaret, Philip; Kalemci, Emrah; Migliari, Simone

2011-01-01

Most black hole binaries show large changes in X-ray luminosity caused primarily by variations in mass accretion rate. An important question for understanding black hole accretion and jet production is whether the inner edge of the accretion disk recedes at low accretion rate. Measurements of the location of the inner edge (R(sub in)) can be made using iron emission lines that arise due to fluorescence of iron in the disk, and these indicate that R(sub in) is very close to the black hole at high and moderate luminosities (greater than or equal to 1% of the Eddington luminosity, L(sub Edd). Here, we report on X-ray observations of the black hole GX 339-4 in the hard state by Suzaku and the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer that extend iron line studies to 0.14% L(sub Edd) and show that R(sub in) increases by a factor of greater than 27 over the value found when GX 339-4 was bright. The exact value of R(sub in) depends on the inclination of the inner disk (i), and we derive 90% confidence limits of R(sub in) greater than 35 R(sub g) at i = 0 degrees and R(sub in) greater than 175 R(sub g) at i = 30 degrees. This provides direct evidence that the inner portion of the disk is not present at low luminosity, allowing for the possibility that the inner disk is replaced by advection- or magnetically dominated accretion flows.

Evidence for large temperature fluctuations in quasar accretion disks from spectral variability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruan, John J.; Anderson, Scott F.; Agol, Eric [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Dexter, Jason, E-mail: jruan@astro.washington.edu [Departments of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2014-03-10

The well-known bluer-when-brighter trend observed in quasar variability is a signature of the complex processes in the accretion disk and can be a probe of the quasar variability mechanism. Using a sample of 604 variable quasars with repeat spectra in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-I/II (SDSS), we construct difference spectra to investigate the physical causes of this bluer-when-brighter trend. The continuum of our composite difference spectrum is well fit by a power law, with a spectral index in excellent agreement with previous results. We measure the spectral variability relative to the underlying spectra of the quasars, which is independent of any extinction, and compare to model predictions. We show that our SDSS spectral variability results cannot be produced by global accretion rate fluctuations in a thin disk alone. However, we find that a simple model of an inhomogeneous disk with localized temperature fluctuations will produce power-law spectral variability over optical wavelengths. We show that the inhomogeneous disk will provide good fits to our observed spectral variability if the disk has large temperature fluctuations in many independently varying zones, in excellent agreement with independent constraints from quasar microlensing disk sizes, their strong UV spectral continuum, and single-band variability amplitudes. Our results provide an independent constraint on quasar variability models and add to the mounting evidence that quasar accretion disks have large localized temperature fluctuations.

Inefficient Angular Momentum Transport in Accretion Disk Boundary Layers: Angular Momentum Belt in the Boundary Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Belyaev, Mikhail A.; Quataert, Eliot

2018-04-01

We present unstratified 3D MHD simulations of an accretion disk with a boundary layer (BL) that have a duration ˜1000 orbital periods at the inner radius of the accretion disk. We find the surprising result that angular momentum piles up in the boundary layer, which results in a rapidly rotating belt of accreted material at the surface of the star. The angular momentum stored in this belt increases monotonically in time, which implies that angular momentum transport mechanisms in the BL are inefficient and do not couple the accretion disk to the star. This is in spite of the fact that magnetic fields are advected into the BL from the disk and supersonic shear instabilities in the BL excite acoustic waves. In our simulations, these waves only carry a small fraction (˜10%) of the angular momentum required for steady state accretion. Using analytical theory and 2D viscous simulations in the R - ϕ plane, we derive an analytical criterion for belt formation to occur in the BL in terms of the ratio of the viscosity in the accretion disk to the viscosity in the BL. Our MHD simulations have a dimensionless viscosity (α) in the BL that is at least a factor of ˜100 smaller than that in the disk. We discuss the implications of these results for BL dynamics and emission.

A truncated accretion disk in the galactic black hole candidate source H1743-322

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sriram, Kandulapati; Agrawal, Vivek Kumar; Rao, Arikkala Raghurama

2009-01-01

To investigate the geometry of the accretion disk in the source H1743-322, we have carried out a detailed X-ray temporal and spectral study using RXTE pointed observations. We have selected all data pertaining to the Steep Power Law (SPL) state during the 2003 outburst of this source. We find anti-correlated hard X-ray lags in three of the observations and the changes in the spectral and timing parameters (like the QPO frequency) confirm the idea of a truncated accretion disk in this source. Compiling data from similar observations of other sources, we find a correlation between the fractional change in the QPO frequency and the observed delay. We suggest that these observations indicate a definite size scale in the inner accretion disk (the radius of the truncated disk) and we explain the observed correlation using various disk parameters like Compton cooling time scale, viscous time scale etc. (research papers)

A 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in black hole systems: a higher order polynomial approximation

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Shubhrangshu

2017-09-01

The correlated and coupled dynamics of accretion and outflow around black holes (BHs) are essentially governed by the fundamental laws of conservation as outflow extracts matter, momentum and energy from the accretion region. Here we analyze a robust form of 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in BH systems. We solve the complete set of coupled MHD conservation equations self-consistently, through invoking a generalized polynomial expansion in two dimensions. We perform a critical analysis of the accretion-outflow region and provide a complete quasi-analytical family of solutions for advective flows. We obtain the physically plausible outflow solutions at high turbulent viscosity parameter α (≳ 0.3), and at a reduced scale-height, as magnetic stresses compress or squeeze the flow region. We found that the value of the large-scale poloidal magnetic field B P is enhanced with the increase of the geometrical thickness of the accretion flow. On the other hand, differential magnetic torque (-{r}2{\\bar{B}}\\varphi {\\bar{B}}z) increases with the increase in \\dot{M}. {\\bar{B}}{{P}}, -{r}2{\\bar{B}}\\varphi {\\bar{B}}z as well as the plasma beta β P get strongly augmented with the increase in the value of α, enhancing the transport of vertical flux outwards. Our solutions indicate that magnetocentrifugal acceleration plausibly plays a dominant role in effusing out plasma from the radial accretion flow in a moderately advective paradigm which is more centrifugally dominated. However in a strongly advective paradigm it is likely that the thermal pressure gradient would play a more contributory role in the vertical transport of plasma.

WIND-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. RADIAL DEPENDENCE AND GLOBAL PICTURE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai Xuening, E-mail: xbai@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-51, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-08-01

Non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical effects play a crucial role in determining the mechanism and efficiency of angular momentum transport as well as the level of turbulence in protoplanetary disks (PPDs), which are the key to understanding PPD evolution and planet formation. It was shown in our previous work that at 1 AU, the magnetorotational instability (MRI) is completely suppressed when both ohmic resistivity and ambipolar diffusion (AD) are taken into account, resulting in a laminar flow with accretion driven by magnetocentrifugal wind. In this work, we study the radial dependence of the laminar wind solution using local shearing-box simulations. The scaling relation on the angular momentum transport for the laminar wind is obtained, and we find that the wind-driven accretion rate can be approximated as M-dot approx. 0.91 x 10{sup -8}R{sub AU}{sup 1.21}(B{sub p}/10 mG){sup 0.93} M{sub Sun} yr{sup -1}, where B{sub p} is the strength of the large-scale poloidal magnetic field threading the disk. The result is independent of disk surface density. Four criteria are outlined for the existence of the laminar wind solution: (1) ohmic resistivity dominated the midplane region, (2) the AD-dominated disk upper layer, (3) the presence of a (not too weak) net vertical magnetic flux, and (4) sufficiently well-ionized gas beyond the disk surface. All these criteria are likely to be met in the inner region of the disk from {approx}0.3 AU to about 5-10 AU for typical PPD accretion rates. Beyond this radius, the angular momentum transport is likely to proceed due to a combination of the MRI and disk wind, and eventually completely dominated by the MRI (in the presence of strong AD) in the outer disk. Our simulation results provide key ingredients for a new paradigm on the accretion processes in PPDs.

General relativistic hydrodynamics with Adaptive-Mesh Refinement (AMR) and modeling of accretion disks

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Donmez, Orhan

We present a general procedure to solve the General Relativistic Hydrodynamical (GRH) equations with Adaptive-Mesh Refinement (AMR) and model of an accretion disk around a black hole. To do this, the GRH equations are written in a conservative form to exploit their hyperbolic character. The numerical solutions of the general relativistic hydrodynamic equations is done by High Resolution Shock Capturing schemes (HRSC), specifically designed to solve non-linear hyperbolic systems of conservation laws. These schemes depend on the characteristic information of the system. We use Marquina fluxes with MUSCL left and right states to solve GRH equations. First, we carry out different test problems with uniform and AMR grids on the special relativistic hydrodynamics equations to verify the second order convergence of the code in 1D, 2 D and 3D. Second, we solve the GRH equations and use the general relativistic test problems to compare the numerical solutions with analytic ones. In order to this, we couple the flux part of general relativistic hydrodynamic equation with a source part using Strang splitting. The coupling of the GRH equations is carried out in a treatment which gives second order accurate solutions in space and time. The test problems examined include shock tubes, geodesic flows, and circular motion of particle around the black hole. Finally, we apply this code to the accretion disk problems around the black hole using the Schwarzschild metric at the background of the computational domain. We find spiral shocks on the accretion disk. They are observationally expected results. We also examine the star-disk interaction near a massive black hole. We find that when stars are grounded down or a hole is punched on the accretion disk, they create shock waves which destroy the accretion disk.

Thin accretion disks around cold Bose-Einstein condensate stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danila, Bogdan [Babes-Bolyai University, Department of Physics, Cluj-Napoca (Romania); Harko, Tiberiu [University College London, Department of Mathematics, London (United Kingdom); Kovacs, Zoltan

2015-05-15

Due to their superfluid properties some compact astrophysical objects, like neutron or quark stars, may contain a significant part of their matter in the form of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). Observationally distinguishing between neutron/quark stars and BEC stars is a major challenge for this latter theoretical model. An observational possibility of indirectly distinguishing BEC stars from neutron/quark stars is through the study of the thin accretion disks around compact general relativistic objects. In the present paper, we perform a detailed comparative study of the electromagnetic and thermodynamic properties of the thin accretion disks around rapidly rotating BEC stars, neutron stars and quark stars, respectively. Due to the differences in the exterior geometry, the thermodynamic and electromagnetic properties of the disks (energy flux, temperature distribution, equilibrium radiation spectrum, and efficiency of energy conversion) are different for these classes of compact objects. Hence in this preliminary study we have pointed out some astrophysical signatures that may allow one to observationally discriminate between BEC stars and neutron/quark stars. (orig.)

The low-mass stellar population in the young cluster Tr 37. Disk evolution, accretion, and environment

Science.gov (United States)

Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Sobolev, Andrej; Getman, Konstantin; Henning, Thomas; Fang, Min

2013-11-01

Aims: We present a study of accretion and protoplanetary disks around M-type stars in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37. With a well-studied solar-type population, Tr 37 is a benchmark for disk evolution. Methods: We used low-resolution spectroscopy to identify and classify 141 members (78 new ones) and 64 probable members, mostly M-type stars. Hα emission provides information about accretion. Optical, 2MASS, Spitzer, and WISE data are used to trace the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and search for disks. We construct radiative transfer models to explore the structures of full-disks, pre-transition, transition, and dust-depleted disks. Results: Including the new members and the known solar-type stars, we confirm that a substantial fraction (~2/5) of disks show signs of evolution, either as radial dust evolution (transition/pre-transition disks) or as a more global evolution (with low small-dust masses, dust settling, and weak/absent accretion signatures). Accretion is strongly dependent on the SED type. About half of the transition objects are consistent with no accretion, and dust-depleted disks have weak (or undetectable) accretion signatures, especially among M-type stars. Conclusions: The analysis of accretion and disk structure suggests a parallel evolution of dust and gas. We find several distinct classes of evolved disks, based on SED type and accretion status, pointing to different disk dispersal mechanisms and probably different evolutionary paths. Dust depletion and opening of inner holes appear to be independent processes: most transition disks are not dust-depleted, and most dust-depleted disks do not require inner holes. The differences in disk structure between M-type and solar-type stars in Tr 37 (4 Myr old) are not as remarkable as in the young, sparse, Coronet cluster (1-2 Myr old), suggesting that other factors, like the environment/interactions in each cluster, are likely to play an important role in the disk evolution and dispersal. Finally, we

High energy power-law tail in X-ray binaries and bulk Comptonization due to an outflow from a disk

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Nagendra

2018-02-01

We study the high energy power-law tail emission of X-ray binaries (XRBs) by a bulk Comptonization process which is usually observed in the very high soft (VHS) state of black hole (BH) XRBs and the high soft (HS) state of the neutron star (NS) and BH XRBs. Earlier, to generate the power-law tail in bulk Comptonization framework, a free-fall converging flow into BH or NS had been considered as a bulk region. In this work, for a bulk region we consider mainly an outflow geometry from the accretion disk which is bounded by a torus surrounding the compact object. We have two choices for an outflow geometry: (i) collimated flow and (ii) conical flow of opening angle θ _b and the axis is perpendicular to the disk. We also consider an azimuthal velocity of the torus fluids as a bulk motion where the fluids are rotating around the compact object (a torus flow). We find that the power-law tail can be generated in a torus flow having large optical depth and bulk speed (>0.75 c), and in conical flow with θ _b > ˜ 30° for a low value of Comptonizing medium temperature. Particularly, in conical flow the low opening angle is more favourable to generate the power-law tail in both the HS state and the VHS state. We notice that when the outflow is collimated, then the emergent spectrum does not have power-law component for a low Comptonizing medium temperature.

Evidence for ultra-fast outflows in radio-quiet AGNs: III - location and energetics

OpenAIRE

Tombesi, F.; Cappi, M.; Reeves, J. N.; Braito, V.

2012-01-01

Using the results of a previous X-ray photo-ionization modelling of blue-shifted Fe K absorption lines on a sample of 42 local radio-quiet AGNs observed with XMM-Newton, in this letter we estimate the location and energetics of the associated ultra-fast outflows (UFOs). Due to significant uncertainties, we are essentially able to place only lower/upper limits. On average, their location is in the interval ~0.0003-0.03pc (~10^2-10^4 r_s) from the central black hole, consistent with what is exp...

ACCRETION DISK SIGNATURES IN TYPE I X-RAY BURSTS: PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE MISSIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keek, L. [CRESST and X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Wolf, Z.; Ballantyne, D. R., E-mail: laurens.keek@nasa.gov [Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 837 State Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0430 (United States)

2016-07-20

Type I X-ray bursts and superbursts from accreting neutron stars illuminate the accretion disk and produce a reflection signal that evolves as the burst fades. Examining the evolution of reflection features in the spectra will provide insight into the burst–disk interaction, a potentially powerful probe of accretion disk physics. At present, reflection has been observed during only two bursts of exceptional duration. We investigate the detectability of reflection signatures with four of the latest well-studied X-ray observatory concepts: Hitomi , Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer ( NICER ), Athena , and Large Observatory For X-ray Timing ( LOFT ). Burst spectra are modeled for different values for the flux, temperature, and the disk ionization parameter, which are representative for most known bursts and sources. The effective area and throughput of a Hitomi -like telescope are insufficient for characterizing burst reflection features. NICER and Athena will detect reflection signatures in Type I bursts with peak fluxes ≳10{sup 7.5} erg cm{sup 2} s{sup 1} and also effectively constrain the reflection parameters for bright bursts with fluxes of ∼10{sup 7} erg cm{sup 2} s{sup 1} in exposures of several seconds. Thus, these observatories will provide crucial new insight into the interaction of accretion flows and X-ray bursts. For sources with low line-of-sight absorption, the wide bandpass of these instruments allows for the detection of soft X-ray reflection features, which are sensitive to the disk metallicity and density. The large collecting area that is part of the LOFT design would revolutionize the field by tracing the evolution of the accretion geometry in detail throughout short bursts.

Numerical Simulations of Wind Accretion in Symbiotic Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

de Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D.

2009-08-01

About half of the binary systems are close enough to each other for mass to be exchanged between them at some point in their evolution, yet the accretion mechanism in wind accreting binaries is not well understood. We study the dynamical effects of gravitational focusing by a binary companion on winds from late-type stars. In particular, we investigate the mass transfer and formation of accretion disks around the secondary in detached systems consisting of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) mass-losing star and an accreting companion. The presence of mass outflows is studied as a function of mass-loss rate, wind temperature, and binary orbital parameters. A two-dimensional hydrodynamical model is used to study the stability of mass transfer in wind accreting symbiotic binary systems. In our simulations we use an adiabatic equation of state and a modified version of the isothermal approximation, where the temperature depends on the distance from the mass losing star and its companion. The code uses a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement method that allows us to have high resolution at the position of the secondary and resolve the formation of bow shocks and accretion disks. We explore the accretion flow between the components and formation of accretion disks for a range of orbital separations and wind parameters. Our results show the formation of stream flow between the stars and accretion disks of various sizes for certain orbital configurations. For a typical slow and massive wind from an AGB star the flow pattern is similar to a Roche lobe overflow with accretion rates of 10% of the mass loss from the primary. Stable disks with exponentially decreasing density profiles and masses of the order 10-4 solar masses are formed when wind acceleration occurs at several stellar radii. The disks are geometrically thin with eccentric streamlines and close to Keplerian velocity profiles. The formation of tidal streams and accretion disks is found to be weakly dependent on

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF WIND ACCRETION IN SYMBIOTIC BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D.

2009-01-01

About half of the binary systems are close enough to each other for mass to be exchanged between them at some point in their evolution, yet the accretion mechanism in wind accreting binaries is not well understood. We study the dynamical effects of gravitational focusing by a binary companion on winds from late-type stars. In particular, we investigate the mass transfer and formation of accretion disks around the secondary in detached systems consisting of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) mass-losing star and an accreting companion. The presence of mass outflows is studied as a function of mass-loss rate, wind temperature, and binary orbital parameters. A two-dimensional hydrodynamical model is used to study the stability of mass transfer in wind accreting symbiotic binary systems. In our simulations we use an adiabatic equation of state and a modified version of the isothermal approximation, where the temperature depends on the distance from the mass losing star and its companion. The code uses a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement method that allows us to have high resolution at the position of the secondary and resolve the formation of bow shocks and accretion disks. We explore the accretion flow between the components and formation of accretion disks for a range of orbital separations and wind parameters. Our results show the formation of stream flow between the stars and accretion disks of various sizes for certain orbital configurations. For a typical slow and massive wind from an AGB star the flow pattern is similar to a Roche lobe overflow with accretion rates of 10% of the mass loss from the primary. Stable disks with exponentially decreasing density profiles and masses of the order 10 -4 solar masses are formed when wind acceleration occurs at several stellar radii. The disks are geometrically thin with eccentric streamlines and close to Keplerian velocity profiles. The formation of tidal streams and accretion disks is found to be weakly dependent

Watching AGN feedback at its birth: HST observations of nascent outflow host IC860

Science.gov (United States)

Alatalo, Katherine

2016-10-01

IC860 is a nearby IR-luminous early-type spiral with a unique set of properties: it is a shocked, poststarburst galaxy that hosts an AGN-driven neutral wind and a compact core of molecular gas. IC860 can serve as a rosetta stone for the early stages of triggering AGN feedback. We propose to use WFC3 on HST to obtain NUV, optical and near-IR imaging of IC860. We will create a spatially-resolved history of star formation quenching through SED-fitting of 7 requested broadband filters, and compare the spatially resolved star formation histories to in different positions within the underlying stellar features (such as spiral structure) that might define a narrative of how star formation is quenching in IC860. These observations will also resolve the super-star cluster sites to trace the most recent star formation. Finally, these observations will trace the mass of the outflow by building an absorption map of the dust. IC860 presents a unique opportunity to study a galaxy at an early stage of transitioning from blue spiral to red early-type galaxy, that also hosts an AGN-driven neutral wind and a compact, turbulent molecular gas core.

Short-term variability of Cyg X-1 and the accretion disk temperature fluctuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doi, K.

1980-01-01

Recent theoretical models which have been proposed to explain the observed time-averaged spectrum of Cyg X-1 assume that the hard x-rays are emitted by inverse-Compton mechanism from an optically thin, hot accretion disk around a black hole. Results are reported here of balloon observations (20-68 keV) and compared with previous rocket observations (1.5-25 keV). Using the results an analysis is made of the variability of the source intensity in the hard x-ray range which suggests that the variation is essentially spectral indicating that it originated from temperature fluctuation in an accretive disk. Such a model, which explains the stochastic nature of the variability, its characteristic time scale and spectral features at the same time in the context of the conventional accretion disk model for Cyg X-1, is examined. (U.K.)

Accretion Disks around Young Stars: An Observational Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Ménard, F.; Bertout, C.

Accretion disks are pivotal elements in the formation and early evolution of solar-like stars. On top of supplying the raw material, their internal conditions also regulate the formation of planets. Their study therefore holds the key to solve this long standing mystery: how did our Solar System form? This chapter focuses on observational studies of the circumstellar environment, and in particular of circumstellar disks, associated with pre-main sequence solar-like stars. The direct measurement of disk parameters poses an obvious challenge: at the distance of the typical star forming regions ( e.g. 140 pc for Taurus), a planetary system like ours (with diameter simeq50 AU out to Pluto, but excluding the Kuiper belt which could extend much farther out) subtends only 0.35''. Yet its surface brightness is low in comparison to the bright central star and high angular and high contrast imaging techniques are required if one hopes to resolve and measure these protoplanetary disks. Fortunately, capable instruments providing 0.1'' resolution or better and high contrast have been available for just about 10 years now. They are covering a large part of the electromagnetic spectrum, from the UV/Optical with HST and the near-infrared from ground-based adaptive optics systems, to the millimetric range with long-baseline radio interferometers. It is therefore not surprising that our knowledge of the structure of the disks surrounding low-mass stars has made a gigantic leap forward in the last decade. In the following pages we will attempt to describe, in a historical perpective, the road that led to the idea that most solar-like stars are surrounded by an accretion disk at one point in their early life and how, nowadays, their structural and physical parameters can be estimated from direct observations. We will follow by a short discussion of a few of the constraints available regarding the evolution and dissipation of these disks. This last topic is particularly relevant today

Diskoseismology: Probing accretion disks. I - Trapped adiabatic oscillations

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Michael A.; Wagoner, Robert V.

1991-01-01

The normal modes of acoustic oscillations within thin accretion disks which are terminated by an innermost stable orbit around a slowly rotating black hole or weakly magnetized compact neutron star are analyzed. The dominant relativistic effects which allow modes to be trapped within the inner region of the disk are approximated via a modified Newtonian potential. A general formalism is developed for investigating the adiabatic oscillations of arbitrary unperturbed disk models. The generic behavior is explored by way of an expansion of the Lagrangian displacement about the plane of symmetry and by assuming separable solutions with the same radial wavelength for the horizontal and vertical perturbations. The lowest eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions of a particular set of radial and quadrupole modes which have minimum motion normal for the plane are obtained. These modes correspond to the standard dispersion relation of disk theory.

Possible Accretion Disk Origin of the Emission Variability of a Blazar Jet

Science.gov (United States)

Chatterjee, Ritaban; Roychowdhury, Agniva; Chandra, Sunil; Sinha, Atreyee

2018-06-01

We analyze X-ray light curves of the blazar Mrk 421 obtained from the Soft X-ray Imaging Telescope (SXT) and the Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter (LAXPC) instrument on board the Indian space telescope AstroSat and archival observations from Swift. We show that the X-ray power spectral density (PSD) is a piece-wise power-law with a break; i.e., the index becomes more negative below a characteristic “break timescale.” Galactic black hole (BH) X-ray binaries and Seyfert galaxies exhibit a similar characteristic timescale in their X-ray variability that is proportional to their respective BH mass. X-rays in these objects are produced in the accretion disk or corona. Hence, such a timescale is believed to be linked to the properties of the accretion flow. Any relation observed between events in the accretion disk and those in the jet can be used to characterize the disk–jet connection. However, evidence of such a link has been scarce and indirect. Mrk 421 is a BL Lac object that has a prominent jet pointed toward us and a weak disk emission, and it is assumed that most of its X-rays are generated in the jet. Hence, the existence of the break in its X-ray PSD may indicate that changes in the accretion disk, which may be the source of the break timescale, are translating into the jet where the X-rays are produced.

DISCOVERY OF CANDIDATE H2O DISK MASERS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI AND ESTIMATIONS OF CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenhill, Lincoln J.; Moran, James M.; Tilak, Avanti; Kondratko, Paul T.

2009-01-01

Based on spectroscopic signatures, about one-third of known H 2 O maser sources in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are believed to arise in highly inclined accretion disks around central engines. These 'disk maser candidates' are of interest primarily because angular structure and rotation curves can be resolved with interferometers, enabling dynamical study. We identify five new disk maser candidates in studies with the Green Bank Telescope, bringing the total number published to 30. We discovered two (NGC 1320, NGC 17) in a survey of 40 inclined active galaxies (v sys -1 ). The remaining three disk maser candidates were identified in monitoring of known sources: NGC 449, NGC 2979, and NGC 3735. We also confirm a previously marginal case in UGC 4203. For the disk maser candidates reported here, inferred rotation speeds are 130-500 km s -1 . Monitoring of three more rapidly rotating candidate disks (CG 211, NGC 6264, VV 340A) has enabled measurement of likely orbital centripetal acceleration, and estimation of central masses ((2-7) x10 7 M sun ) and mean disk radii (0.2-0.4 pc). Accelerations may ultimately permit estimation of distances when combined with interferometer data. This is notable because the three AGNs are relatively distant (10,000 km s -1 sys -1 ), and fractional error in a derived Hubble constant, due to peculiar motion of the galaxies, would be small. As signposts of highly inclined geometries at galactocentric radii of ∼0.1-1 pc, disk masers also provide robust orientation references that allow analysis of (mis)alignment between AGNs and surrounding galactic stellar disks, even without extensive interferometric mapping. We find no preference among published disk maser candidates to lie in high-inclination galaxies. This provides independent support for conclusions that in late-type galaxies, central engine accretion disks and galactic plane orientations are not correlated.

Accretion Disk Reverberation with Hubble Space Telescope Observations of NGC 4593: Evidence for Diffuse Continuum Lags

Science.gov (United States)

Cackett, Edward M.; Chiang, Chia-Ying; McHardy, Ian; Edelson, Rick; Goad, Michael R.; Horne, Keith; Korista, Kirk T.

2018-04-01

The Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4593 was monitored spectroscopically with the Hubble Space Telescope as part of a reverberation mapping campaign that also included Swift, Kepler, and ground-based photometric monitoring. During 2016 July 12–August 6, we obtained 26 spectra across a nearly continuous wavelength range of ∼1150–10000 Å. These were combined with Swift data to produce a UV/optical “lag spectrum,” which shows the interband lag relative to the Swift UVW2 band as a function of wavelength. The broad shape of the lag spectrum appears to follow the τ ∝ λ 4/3 relation seen previously in photometric interband lag measurements of other active galactic nuclei (AGNs). This shape is consistent with the standard thin disk model, but the magnitude of the lags implies a disk that is a factor of ∼3 larger than predicted, again consistent with what has been previously seen in other AGNs. In all cases these large disk sizes, which are also implied by independent gravitational microlensing of higher-mass AGNs, cannot be simply reconciled with the standard model. However, the most striking feature in this higher-resolution lag spectrum is a clear excess around the 3646 Å Balmer jump. This strongly suggests that diffuse emission from gas in the much larger broad-line region (BLR) must also contribute significantly to the interband lags. While the relative contributions of the disk and BLR cannot be uniquely determined in these initial measurements, it is clear that both will need to be considered to comprehensively model and understand AGN lag spectra.

SURFACE LAYER ACCRETION IN TRANSITIONAL AND CONVENTIONAL DISKS: FROM POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS TO PLANETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez-Becker, Daniel; Chiang, Eugene

2011-01-01

'Transitional' T Tauri disks have optically thin holes with radii ∼>10 AU, yet accrete up to the median T Tauri rate. Multiple planets inside the hole can torque the gas to high radial speeds over large distances, reducing the local surface density while maintaining accretion. Thus multi-planet systems, together with reductions in disk opacity due to grain growth, can explain how holes can be simultaneously transparent and accreting. There remains the problem of how outer disk gas diffuses into the hole. Here it has been proposed that the magnetorotational instability (MRI) erodes disk surface layers ionized by stellar X-rays. In contrast to previous work, we find that the extent to which surface layers are MRI-active is limited not by ohmic dissipation but by ambipolar diffusion, the latter measured by Am: the number of times a neutral hydrogen molecule collides with ions in a dynamical time. Simulations by Hawley and Stone showed that Am ∼ 100 is necessary for ions to drive MRI turbulence in neutral gas. We calculate that in X-ray-irradiated surface layers, Am typically varies from ∼10 -3 to 1, depending on the abundance of charge-adsorbing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, whose properties we infer from Spitzer observations. We conclude that ionization of H 2 by X-rays and cosmic rays can sustain, at most, only weak MRI turbulence in surface layers 1-10 g cm -2 thick, and that accretion rates in such layers are too small compared to observed accretion rates for the majority of disks.

Toward a Unified AGN Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Kazanas, Demosthenes; Fukumura, Keigo; Shrader, Chris; Behar, Ehud; Contopoulosa, Ioannis

2012-01-01

We present a unified model for the structure and appearance of accretion powered sources across their entire luminosity range from galactic X-ray binaries (XRB) to luminous quasars, with emphasis on AG N and their phenomenology. Central to this model is the notion of MHD winds launched by the accretion disks that power these objects. These winds provide the matter that manifests as blueshifted absorption features in the UV and X-ray spectra of a large fraction of these sources; furthermore, their density distribution in the poloidal plane determines their "appearance" (i.e. the column and velocity structure of these absorption features and the obscuration of the continuum source) as a function of the observer inclination angle (a feature to which INTEGRAL has made significant contributions). This work focuses on just the broadest characteristics of these objects; nonetheless, it provides scaling laws that allow one to reproduce within this model the properties of objects extending in luminosity from luminous quasars to XRBs. Our general conclusion is that the AGN phenomenology can be accounted for in terms of three parameters: The wind maSS flux in units of the Eddington value, m(dot), the observers' inclination angle Theta and the logarithmic slope between the 0/UV and X-ray fluxes alpha(sub ox); however because of a correlation between alpha(sub ox) and UV luminosity the number of significant parameters is two. The AGN correlations implied by this model appear to extend to and consistent with the XRB phenomenology, suggesting the presence of a truly unified underlying structure for accretion powered sources.

Thin accretion disk signatures in dynamical Chern-Simons-modified gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harko, Tiberiu; Kovacs, Zoltan; Lobo, Francisco S N

2010-01-01

A promising extension of general relativity is Chern-Simons (CS)-modified gravity, in which the Einstein-Hilbert action is modified by adding a parity-violating CS term, which couples to gravity via a scalar field. In this work, we consider the interesting, yet relatively unexplored, dynamical formulation of CS-modified gravity, where the CS coupling field is treated as a dynamical field, endowed with its own stress-energy tensor and evolution equation. We consider the possibility of observationally testing dynamical CS-modified gravity by using the accretion disk properties around slowly rotating black holes. The energy flux, temperature distribution, the emission spectrum as well as the energy conversion efficiency are obtained, and compared to the standard general relativistic Kerr solution. It is shown that the Kerr black hole provides a more efficient engine for the transformation of the energy of the accreting mass into radiation than their slowly rotating counterparts in CS-modified gravity. Specific signatures appear in the electromagnetic spectrum, thus leading to the possibility of directly testing CS-modified gravity by using astrophysical observations of the emission spectra from accretion disks.

EVIDENCE FOR ULTRA-FAST OUTFLOWS IN RADIO-QUIET ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. II. DETAILED PHOTOIONIZATION MODELING OF Fe K-SHELL ABSORPTION LINES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tombesi, F.; Cappi, M.; Dadina, M.; Reeves, J. N.; Palumbo, G. G. C.; Braito, V.

2011-01-01

cosmological feedback from AGNs and their study can provide important clues on the connection between accretion disks, winds, and jets.

Soft X-ray Emission from Large-Scale Galactic Outflows in Seyfert Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E. J. M.; Baum, S.; O'Dea, C.; Veilleux, S.

1998-01-01

Kiloparsec-scale soft X-ray nebulae extend along the galaxy minor axes in several Seyfert galaxies, including NGC 2992, NGC 4388 and NGC 5506. In these three galaxies, the extended X-ray emission observed in ROSAT HRI images has 0.2-2.4 keV X-ray luminosities of 0.4-3.5 x 10(40) erg s(-1) . The X-ray nebulae are roughly co-spatial with the large-scale radio emission, suggesting that both are produced by large-scale galactic outflows. Assuming pressure balance between the radio and X-ray plasmas, the X-ray filling factor is >~ 10(4) times as large as the radio plasma filling factor, suggesting that large-scale outflows in Seyfert galaxies are predominantly winds of thermal X-ray emitting gas. We favor an interpretation in which large-scale outflows originate as AGN-driven jets that entrain and heat gas on kpc scales as they make their way out of the galaxy. AGN- and starburst-driven winds are also possible explanations if the winds are oriented along the rotation axis of the galaxy disk. Since large-scale outflows are present in at least 50 percent of Seyfert galaxies, the soft X-ray emission from the outflowing gas may, in many cases, explain the ``soft excess" X-ray feature observed below 2 keV in X-ray spectra of many Seyfert 2 galaxies.

NGC 3393: multi-component AGN feedback as seen by CHEERS

Science.gov (United States)

Maksym, W. Peter; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita; Raymond, John C.; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Paggi, Alessandro; Wang, Junfeng; Risaliti, Guido

2017-01-01

Due to its low density, moderate ionization, and weak kinematics, the narrow line region (NLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) provides poweful diagnostics for investigating AGN feedback. The CHandra Extended Emission line Region Survey (CHEERS) is the ultimate investigation into resolved feedback in the NLR. We present results from our CHEERS investigations of NGC 3393. By imaging extended X-ray line emission of NGC 3393 with Chandra and optical line emission with Hubble's narrow-band filters, we are able to map out the simultaneous impact of photoionization, jets and an AGN disk-wind. When resolved on scales of ~10s of parsecs, the NLR of NGC 3393 shows a complex multi-component medium. Diagnostic line mapping indicates a Low-ionization Emmision Line Region (LINER) cocoon surrounding the outflow-evacuated cavities (in optical) and surrounding the supports the presence of collisional plasma (in X-rays). These physically distinct constituent regions can only be resolved by the high-resolution imaging that Chandra and HST enable.

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey - III. An Observed Link Between AGN Eddington Ratio and Narrow-Emission-Line Ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Kyuseok; Schawinski, Kevin; Koss, Michael; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Lamperti, Isabella; Ricci, Claudio; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain; Berney, Simon; Crenshaw, D. Michael;

Accretion Disk Spectra of the Ultra-Luminous X-Ray Sources in Nearby Spiral Galaxies and Galactic Superluminal Jet Sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mizuno, T

2003-12-11

Ultra-luminous Compact X-ray Sources (ULXs) in nearby spiral galaxies and Galactic superluminal jet sources share the common spectral characteristic that they have unusually high disk temperatures which cannot be explained in the framework of the standard optically thick accretion disk in the Schwarzschild metric. On the other hand, the standard accretion disk around the Kerr black hole might explain the observed high disk temperature, as the inner radius of the Kerr disk gets smaller and the disk temperature can be consequently higher. However, we point out that the observable Kerr disk spectra becomes significantly harder than Schwarzschild disk spectra only when the disk is highly inclined. This is because the emission from the innermost part of the accretion disk is Doppler-boosted for an edge-on Kerr disk, while hardly seen for a face-on disk. The Galactic superluminal jet sources are known to be highly inclined systems, thus their energy spectra may be explained with the standard Kerr disk with known black hole masses. For ULXs, on the other hand, the standard Kerr disk model seems implausible, since it is highly unlikely that their accretion disks are preferentially inclined, and, if edge-on Kerr disk model is applied, the black hole mass becomes unreasonably large (> 300 M{sub solar}). Instead, the slim disk (advection dominated optically thick disk) model is likely to explain the observed super-Eddington luminosities, hard energy spectra, and spectral variations of ULXs. We suggest that ULXs are accreting black holes with a few tens of solar mass, which is not unexpected from the standard stellar evolution scenario, and that their X-ray emission is from the slim disk shining at super-Eddington luminosities.

Active galactic nucleus outflows in galaxy discs

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwig, Tilman; Volonteri, Marta; Dashyan, Gohar

2018-05-01

Galactic outflows, driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), play a crucial role in galaxy formation and in the self-regulated growth of supermassive black holes (BHs). AGN feedback couples to and affects gas, rather than stars, and in many, if not most, gas-rich galaxies cold gas is rotationally supported and settles in a disc. We present a 2D analytical model for AGN-driven outflows in a gaseous disc and demonstrate the main improvements, compared to existing 1D solutions. We find significant differences for the outflow dynamics and wind efficiency. The outflow is energy-driven due to inefficient cooling up to a certain AGN luminosity (˜1043 erg s-1 in our fiducial model), above which the outflow remains momentum-driven in the disc up to galactic scales. We reproduce results of 3D simulations that gas is preferentially ejected perpendicular to the disc and find that the fraction of ejected interstellar medium is lower than in 1D models. The recovery time of gas in the disc, defined as the free-fall time from the radius to which the AGN pushes the ISM at most, is remarkably short, of the order 1 Myr. This indicates that AGN-driven winds cannot suppress BH growth for long. Without the inclusion of supernova feedback, we find a scaling of the BH mass with the halo velocity dispersion of MBH ∝ σ4.8.

Thermal Comptonization in standard accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maraschi, L.; Molendi, S.

1990-01-01

The standard model of an accretion disk is considered. The temperature in the inner region is computed assuming that the radiated power derives from Comptonized photons, produced in a homogeneous single-temperature plasma, supported by radiation pressure. The photon production mechanisms are purely thermal, including ion-electron bremsstrahlung, bound-free and bound-bound processes, and e-e bremsstrahlung. Pair production is not included, which limits the validity of the treatment to kT less than 60 keV. Three different approximations for the effects of Comptonization on the energy loss are used, yielding temperatures which agree within 50 percent. The maximum temperature is very sensitive to the accretion rate and viscosity parameters, ranging, for a 10 to the 8th solar mass black hole, between 0.1 and 50 keV for m between 0.1 and 1 and alpha between 0.1 and 1 and, for a 10-solar-mass black hole, between 0.6 and 60 keV for m between 0.1 and 0.9 and alpha between 0.1 and 0.5. For high viscosity and accretion rates, the emission spectra show a flat component following a peak corresponding to the temperature of the innermost optically thick annulus. 28 refs

Super-Eddington Accretion in the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source NGC 1313 X-2: An Ephemeral Feast

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Shan-Shan; Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Zhao, Hai-Hui

2014-01-01

We investigate the X-ray spectrum, variability, and the surrounding ionized bubble of NGC 1313 X-2 to explore the physics of super-Eddington accretion. Beyond the Eddington luminosity, the accretion disk of NGC 1313 X-2 is truncated at a large radius (~50 times the innermost stable circular orbit), and displays the similar evolution track with both luminous Galactic black-hole and neutron star X-ray binaries (XRBs). In super-critical accretion, the speed of radiatively driven outflows from the inner disk is mildly relativistic. Such ultra-fast outflows would be overionized and might produce weak Fe K absorption lines, which may be detected by the coming X-ray mission Astro-H. If NGC 1313 X-2 is a massive stellar XRB, the high luminosity indicates that an ephemeral feast is held in the source. That is, the source must be accreting at a hyper-Eddington mass rate to give the super-Eddington emission over ~104-105 yr. The expansion of the surrounding bubble nebula with a velocity of ~100 km s-1 might indicate that it has existed over ~106 yr and is inflated by the radiatively driven outflows from the transient with a duty cycle of activity of ~ a few percent. Alternatively, if the surrounding bubble nebula is produced by line-driven winds, less energy is required than the radiatively driven outflow scenario, and the radius of the Strömgren radius agrees with the nebula size. Our results are in favor of the line-driven winds scenario, which can avoid the conflict between the short accretion age and the apparently much longer bubble age inferred from the expansion velocity in the nebula.

Exploring the Effects of Disk Thickness on the Black Hole Reflection Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Corbin; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2018-03-01

The relativistically broadened reflection spectrum, observed in both AGN and X-ray binaries, has proven to be a powerful probe of the properties of black holes and the environments in which they reside. Emitted from the innermost regions of the accretion disk, this X-ray spectral component carries with it information not only about the plasma that resides in these extreme conditions, but also the black hole spin, a marker of the formation and accretion history of these objects. The models currently used to interpret the reflection spectrum are often simplistic, however, approximating the disk as an infinitely thin, optically thick plane of material orbiting in circular Keplerian orbits around the central object. Using a new relativistic ray-tracing suite (Fenrir) that allows for more complex disk approximations, we examine the effects that disk thickness may have on the reflection spectrum. Assuming a lamppost corona, we find that finite disk thickness can have a variety of effects on the reflection spectrum, including a truncation of the blue wing (from self-shadowing of the accretion disk) and an enhancement of the red wing (from the irradiation of the central “eye wall” of the inner disk). We deduce the systematic errors on black hole spin and height that may result from neglecting these effects.

Rapidly variable relatvistic absorption

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, M.; Pinto, C.; Fabian, A.; Lohfink, A.; Buisson, D.; Alston, W.; Jiang, J.

2017-10-01

I will present results from the 1.5Ms XMM-Newton observing campaign on the most X-ray variable AGN, IRAS 13224-3809. We find a series of nine absorption lines with a velocity of 0.24c from an ultra-fast outflow. For the first time, we are able to see extremely rapid variability of the UFO features, and can link this to the X-ray variability from the inner accretion disk. We find a clear flux dependence of the outflow features, suggesting that the wind is ionized by increasing X-ray emission.

Large-scale dynamo of accretion disks around supermassive nonrotating black holes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poplavsky A.L.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper one presents an analytical model of accretion disk magnetosphere dynamics around supermassive nonrotating black holes in the centers of active galactic nuclei. Based on general relativistic equations of magneto hydrodynamics, the nonstationary solutions for time-dependent dynamo action in the accretion disks, spatial and temporal distribution of magnetic field are found. It is shown that there are two distinct stages of dynamo process: the transient and the steady-state regimes, the induction of magnetic field at t > 6:6665 x 1011GM/c3 s becomes stationary, magnetic field is located near the innermost stable circular orbit, and its value rises up to ~ 105 G. Applications of such systems with nonrotating black holes in real active galactic nuclei are discussed.

Water Masers and Accretion Disks in Galactic Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Greenhill, L. J.

2005-12-01

There are over 50 sources of H2O maser emission in type-2 active galactic nuclei, a large fraction discovered in the last two years. Interferometer maps of water masers are presently the only means by which structures ⪉ 1 pc from massive black holes can be mapped directly, which is particularly important for type-2 systems because edge-on orientation and obscuration complicate study by other means. Investigations of several sources have demonstrated convincingly that the maser emission traces warped accretion disks 0.1 to 1 pc from central engines of order 106-108 M⊙. The same may be true for almost half the known (but unmapped) sources, based on spectral characteristics consistent with emission from edge-on accretion disks. Mapping these sources is a high priority. Study of most recently discovered masers requires long baseline arrays that include 100-m class apertures and would benefit from aggregate bit rates on the order of 1 gigabit per second. The Square Kilometer Array should provide an order of magnitude boost in mapping sensitivity, but outrigger antennas will be needed to achieve necesssary angular resolutions, as may be space-borne antennas.

TRACING OUTFLOWS AND ACCRETION: A BIMODAL AZIMUTHAL DEPENDENCE OF Mg II ABSORPTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kacprzak, Glenn G.; Churchill, Christopher W.; Nielsen, Nikole M.

2012-01-01

We report a bimodality in the azimuthal angle distribution of gas around galaxies as traced by Mg II absorption: halo gas prefers to exist near the projected galaxy major and minor axes. The bimodality is demonstrated by computing the mean azimuthal angle probability distribution function using 88 spectroscopically confirmed Mg II-absorption-selected galaxies [W r (2796) ≥ 0.1 Å] and 35 spectroscopically confirmed non-absorbing galaxies [W r (2796) r (2796) r (2796) distribution for gas along the major axis is likely skewed toward weaker Mg II absorption than for gas along the projected minor axis. These combined results are highly suggestive that the bimodality is driven by gas accreted along the galaxy major axis and outflowing along the galaxy minor axis. Adopting these assumptions, we find that the opening angle of outflows and inflows to be 100° and 40°, respectively. We find that the probability of detecting outflows is ∼60%, implying that winds are more commonly observed.

The Origin and Structure of the Magnetic Fields and Currents of AGN Jets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Gabuzda

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews observational evidence obtained to date about the overall structure of the magnetic fields in the jets of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN. Because they are sensitive to the line-of-sight magnetic-field component, Faraday rotation observations of AGN jets provide an effective tool for searching for toroidal jet magnetic fields, whose line-of-sight component changes systematically across the jet. Transverse Faraday rotation measure (RM gradients providing direct evidence for helical/toroidal magnetic fields have been reliably detected in nearly 40 AGN on parsec scales. Helical magnetic fields are believed to form due to the combined action of the rotation of the central black hole and accretion disk, and these observations demonstrate that at least some of this helical field survives to distances well beyond the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI core. Observations of reversals in the direction of the transverse RM gradients in a number of AGN provide evidence for a“return”magnetic field forming a nested helical-field structure with oppositely directed azimuthal components in the inner and outer regions of the helical magnetic field. The collected data now provide firm evidence for a predominance of inward jet currents on parsec scales and outward currents on scales greater than a few tens of parsecs. This suggests a global pattern of magnetic fields and currents with an inward current near the jet axis and an outward current farther from the jet axis, with these currents closing in the accretion disk and far out in the radio lobes, forming a self-consistent set of fields and currents together with the implied nested helical-field structure.

Hosts and environments of low luminosity active galaxies in the local universe: The care and feeding of weak AGN

Science.gov (United States)

Parejko, John Kenneth

The observed relationship between the mass of a galaxy's supermassive black hole and the galaxy's bulge mass suggests a relationship between the growth of the galaxy and the growth of its central black hole. When these black holes grow, they release phenomenal amounts of energy into their surroundings, possibly disrupting further growth of the galaxy. The feeding (inflowing matter) and feedback (outflowing energy) of a galaxy's central black hole may be intimately related to the properties of the host's environment, on scales many orders of magnitude beyond the black hole's gravitational influence. While feeding, a massive black hole reveals itself as an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN), but only a few percent of all galaxies show evidence of an AGN. This thesis focuses on this question: What distinguishes galaxies that are currently hosting actively accreting black holes from those that are not? We use the vast data set provided by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) to study the environments of a well defined sample of AGN hosts. To reduce contamination by galaxies that do not harbor actively accreting black holes, we define a clear, unambiguous sample of local AGN. Using this sample, we search for AGN in merging galaxies and measure the 2-point cross-correlation function of AGN and all galaxies to estimate the environments of AGN hosts compared to non-AGN hosts. We also describe trends in different subsamples of AGN, including luminosity and classification sub-type. Finally, we show how these techniques may be applied to future data sets such as forthcoming SDSS III data and X-ray data from the eROSITA satellite.

Supermassive black holes with high accretion rates in active galactic nuclei. I. First results from a new reverberation mapping campaign

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Pu; Hu, Chen; Qiu, Jie; Li, Yan-Rong; Wang, Jian-Min; Lu, Kai-Xing; Wang, Fang; Bai, Jin-Ming; Kaspi, Shai; Netzer, Hagai

2014-01-01

We report first results from a large project to measure black hole (BH) mass in high accretion rate active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Such objects may be different from other AGNs in being powered by slim accretion disks and showing saturated accretion luminosities, but both are not yet fully understood. The results are part of a large reverberation mapping (RM) campaign using the 2.4 m Shangri-La telescope at the Yunnan Observatory in China. The goals are to investigate the gas distribution near the BH and the properties of the central accretion disks, to measure BH mass and Eddington ratios, and to test the feasibility of using such objects as a new type of cosmological candles. The paper presents results for three objects, Mrk 335, Mrk 142, and IRAS F12397+3333, with Hβ time lags relative to the 5100 Å continuum of 10.6 −2.9 +1.7 , 6.4 −2.2 +0.8 and 11.4 −1.9 +2.9 days, respectively. The corresponding BH masses are (8.3 −3.2 +2.6 )×10 6 M ⊙ , (3.4 −1.2 +0.5 )×10 6 M ⊙ , and (7.5 −4.1 +4.3 )×10 6 M ⊙ , and the lower limits on the Eddington ratios are 0.6, 2.3, and 4.6 for the minimal radiative efficiency of 0.038. Mrk 142 and IRAS F12397+333 (extinction corrected) clearly deviate from the currently known relation between Hβ lag and continuum luminosity. The three Eddington ratios are beyond the values expected in thin accretion disks and two of them are the largest measured so far among objects with RM-based BH masses. We briefly discuss implications for slim disks, BH growth, and cosmology.

Supermassive Black Holes with High Accretion Rates in Active Galactic Nuclei. I. First Results from a New Reverberation Mapping Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Pu; Hu, Chen; Lu, Kai-Xing; Wang, Fang; Qiu, Jie; Li, Yan-Rong; Bai, Jin-Ming; Kaspi, Shai; Netzer, Hagai; Wang, Jian-Min; SEAMBH Collaboration

2014-02-01

We report first results from a large project to measure black hole (BH) mass in high accretion rate active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Such objects may be different from other AGNs in being powered by slim accretion disks and showing saturated accretion luminosities, but both are not yet fully understood. The results are part of a large reverberation mapping (RM) campaign using the 2.4 m Shangri-La telescope at the Yunnan Observatory in China. The goals are to investigate the gas distribution near the BH and the properties of the central accretion disks, to measure BH mass and Eddington ratios, and to test the feasibility of using such objects as a new type of cosmological candles. The paper presents results for three objects, Mrk 335, Mrk 142, and IRAS F12397+3333, with Hβ time lags relative to the 5100 Å continuum of 10.6^{+1.7}_{-2.9}, 6.4^{+0.8}_{-2.2} and 11.4^{+2.9}_{-1.9} days, respectively. The corresponding BH masses are (8.3_{-3.2}^{+2.6})\\times 10^6\\,M_{\\odot }, (3.4_{-1.2}^{+0.5})\\times 10^6\\,M_{\\odot }, and (7.5_{-4.1}^{+4.3})\\times 10^6\\,M_{\\odot }, and the lower limits on the Eddington ratios are 0.6, 2.3, and 4.6 for the minimal radiative efficiency of 0.038. Mrk 142 and IRAS F12397+333 (extinction corrected) clearly deviate from the currently known relation between Hβ lag and continuum luminosity. The three Eddington ratios are beyond the values expected in thin accretion disks and two of them are the largest measured so far among objects with RM-based BH masses. We briefly discuss implications for slim disks, BH growth, and cosmology.

Negative and Positive Outflow-Feedback in Nearby (U)LIRGs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cazzoli, Sara, E-mail: sara@iaa.es [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Granada (Spain)

2017-12-15

The starburst-AGN coexistence in local (U)LIRGs makes these galaxies excellent laboratories for the study of stellar and AGN outflows and feedback. Outflows regulate star formation and AGN activity, redistributing gas, dust and metals over large scales in the interstellar and intergalactic media (negative feedback) being also considered to be able to undergo vigorous star formation (positive feedback). In this contribution, I will summarize the results from a search for outflows in a sample of nearby 38 local (U)LIRG systems observed with VIMOS/VLT integral field unit. For two galaxies of the sample I will detail the outflow properties and discuss the observational evidence for negative and positive outflow-feedback. The assessment of both negative and positive feedback effects represent a novel approach toward a comprehensive understanding of the impact of outflow feedback in the galaxy evolution.

New look at the dynamics of twisted accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatchett, S.P.; Begelman, M.C.; Sarazin, C.L.

1981-01-01

We reexamine the dynamic response of a thin, accretion disk to twisting torques, guided by the earlier analyses by Bardeen and Petterson. We make several corrections to this earlier work, and present a new version of the twist equations consistent with their physical assumptions. By describing the distortion of the disk in terms Cartesian direction cosines rather than the Euler angles used by the earlier authors, we are able to transform the twist equations from a pair of coupled, nonlinear, partial differential equations to a single, linear, complex one. We write down formulae for the external twisting torques likley to be encountered in astrophysic, and we show that even with these driving torques our twist equation remains linear. We find exact, analytic solutions for steady state structure of a disk subject to Lense-Thirring torques by a nonaligned central Kerr black hole and also for the time-dependent problem of the structure of a slaved disk with its oscillating boundary conditions. Finally, we discuss the stability of disks against twisting modes and show that undriven disks and disks subject to time-independent driving torques are stable

Modeling optical and UV polarization of AGNs. IV. Polarization timing

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas Lobos, P. A.; Goosmann, R. W.; Marin, F.; Savić, D.

2018-03-01

Context. Optical observations cannot resolve the structure of active galactic nuclei (AGN), and a unified model for AGN was inferred mostly from indirect methods, such as spectroscopy and variability studies. Optical reverberation mapping allowed us to constrain the spatial dimension of the broad emission line region and thereby to measure the mass of supermassive black holes. Recently, reverberation was also applied to the polarized signal emerging from different AGN components. In principle, this should allow us to measure the spatial dimensions of the sub-parsec reprocessing media. Aim. We conduct numerical modeling of polarization reverberation and provide theoretical predictions for the polarization time lag induced by different AGN components. The model parameters are adjusted to the observational appearance of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151. Methods: We modeled scattering-induced polarization and tested different geometries for the circumnuclear dust component. Our tests included the effects of clumpiness and different dust prescriptions. To further extend the model, we also explored the effects of additional ionized winds stretched along the polar direction, and of an equatorial scattering ring that is responsible for the polarization angle observed in pole-on AGN. The simulations were run using a time-dependent version of the STOKES code. Results: Our modeling confirms the previously found polarization characteristics as a function of the observer`s viewing angle. When the dust adopts a flared-disk geometry, the lags reveal a clear difference between type 1 and type 2 AGN. This distinction is less clear for a torus geometry where the time lag is more sensitive to the geometry and optical depth of the inner surface layers of the funnel. The presence of a scattering equatorial ring and ionized outflows increased the recorded polarization time lags, and the polar outflows smooths out dependence on viewing angle, especially for the higher optical depth of the

Testing warm Comptonization models for the origin of the soft X-ray excess in AGNs

Science.gov (United States)

Petrucci, P.-O.; Ursini, F.; De Rosa, A.; Bianchi, S.; Cappi, M.; Matt, G.; Dadina, M.; Malzac, J.

2018-03-01

The X-ray spectra of many active galactic nuclei (AGNs) show a soft X-ray excess below 1-2 keV on top of the extrapolated high-energy power law. The origin of this component is uncertain. It could be a signature of relativistically blurred, ionized reflection or the high-energy tail of thermal Comptonization in a warm (kT 1 keV), optically thick (τ ≃ 10-20) corona producing the optical/UV to soft X-ray emission. The purpose of the present paper is to test the warm corona model on a statistically significant sample of unabsorbed, radio-quiet AGNs with XMM-Newton archival data, providing simultaneous optical/UV and X-ray coverage. The sample has 22 objects and 100 observations. We use two thermal Comptonization components to fit the broadband spectra, one for the warm corona emission and one for the high-energy continuum. In the optical/UV, we also include the reddening, the small blue bump, and the Galactic extinction. In the X-rays, we include a warm absorber and a neutral reflection. The model gives a good fit (reduced χ2 uniformly distributed in the 0.1-1 keV range, while the optical depth is in the range 10-40. These values are consistent with a warm corona covering a large fraction of a quasi-passive accretion disk, i.e., that mostly reprocesses the warm corona emission. The disk intrinsic emission represents no more than 20% of the disk total emission. According to this interpretation, most of the accretion power would be released in the upper layers of the accretion flow.

Accretion Disks Around Binary Black Holes of Unequal Mass: GRMHD Simulations Near Decoupling

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Roman; Paschalidis, Vasileios; Etienne, Zachariah B.; Shapiro, Stuart L.; Pfeiffer, Harald, P.

2013-01-01

We report on simulations in general relativity of magnetized disks onto black hole binaries. We vary the binary mass ratio from 1:1 to 1:10 and evolve the systems when they orbit near the binary disk decoupling radius. We compare (surface) density profiles, accretion rates (relative to a single, non-spinning black hole), variability, effective alpha-stress levels and luminosities as functions of the mass ratio. We treat the disks in two limiting regimes: rapid radiative cooling and no radiative cooling. The magnetic field lines clearly reveal jets emerging from both black hole horizons and merging into one common jet at large distances. The magnetic fields give rise to much stronger shock heating than the pure hydrodynamic flows, completely alter the disk structure, and boost accretion rates and luminosities. Accretion streams near the horizons are among the densest structures; in fact, the 1:10 no-cooling evolution results in a refilling of the cavity. The typical effective temperature in the bulk of the disk is approx. 10(exp5) (M / 10(exp 8)M solar mass (exp -1/4(L/L(sub edd) (exp 1/4K) yielding characteristic thermal frequencies approx. 10 (exp 15) (M /10(exp 8)M solar mass) (exp -1/4(L/L (sub edd) (1+z) (exp -1)Hz. These systems are thus promising targets for many extragalactic optical surveys, such as LSST, WFIRST, and PanSTARRS.

The three-dimensional properties and energetics of radio-jet-driven outflows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shih, Hsin-Yi; Stockton, Alan, E-mail: hsshih@ifa.hawaii.edu, E-mail: stockton@ifa.hawaii.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i 2680 Woodlawn Dr, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2014-05-01

Extended emission-line regions (EELRs), found around radio-loud sources, are likely outflows driven by one form of powerful active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback mechanism. We seek to constrain the three-dimensional gas properties and the outflow energetics of the EELRs in this study. We used an integral field unit to observe EELRs around two samples of radio-loud AGNs with similar radio properties, but different orientations: a sample of quasars and a sample of radio galaxies. A morphological comparison suggests a scenario where the three-dimensional EELR gas distribution follows rough biconical shapes with wide opening angles. The average extent of the EELRs is ∼18.5 kpc. The estimated average mass of the EELRs, with reasonable assumptions for gas densities, is ∼3 × 10{sup 8} M {sub ☉}, and the average mass outflow rate is ∼30 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}. The EELRs around quasars and radio galaxies share similar kinematic properties. Both samples have velocity structures that display a range of complexities, they do not appear to correlate with the jet orientations, and both span a similar range of velocity dispersions. Around 30% of the detected EELRs show large-scale rotational motions, which may have originated from recent mergers involving gas-rich disk galaxies.

Visualizing SPH Cataclysmic Variable Accretion Disk Simulations with Blender

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Brian R.; Wood, Matthew A.

2015-01-01

We present innovative ways to use Blender, a 3D graphics package, to visualize smoothed particle hydrodynamics particle data of cataclysmic variable accretion disks. We focus on the methods of shape key data constructs to increasedata i/o and manipulation speed. The implementation of the methods outlined allow for compositing of the various visualization layers into a final animation. The viewing of the disk in 3D from different angles can allow for a visual analysisof the physical system and orbits. The techniques have a wide ranging set of applications in astronomical visualization,including both observation and theoretical data.

Properties of a thin accretion disk around a rotating non-Kerr black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Songbai; Jing Jiliang

2012-01-01

We study the accretion process in the thin disk around a rotating non-Kerr black hole with a deformed parameter and an unbound rotation parameter. Our results show that the presence of the deformed parameter ε modifies the standard properties of the disk. For the case in which the black hole is more oblate than a Kerr black hole, the larger deviation leads to the smaller energy flux, the lower radiation temperature and the fainter spectra luminosity in the disk. For the black hole with positive deformed parameter, we find that the effect of the deformed parameter on the disk becomes more complicated. It depends not only on the rotation direction of the black hole and the orbit particles, but also on the sign of the difference between the deformed parameter ε and a certain critical value ε c . These significant features in the mass accretion process may provide a possibility to test the no-hair theorem in the strong-field regime in future astronomical observations.

The Mass Outflow Rate of the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Andrew

2017-08-01

The balance between gaseous inflow and outflow regulates star formation in spiral galaxies. This paradigm can be tested in the Milky Way, but whereas the star formation rate and inflow rate have both been measured, the outflow rate has not. We propose an archival COS program to determine the Galactic outflow rate in cool gas ( 10^4 K) by surveying UV absorption line high-velocity clouds (HVCs). This project will make use of the newly updated Hubble Spectroscopic Legacy Archive, which contains a uniformly reduced sample of 233 COS G130M spectra of background AGN. The outflow rate will be determined by (1) searching for redshifted HVCs; (2) modeling the clouds with photoionization simulations to determine their masses and physical properties; (3) combining the cloud masses with their velocities and distances. We will measure how the outflow is distributed spatially across the sky, calculate its mass loading factor, and compare the line profiles to synthetic spectra extracted from new hydrodynamic simulations. The distribution of HVC velocities will inform us what fraction of the outflowing clouds will escape the halo and what fraction will circulate back to the disk, to better understand how and where gas enters and exits the Milky Way.

Super-eddington accretion in the ultraluminous x-ray source NGC 1313 X-2: An ephemeral feast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weng, Shan-Shan [Department of Physics, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105 (China); Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Zhao, Hai-Hui, E-mail: wengss@ihep.ac.cn, E-mail: zhangsn@ihep.ac.cn, E-mail: zhaohh@ihep.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2014-01-10

We investigate the X-ray spectrum, variability, and the surrounding ionized bubble of NGC 1313 X-2 to explore the physics of super-Eddington accretion. Beyond the Eddington luminosity, the accretion disk of NGC 1313 X-2 is truncated at a large radius (∼50 times the innermost stable circular orbit), and displays the similar evolution track with both luminous Galactic black-hole and neutron star X-ray binaries (XRBs). In super-critical accretion, the speed of radiatively driven outflows from the inner disk is mildly relativistic. Such ultra-fast outflows would be overionized and might produce weak Fe K absorption lines, which may be detected by the coming X-ray mission Astro-H. If NGC 1313 X-2 is a massive stellar XRB, the high luminosity indicates that an ephemeral feast is held in the source. That is, the source must be accreting at a hyper-Eddington mass rate to give the super-Eddington emission over ∼10{sup 4}-10{sup 5} yr. The expansion of the surrounding bubble nebula with a velocity of ∼100 km s{sup –1} might indicate that it has existed over ∼10{sup 6} yr and is inflated by the radiatively driven outflows from the transient with a duty cycle of activity of ∼ a few percent. Alternatively, if the surrounding bubble nebula is produced by line-driven winds, less energy is required than the radiatively driven outflow scenario, and the radius of the Strömgren radius agrees with the nebula size. Our results are in favor of the line-driven winds scenario, which can avoid the conflict between the short accretion age and the apparently much longer bubble age inferred from the expansion velocity in the nebula.

Super-eddington accretion in the ultraluminous x-ray source NGC 1313 X-2: An ephemeral feast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, Shan-Shan; Zhang, Shuang-Nan; Zhao, Hai-Hui

2014-01-01

We investigate the X-ray spectrum, variability, and the surrounding ionized bubble of NGC 1313 X-2 to explore the physics of super-Eddington accretion. Beyond the Eddington luminosity, the accretion disk of NGC 1313 X-2 is truncated at a large radius (∼50 times the innermost stable circular orbit), and displays the similar evolution track with both luminous Galactic black-hole and neutron star X-ray binaries (XRBs). In super-critical accretion, the speed of radiatively driven outflows from the inner disk is mildly relativistic. Such ultra-fast outflows would be overionized and might produce weak Fe K absorption lines, which may be detected by the coming X-ray mission Astro-H. If NGC 1313 X-2 is a massive stellar XRB, the high luminosity indicates that an ephemeral feast is held in the source. That is, the source must be accreting at a hyper-Eddington mass rate to give the super-Eddington emission over ∼10 4 -10 5 yr. The expansion of the surrounding bubble nebula with a velocity of ∼100 km s –1 might indicate that it has existed over ∼10 6 yr and is inflated by the radiatively driven outflows from the transient with a duty cycle of activity of ∼ a few percent. Alternatively, if the surrounding bubble nebula is produced by line-driven winds, less energy is required than the radiatively driven outflow scenario, and the radius of the Strömgren radius agrees with the nebula size. Our results are in favor of the line-driven winds scenario, which can avoid the conflict between the short accretion age and the apparently much longer bubble age inferred from the expansion velocity in the nebula.

Tracking the Iron Kα line and the Ultra Fast Outflow in NGC 2992 at different accretion states

Science.gov (United States)

Marinucci, A.; Bianchi, S.; Braito, V.; Matt, G.; Nardini, E.; Reeves, J.

2018-06-01

The Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 2992 has been monitored eight times by XMM-Newton in 2010 and then observed again in 2013, while in 2015 it was simultaneously targeted by Swift and NuSTAR. XMM-Newton always caught the source in a faint state (2-10 keV fluxes ranging from 0.3 to 1.6× 10-11 erg cm-2 s-1) but NuSTAR showed an increase in the 2-10 keV flux up to 6× 10-11 erg cm-2 s-1. We find possible evidence of an Ultra Fast Outflow with velocity v1 = 0.21 ± 0.01c (detected at about 99% confidence level) in such a flux state. The UFO in NGC 2992 is consistent with being ejected at a few tens of gravitational radii only at accretion rates greater than 2% of the Eddington luminosity. The analysis of the low flux 2010/2013 XMM data allowed us to determine that the Iron Kα emission line complex in this object is likely the sum of three distinct components: a constant, narrow one due to reflection from cold, distant material (likely the molecular torus); a narrow, but variable one which is more intense in brighter observations and a broad relativistic one emitted in the innermost regions of the accretion disk, which has been detected only in the 2003 XMM observation.

3D Modeling of Accretion Disks and Circumbinary Envelopes in Close Binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Bisikalo, D.

2010-12-01

A number of observations prove the complex flow structure in close binary stars. The gas dynamic structure of the flow is governed by the stream of matter from the inner Lagrange point, the accretion disk, the circum-disk halo, and the circumbinary envelope. Observations reflect the current state of a binary system and for their interpretation one should consider the gas dynamics of flow patterns. Three-dimensional numerical gasdynamical modeling is used to study the gaseous flow structure and dynamics in close binaries. It is shown that the periodic variations of the positions of the disk and the bow shock formed when the inner parts of the circumbinary envelope flow around the disk result in variations in both the rate of angular-momentum transfer to the disk and the flow structure near the Lagrange point L3. All these factors lead to periodic ejections of matter from the accretion disk and circum-disk halo into the outer layers of the circumbinary envelope. The results of simulations are used to estimate the physical parameters of the circumbinary envelope, including 3D matter distribution in it, and the matter-flow configuration and dynamics. The envelope becomes optically thick for systems with high mass-exchange rates, M⊙=10-8 Msun/year, and has a significant influence on the binary's observed features. The uneven phase distributions of the matter and density variations due to periodic injections of matter into the envelope are important for interpretations of observations of CBSs.

THE DISK-WIND-JET CONNECTION IN THE BLACK HOLE H 1743-322

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, J. M.; King, A. L. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042 (United States); Raymond, J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Fabian, A. C. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OHA (United Kingdom); Reynolds, C. S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Kallman, T. R. [Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Cackett, E. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, 666 West Hancock Street, Detroit, MI 48201 (United States); Van der Klis, M. [Astronomical Institute ' Anton Pannekoek' , University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098-XH, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Steeghs, D. T. H., E-mail: jonmm@umich.edu [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2012-11-01

X-ray disk winds are detected in spectrally soft, disk-dominated phases of stellar-mass black hole outbursts. In contrast, compact, steady, relativistic jets are detected in spectrally hard states that are dominated by non-thermal X-ray emission. Although these distinctive outflows appear to be almost mutually exclusive, it is possible that a disk wind persists in hard states but cannot be detected via X-ray absorption lines owing to very high ionization. Here, we present an analysis of a deep, 60 ks Chandra/HETGS observation of the black hole candidate H 1743-322 in the low/hard state. The spectrum shows no evidence of a disk wind, with tight limits, and within the range of ionizing flux levels that were measured in prior Chandra observations wherein a wind was clearly detected. In H 1743-322, at least, disk winds are actually diminished in the low/hard state, and disk winds and jets are likely state dependent and anti-correlated. These results suggest that although the launching radii of winds and jets may differ by orders of magnitude, they may both be tied to a fundamental property of the inner accretion flow, such as the mass accretion rate and/or the magnetic field topology of the disk. We discuss these results in the context of disk winds and jets in other stellar-mass black holes, and possible launching mechanisms for black hole outflows.

Irradiation instability at the inner edges of accretion disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fung, Jeffrey; Artymowicz, Pawel, E-mail: fung@astro.utoronto.ca [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada)

2014-07-20

An instability can potentially operate in highly irradiated disks where the disk sharply transitions from being radially transparent to opaque (the 'transition region'). Such conditions may exist at the inner edges of transitional disks around T Tauri stars and accretion disks around active galactic nuclei. We derive the criterion for this instability, which we term the 'irradiation instability', or IRI. We also present the linear growth rate as a function of β, the ratio between radiation force and gravity, and c{sub s}, the sound speed of the disk, obtained using two methods: a semi-analytic analysis of the linearized equations and a numerical simulation using the GPU-accelerated hydrodynamical code PEnGUIn. In particular, we find that IRI occurs at β ∼ 0.1 if the transition region extends as wide as ∼0.05r, and at higher β values if it is wider. This threshold value applies to c{sub s} ranging from 3% of the Keplerian orbital speed to 5%, and becomes higher if c{sub s} is lower. Furthermore, in the nonlinear evolution of the instability, disks with a large β and small c{sub s} exhibit 'clumping', extreme local surface density enhancements that can reach over 10 times the initial disk surface density.

Wind accretion and formation of disk structures in symbiotic binary systems

Science.gov (United States)

de Val-Borro, M.; Karovska, M.; Sasselov, D. D.; Stone, J. M.

2015-05-01

We investigate gravitationally focused wind accretion in binary systems consisting of an evolved star with a gaseous envelope and a compact accreting companion. We study the mass accretion and formation of an accretion disk around the secondary caused by the strong wind from the primary late-type component using global 2D and 3D hydrodynamic numerical simulations. In particular, the dependence of the mass accretion rate on the mass loss rate, wind temperature and orbital parameters of the system is considered. For a typical slow and massive wind from an evolved star the mass transfer through a focused wind results in rapid infall onto the secondary. A stream flow is created between the stars with accretion rates of a 2--10% percent of the mass loss from the primary. This mechanism could be an important method for explaining periodic modulations in the accretion rates for a broad range of interacting binary systems and fueling of a large population of X-ray binary systems. We test the plausibility of these accretion flows indicated by the simulations by comparing with observations of the symbiotic variable system CH Cyg.

The Growth of Central Black Hole and the Ionization Instability of Quasar Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Ye; Cheng, K. S.; Zhang, S. N.

2003-01-01

A possible accretion model associated with the ionization instability of quasar disks is proposed to address the growth of the central black hole harbored in the host galaxy. The evolution of quasars in cosmic time is assumed to change from a highly active state to a quiescent state triggered by the S-shaped ionization instability of the quasar accretion disk. For a given external mass transfer rate supplied by the quasar host galaxy, ionization instability can modify accretion rate in the disk and separates the accretion flows of the disk into three different phases, like a S-shape. We suggest that the bright quasars observed today are those quasars with disks in the upper branch of S-shaped instability, and the faint or 'dormant' quasars are simply the system in the lower branch. The middle branch is the transition state which is unstable. We assume the quasar disk evolves according to the advection-dominated inflow-outflow solutions (ADIOS) configuration in the stable lower branch of S-shaped instability, and Eddington accretion rate is used to constrain the accretion rate in each phase. The mass ratio between black hole and its host galactic bulge is a nature consequence of ADIOS. Our model also demonstrates that a seed black hole (BH) similar to those found in spiral galaxies today is needed to produce a BH with a final mass 2 x 10(exp 8) solar mases.

The Simbol-X Perspective on the Physics of Quasar Outflows

Science.gov (United States)

Giustini, M.; Cappi, M.; Vignali, C.; Palumbo, G. G. C.; Fiore, F.; Malaguti, G.

2009-05-01

There is increasing evidence that quasar outflows may play a key role in providing the feedback between AGN/QSOs and their surrounding (and feeding) media, in regulating the central supermassive black hole growth and the galaxy formation and, on larger scales, in shaping the growth of cosmic structures (see e.g. [1]). X-ray observations of quasar outflows are crucial to probe their innermost parts and assess the global energetics entrained in the outflow by studying its most extreme (in terms of velocity, ionization state, mass outflow rate) phases. Simbol-X-with its high effective area in the Fe K energy band and above-will allow the detection and the characterization of powerful outflows in bright, nearby AGN and notably also in moderately faint AGN, thus shedding light on feedback processes in these objects.

Winds from accretion disks driven by the radiation and magnetocentrifugal force

OpenAIRE

Proga, D.

2000-01-01

We study the 2-D, time-dependent hydrodynamics of radiation-driven winds from luminous accretion disks threaded by a strong, large-scale, ordered magnetic field. The radiation force is due to spectral lines and is calculated using a generalized multidimensional formulation of the Sobolev approximation. The effects of the magnetic field are approximated by adding a force that emulates a magnetocentrifugal force. Our approach allows us to calculate disk winds when the magnetic field controls th...

The effect of an accretion disk on coherent pulsed emission from weakly magnetized neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asaoka, Ikuko; Hoshi, Reiun.

1989-01-01

Using a simple model for hot spots formed on the magnetic polar regions we calculate the X-ray pulse profiles expected from bright low-mass X-ray binaries. We assume that neutron stars in close binary systems are surrounded by accretion disks extending down in the vicinity of their surfaces. Even partial eclipses of a hot spot by the accretion disk change the coherent pulsed fraction and, in some cases, the phase of pulsations by almost 180deg. Coherent pulsations are clearly seen even for sufficiently compact model neutron stars, if the hot spots emit isotropic or fan-beam radiation. In the case of pencil-beam radiation, coherent pulsations are also seen if the cap-opening angle is less than ∼60deg, while the inclination angle is larger than 68deg. Gravitational lensing alone does not smear coherent pulsations in moderately weak magnetized neutron stars in the presence of an absorbing accretion disk. (author)

Influence of nuclear burning of the stability of degenerate and nondegenerate accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taam, R.E.; Fryxell, B.A.

1985-01-01

The structure and stability of accretion disks composed of hydrogen-rich matter rotating about a central neutron star have been investigated for known sources of viscosity. Two general classes of solutions have been found. For one class the energy generated in the disk is provided by hydrogen burning, whereas for the other class the gravitational binding energy released by viscous dissipation dominates. The former solutions are thermally unstable (stable) whenever hydrogen burns via the normal CNO cycle ( pp chain) in a partially or fully degenerate region of the disk. Solutions characterized by nuclear burning via the β-limited CNO cycle or by viscous dissipation only are always stable. On the basis of a local analysis it is shown that modulations of the mass flow in the disk are possible for a range of mass inflow rates into the disk. In such circumstances the disk can undergo a phase transition from a cold, low-viscosity state to a hot, high-viscosity state as a result of the thermonuclear flash instability. Phase transitions from the hot state to the cold state also occur whenever the mass input rate into the disk is less than the equilibrium mass flow rate corresponding to the hot state. It is also shown that for sufficiently high mass flow rates all the hydrogen-rich matter can be processed to helium in the inner regions of the disk before it can be accreted by a neutron star

HOT DUST OBSCURED GALAXIES WITH EXCESS BLUE LIGHT: DUAL AGN OR SINGLE AGN UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assef, R. J.; Diaz-Santos, T. [Núcleo de Astronomía de la Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejército Libertador 441, Santiago (Chile); Walton, D. J.; Brightman, M. [Space Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Stern, D.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Tsai, C.-W. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Mail Stop 169-236, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Alexander, D. [Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Bauer, F. [Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22 (Chile); Blain, A. W. [Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, 1 University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Finkelstein, S. L. [The University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Hickox, R. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Wu, J. W., E-mail: roberto.assef@mail.udp.cl [UCLA Astronomy, P.O. Box 951547, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

2016-03-10

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) are a population of hyper-luminous infrared galaxies identified by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission from their very red mid-IR colors, and characterized by hot dust temperatures (T > 60 K). Several studies have shown clear evidence that the IR emission in these objects is powered by a highly dust-obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) that shows close to Compton-thick absorption at X-ray wavelengths. Thanks to the high AGN obscuration, the host galaxy is easily observable, and has UV/optical colors usually consistent with those of a normal galaxy. Here we discuss a sub-population of eight Hot DOGs that show enhanced rest-frame UV/optical emission. We discuss three scenarios that might explain the excess UV emission: (i) unobscured light leaked from the AGN by reflection over the dust or by partial coverage of the accretion disk; (ii) a second unobscured AGN in the system; or (iii) a luminous young starburst. X-ray observations can help discriminate between these scenarios. We study in detail the blue excess Hot DOG WISE J020446.13–050640.8, which was serendipitously observed by Chandra/ACIS-I for 174.5 ks. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with a single, hyper-luminous, highly absorbed AGN, and is strongly inconsistent with the presence of a secondary unobscured AGN. Based on this, we argue that the excess blue emission in this object is most likely either due to reflection or a co-eval starburst. We favor the reflection scenario as the unobscured star formation rate needed to power the UV/optical emission would be ≳1000 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1}. Deep polarimetry observations could confirm the reflection hypothesis.

HOT DUST OBSCURED GALAXIES WITH EXCESS BLUE LIGHT: DUAL AGN OR SINGLE AGN UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assef, R. J.; Diaz-Santos, T.; Walton, D. J.; Brightman, M.; Stern, D.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Tsai, C.-W.; Alexander, D.; Bauer, F.; Blain, A. W.; Finkelstein, S. L.; Hickox, R. C.; Wu, J. W.

2016-01-01

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) are a population of hyper-luminous infrared galaxies identified by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission from their very red mid-IR colors, and characterized by hot dust temperatures (T > 60 K). Several studies have shown clear evidence that the IR emission in these objects is powered by a highly dust-obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN) that shows close to Compton-thick absorption at X-ray wavelengths. Thanks to the high AGN obscuration, the host galaxy is easily observable, and has UV/optical colors usually consistent with those of a normal galaxy. Here we discuss a sub-population of eight Hot DOGs that show enhanced rest-frame UV/optical emission. We discuss three scenarios that might explain the excess UV emission: (i) unobscured light leaked from the AGN by reflection over the dust or by partial coverage of the accretion disk; (ii) a second unobscured AGN in the system; or (iii) a luminous young starburst. X-ray observations can help discriminate between these scenarios. We study in detail the blue excess Hot DOG WISE J020446.13–050640.8, which was serendipitously observed by Chandra/ACIS-I for 174.5 ks. The X-ray spectrum is consistent with a single, hyper-luminous, highly absorbed AGN, and is strongly inconsistent with the presence of a secondary unobscured AGN. Based on this, we argue that the excess blue emission in this object is most likely either due to reflection or a co-eval starburst. We favor the reflection scenario as the unobscured star formation rate needed to power the UV/optical emission would be ≳1000 M ⊙ yr −1 . Deep polarimetry observations could confirm the reflection hypothesis

Modeling AGN outbursts from supermassive black hole binaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tanaka T.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available When galaxies merge to assemble more massive galaxies, their nuclear supermassive black holes (SMBHs should form bound binaries. As these interact with their stellar and gaseous environments, they will become increasingly compact, culminating in inspiral and coalescence through the emission of gravitational radiation. Because galaxy mergers and interactions are also thought to fuel star formation and nuclear black hole activity, it is plausible that such binaries would lie in gas-rich environments and power active galactic nuclei (AGN. The primary difference is that these binaries have gravitational potentials that vary – through their orbital motion as well as their orbital evolution – on humanly tractable timescales, and are thus excellent candidates to give rise to coherent AGN variability in the form of outbursts and recurrent transients. Although such electromagnetic signatures would be ideally observed concomitantly with the binary’s gravitational-wave signatures, they are also likely to be discovered serendipitously in wide-field, high-cadence surveys; some may even be confused for stellar tidal disruption events. I discuss several types of possible “smoking gun” AGN signatures caused by the peculiar geometry predicted for accretion disks around SMBH binaries.

EVOLUTION OF WARPED ACCRETION DISKS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. I. ROLES OF FEEDING AT THE OUTER BOUNDARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yan-Rong; Wang, Jian-Min; Cheng, Cheng; Qiu, Jie

2013-01-01

We investigate the alignment processes of spinning black holes and their surrounding warped accretion disks in a frame of two different types of feeding at the outer boundaries. We consider (1) fixed flows in which gas is continually fed with a preferred angular momentum, and (2) free flows in which there is no gas supply and the disks diffuse freely at their outer edges. As expected, we find that for the cases of fixed flows the black hole disk systems always align on timescales of several 10 6 yr, irrespective of the initial inclinations. If the initial inclination angles are larger than π/2, the black hole accretion transits from retrograde to prograde fashion, and the accreted mass onto the black holes during these two phases is comparable. On the other hand, for the cases of free flows, both alignments and anti-alignments can occur, depending on the initial inclinations and the ratios of the angular momentum of the disks to that of the black holes. In such cases, the disks will be consumed within timescales of 10 6 yr by black holes accreting at the Eddington limit. We propose that there is a close connection between the black hole spin and the lifetime for which the feeding persists, which determines the observable episodic lifetimes of active galactic nuclei. We conclude that careful inclusion of the disk feeding at the outer boundaries is crucial for modeling the evolution of the black hole spin.

THE DISK-WIND-JET CONNECTION IN THE BLACK HOLE H 1743–322

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, J. M.; King, A. L.; Raymond, J.; Fabian, A. C.; Reynolds, C. S.; Kallman, T. R.; Cackett, E. M.; Van der Klis, M.; Steeghs, D. T. H.

2012-01-01

X-ray disk winds are detected in spectrally soft, disk-dominated phases of stellar-mass black hole outbursts. In contrast, compact, steady, relativistic jets are detected in spectrally hard states that are dominated by non-thermal X-ray emission. Although these distinctive outflows appear to be almost mutually exclusive, it is possible that a disk wind persists in hard states but cannot be detected via X-ray absorption lines owing to very high ionization. Here, we present an analysis of a deep, 60 ks Chandra/HETGS observation of the black hole candidate H 1743–322 in the low/hard state. The spectrum shows no evidence of a disk wind, with tight limits, and within the range of ionizing flux levels that were measured in prior Chandra observations wherein a wind was clearly detected. In H 1743–322, at least, disk winds are actually diminished in the low/hard state, and disk winds and jets are likely state dependent and anti-correlated. These results suggest that although the launching radii of winds and jets may differ by orders of magnitude, they may both be tied to a fundamental property of the inner accretion flow, such as the mass accretion rate and/or the magnetic field topology of the disk. We discuss these results in the context of disk winds and jets in other stellar-mass black holes, and possible launching mechanisms for black hole outflows.

Figuring Out Gas and Galaxies in Enzo (FOGGIE): Simulating effects of feedback on galactic outflows

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Melissa Elizabeth; Corlies, Lauren; Peeples, Molly; Tumlinson, Jason; O'Shea, Brian; Smith, Britton

2018-01-01

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is the region beyond the galactic disk in which gas is accreted through pristine inflows from the intergalactic medium and expelled from the galaxy by stellar feedback in large outflows that can then be recycled back onto the disk. These gas cycles connect the galactic disk with its cosmic environment, making the CGM a vital component of galaxy evolution. However, the CGM is primarily observed in absorption, which can be difficult to interpret. In this study, we use high resolution cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of a Milky Way mass halo evolved with the code Enzo to aid the interpretation of these observations. In our simulations, we vary feedback strength and observe the effect it has on galactic outflows and the evolution of the galaxy’s CGM. We compare the star formation rate of the galaxy with the velocity flux and mass outflow rate as a function of height above the plane of the galaxy in order to measure the strength of the outflows and how far they extend outside of the galaxy.This work was supported by The Space Astronomy Summer Program at STScI and NSF grant AST-1517908.

Dynamo dominated accretion and energy flow: The mechanism of active galactic nuclei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colgate, S.A.; Li, H.

1998-12-31

An explanation of the magnetic fields of the universe, the central mass concentration of galaxies, the massive black hole of every galaxy, and the AGN phenomena has been an elusive goal. The authors suggest here the outlines of such a theoretical understanding and point out where the physical understanding is missing. They believe there is an imperative to the sequence of mass flow and hence energy flow in the collapse of a galactic mass starting from the first non-linearity appearing in structure formation following decoupling. This first non-linearity of a two to one density fluctuation, the Lyman-{alpha} clouds, ultimately leads to the emission spectra of the phenomenon of AGN, quasars, blazars, etc. The over-arching physical principle is the various mechanisms for the transport of angular momentum. They believe they have now understood the new physics of two of these mechanisms that have previously been illusive and as a consequence they impose strong constraints on the initial conditions of the mechanisms for the subsequent emission of the gravitational binding energy. The new phenomena described are: (1) the Rossby vortex mechanism of the accretion disk {alpha}-viscosity, and (2) the mechanism of the {alpha}-{Omega} dynamo in the accretion disk. The Rossby vortex mechanism leads to a prediction of the black hole mass and rate of energy release and the {alpha}-{Omega} dynamo leads to the generation of the magnetic flux of the galaxy (and the far greater magnetic flux of clusters) and separately explains the primary flux of energy emission as force-free magnetic energy density. This magnetic flux and magnetic energy density separately are the necessary consequence of the saturation of a dynamo created by the accretion disk with a gain greater than unity.

TRACING OUTFLOWS AND ACCRETION: A BIMODAL AZIMUTHAL DEPENDENCE OF Mg II ABSORPTION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kacprzak, Glenn G. [Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria 3122 (Australia); Churchill, Christopher W.; Nielsen, Nikole M., E-mail: gkacprzak@astro.swin.edu.au [New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States)

2012-11-20

We report a bimodality in the azimuthal angle distribution of gas around galaxies as traced by Mg II absorption: halo gas prefers to exist near the projected galaxy major and minor axes. The bimodality is demonstrated by computing the mean azimuthal angle probability distribution function using 88 spectroscopically confirmed Mg II-absorption-selected galaxies [W{sub r} (2796) {>=} 0.1 A] and 35 spectroscopically confirmed non-absorbing galaxies [W{sub r} (2796) < 0.1 A] imaged with Hubble Space Telescope and Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The azimuthal angle distribution for non-absorbers is flat, indicating no azimuthal preference for gas characterized by W{sub r} (2796) < 0.1 A. We find that blue star-forming galaxies clearly drive the bimodality while red passive galaxies may exhibit an excess along their major axis. These results are consistent with galaxy evolution scenarios where star-forming galaxies accrete new gas, forming new stars and producing winds, while red galaxies exist passively due to reduced gas reservoirs. We further compute an azimuthal angle dependent Mg II absorption covering fraction, which is enhanced by as much as 20%-30% along the major and minor axes. The W{sub r} (2796) distribution for gas along the major axis is likely skewed toward weaker Mg II absorption than for gas along the projected minor axis. These combined results are highly suggestive that the bimodality is driven by gas accreted along the galaxy major axis and outflowing along the galaxy minor axis. Adopting these assumptions, we find that the opening angle of outflows and inflows to be 100 Degree-Sign and 40 Degree-Sign , respectively. We find that the probability of detecting outflows is {approx}60%, implying that winds are more commonly observed.

TESTING CONVERGENCE FOR GLOBAL ACCRETION DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawley, John F.; Richers, Sherwood A.; Guan Xiaoyue [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400325, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4325 (United States); Krolik, Julian H., E-mail: jh8h@virginia.edu, E-mail: xg3z@virginia.edu, E-mail: jhk@pha.jhu.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2013-08-01

Global disk simulations provide a powerful tool for investigating accretion and the underlying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven by magneto-rotational instability (MRI). Using them to accurately predict quantities such as stress, accretion rate, and surface brightness profile requires that purely numerical effects, arising from both resolution and algorithm, be understood and controlled. We use the flux-conservative Athena code to conduct a series of experiments on disks having a variety of magnetic topologies to determine what constitutes adequate resolution. We develop and apply several resolution metrics: (Q{sub z} ) and (Q{sub {phi}}), the ratio of the grid zone size to the characteristic MRI wavelength, {alpha}{sub mag}, the ratio of the Maxwell stress to the magnetic pressure, and /, the ratio of radial to toroidal magnetic field energy. For the initial conditions considered here, adequate resolution is characterized by (Q{sub z} ) {>=} 15, (Q{sub {phi}}) {>=} 20, {alpha}{sub mag} Almost-Equal-To 0.45, and /{approx}0.2. These values are associated with {>=}35 zones per scaleheight H, a result consistent with shearing box simulations. Numerical algorithm is also important. Use of the Harten-Lax-van Leer-Einfeldt flux solver or second-order interpolation can significantly degrade the effective resolution compared to the Harten-Lax-van Leer discontinuities flux solver and third-order interpolation. Resolution at this standard can be achieved only with large numbers of grid zones, arranged in a fashion that matches the symmetries of the problem and the scientific goals of the simulation. Without it, however, quantitative measures important to predictions of observables are subject to large systematic errors.

ANTI-CORRELATED TIME LAGS IN THE Z SOURCE GX 5-1: POSSIBLE EVIDENCE FOR A TRUNCATED ACCRETION DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sriram, K.; Choi, C. S. [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Rao, A. R., E-mail: astrosriram@yahoo.co.in [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005 (India)

2012-06-01

We investigate the nature of the inner accretion disk in the neutron star source GX 5-1 by making a detailed study of time lags between X-rays of different energies. Using the cross-correlation analysis, we found anti-correlated hard and soft time lags of the order of a few tens to a few hundred seconds and the corresponding intensity states were mostly the horizontal branch (HB) and upper normal branch. The model independent and dependent spectral analysis showed that during these time lags the structure of the accretion disk significantly varied. Both eastern and western approaches were used to unfold the X-ray continuum and systematic changes were observed in soft and hard spectral components. These changes along with a systematic shift in the frequency of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) made it substantially evident that the geometry of the accretion disk is truncated. Simultaneous energy spectral and power density spectral study shows that the production of the horizontal branch oscillations (HBOs) is closely related to the Comptonizing region rather than the disk component in the accretion disk. We found that as the HBO frequency decreases from the hard apex to upper HB, the disk temperature increases along with an increase in the coronal temperature, which is in sharp contrast with the changes found in black hole binaries where the decrease in the QPO frequency is accompanied by a decrease in the disk temperature and a simultaneous increase in the coronal temperature. We discuss the results in the context of re-condensation of coronal material in the inner region of the disk.

AN ENERGETIC AGN OUTBURST POWERED BY A RAPIDLY SPINNING SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE OR AN ACCRETING ULTRAMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNamara, B. R.; Kazemzadeh, F.; Kirkpatrick, C. C.; Rafferty, D. A.; Birzan, L.; Nulsen, P. E. J.; Wise, M. W.

2009-01-01

Powering the 10 62 erg nuclear outburst in the MS0735.6+7421 cluster central galaxy by accretion with a 10% mass-to-energy conversion efficiency implies that its putative supermassive black hole (SMBH) grew by ∼6 x 10 8 M sun over the past 100 Myr. Guided by data at several wavelengths, we place upper limits on the amount of cold gas and star formation near the nucleus of 9 M sun and sun yr -1 , respectively. These limits imply that an implausibly large fraction of the preexisting cold gas in the inner several kpc must have been consumed by its SMBH at the rate of ∼3-5 M sun yr -1 during the past 100 Myr while leaving no trace of star formation. Such a high accretion rate would be difficult to maintain by stellar accretion or the Bondi mechanism, unless the black hole mass approaches 10 11 M sun . Furthermore, its feeble nuclear luminosities in the UV, I, and X-ray bands compared to its enormous mechanical power are inconsistent with rapid accretion onto a ∼5 x 10 9 M sun black hole. We suggest instead that the active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst is powered by angular momentum released from a rapidly spinning black hole. The rotational energy and power available from a spinning black hole are consistent with the cavity and shock energetics inferred from X-ray observations. A maximally spinning 10 9 M sun black hole contains enough rotational energy, ∼10 62 erg, to quench a cooling flow over its lifetime and to contribute significantly to the excess entropy found in the hot atmospheres of groups and clusters. Two modes of AGN feedback may be quenching star formation in elliptical galaxies centered in cooling halos at late times. An accretion mode that operates in gas-rich systems, and a spin mode operating at modest accretion rates. The spin conjecture may be avoided in MS0735 by appealing to Bondi accretion onto a central black hole whose mass greatly exceeds 10 10 M sun . The host galaxy's unusually large 3.8 kpc stellar core radius (light deficit) may

HOW DOES RADIO AGN FEEDBACK FEED BACK?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Young, David S.

2010-01-01

The possible role of radio active galactic nucleus (AGN) 'feedback' in conventional hierarchical cosmological models has become widely discussed. This paper examines some of the details of how such feedback might work. A basic requirement is the conversion of radio AGN outflow energy into heating of the circumgalactic medium in a time comparable to the relevant cooling times. First, the class of radio AGN relevant to this process is identified as FR-I radio sources. Second, it is argued via comparisons with experimental data that these AGN outflows are strongly decelerated and become fully turbulent sonic or subsonic flows due to their interaction with the surrounding medium. Using this, a three-dimensional time-dependent calculation of the evolution of such turbulent magnetohydrodynamic flows is made to determine the time scale required for conversion of the turbulent energy into heat. This calculation, when coupled with observational data, suggests that the onset of heating can occur ∼10 8 yr after the fully turbulent flow is established, and this time is less than or comparable to the local cooling times in the interstellar or circumgalactic medium for many of these objects. The location of where heat deposition occurs remains uncertain, but estimates of outflow speeds suggest that heating may occur many tens of kpc from the center of the parent galaxy. Recent observations suggest that such radio AGN outflows may become dispersed on much larger scales than previously thought, thus possibly satisfying the requirement that heating occurs over a large fraction of the volume occupied by the circumgalactic gas.

The Quasar Accretion Disk Size-Black Hole Mass Relation

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Christopher W.; Kochanek, C. S.; Morgan, Nicholas D.; Falco, Emilio E.

2010-04-01

We use the microlensing variability observed for 11 gravitationally lensed quasars to show that the accretion disk size at a rest-frame wavelength of 2500 Å is related to the black hole mass by log(R 2500/cm) = (15.78 ± 0.12) + (0.80 ± 0.17)log(M BH/109 M sun). This scaling is consistent with the expectation from thin-disk theory (R vprop M 2/3 BH), but when interpreted in terms of the standard thin-disk model (T vprop R -3/4), it implies that black holes radiate with very low efficiency, log(η) = -1.77 ± 0.29 + log(L/L E), where η =L/(\\dot{M}c^2). Only by making the maximum reasonable shifts in the average inclination, Eddington factors, and black hole masses can we raise the efficiency estimate to be marginally consistent with typical efficiency estimates (η ≈ 10%). With one exception, these sizes are larger by a factor of ~4 than the size needed to produce the observed 0.8 μm quasar flux by thermal radiation from a thin disk with the same T vprop R -3/4 temperature profile. While scattering a significant fraction of the disk emission on large scales or including a large fraction of contaminating line emission can reduce the size discrepancy, resolving it also appears to require that accretion disks have flatter temperature/surface brightness profiles. Based on observations obtained with the Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) 1.3 m, which is operated by the SMARTS Consortium, the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium, the WIYN Observatory which is owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), the 6.5 m Magellan Baade telescope, which is a collaboration between the observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington (OCIW), University of Arizona, Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and observations made

Molecular Abundances in the Disk of AN Active Galactic Nucleus

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, N.; Thompson, T. A.; Herbst, E.

2011-06-01

There are galactic nuclei that emit high luminosities L˜1044-46 erg S-1 including luminosity produced by X-rays from high mass accretion onto the central black holes. These nuclei are called active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and they are accompanied by molecular disks. Observations show high abundances of CN and HCN in the disks; the molecules are proposed to be probes of X-ray dominated regions (XDRs) created by the X-rays from AGNs. We have constructed a spatially-dependent chemical-abundance model of the molecular disk in NGC 1068, a typical AGN-dominated galaxy. Recently, new observations of CN and HCN have been made at much higher spatial resolution, and there are also detections of polyatomic molecules such as HC3N, c-C3H2, and C2H. We discuss how these observations and our simulations can help us to better understand the physical conditions, the disk structure, and conditions for star formation within molecular disks, which are still uncertain. We also include a comparison with other types of galaxies such as (ultra-) luminous infrared galaxies. Usero et al.Astronomy and Astrophysics. 419 (897), 2004. Initial results were presented at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy 2010, RF05 Garcia-Burillo et al. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 519 (2), 2010. Garcia-Burillo et al. Journal of Physics Conference Series, 131 (12031), 2008. Costagliola et al. ArXiv e-print arXiv:1101.2122, 2011. Nakajima et al. Astrophysical Journal Letters 728 (L38), 2008.

The Gaseous Environments of Quasars: Outflows, Feedback & Cold Mode Accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chen; Hamann, Fred

2018-06-01

The early stages of massive galaxy evolution can involve galaxy-scale outflows driven by a starburst or a central quasar and cold-mode accretion (infall) that adds to the mass buildup in the galaxies. I will describe three related studies that use quasar absorption lines to measure outflows, infall, and the general gaseous environments of quasars across a range of spatial scales. The three studies are: 1) High-resolution spectroscopy with Keck-HIRES and VLT-UVES to study associated absorption lines (AALs) that have redshifts greater than the emission redshifts indicating infall and/or rich multi-component AAL complexes that might be interstellar clouds in the host galaxies that have been shredded and dispersed by a fast unseen quasar-driven wind. The data provide strong constraints on the gas kinematics, spatial structure, column densities, metallicities, and energetics. 2) A complete inventory of high-velocity CIV 1548,1550 mini-BAL outflows in quasars using high-resolution high signal-to-noise spectra in the public VLT-UVES and Keck-HIRES archives. This sensitive mini-BAL survey fills an important niche between previous work on narrow absorption lines (NALs) and the much-studied broad absorption lines (BALs) to build a more complete picture of quasar outflows. I will report of the mini-BAL statistics, the diversity of lines detected, and some tests for correlations with the quasar properties. We find, for example, that mini-BALs at v > 4000 km/s in at least 10% of 511 quasars studied, including 1% at v > 0.1 c. Finally, 3) Use the much larger database of NALs measured in 262,449 BOSS quasars by York et al. (in prep.) to study their potential relationships to the quasars and, specifically, their origins in quasar outflows. This involves primarily comparisons of the incidence and properties of NALs at different velocity shifts to other measured properties of the quasars such as BAL outflows, emission line characteristics, radio-loudness, and red colors. We find

LOW-MASS AGNs AND THEIR RELATION TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PLANE OF BLACK HOLE ACCRETION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gültekin, Kayhan; King, Ashley L.; Miller, Jon M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Cackett, Edward M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, 666 West Hancock Street, Detroit, MI 48201 (United States); Pinkney, Jason, E-mail: kayhan@umich.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH 45810 (United States)

2014-06-20

We put active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with low-mass black holes on the fundamental plane of black hole accretion—the plane that relates X-ray emission, radio emission, and mass of an accreting black hole—to test whether or not the relation is universal for both stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. We use new Chandra X-ray and Very Large Array radio observations of a sample of black holes with masses less than 10{sup 6.3} M {sub ☉}, which have the best leverage for determining whether supermassive black holes and stellar-mass black holes belong on the same plane. Our results suggest that the two different classes of black holes both belong on the same relation. These results allow us to conclude that the fundamental plane is suitable for use in estimating supermassive black hole masses smaller than ∼10{sup 7} M {sub ☉}, in testing for intermediate-mass black holes, and in estimating masses at high accretion rates.

AGN Feedback and Its Quenching Efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Combes, Francoise, E-mail: francoise.combes@obspm.fr [Observatoire de Paris, LERMA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, College de France, PSL, Sorbonne University UPMC, Paris (France)

2017-09-21

In the last decade, observations have accumulated on gas outflows in galaxies, and in particular massive molecular ones. The mass outflow rate is estimated between 1 and 5 times the star formation rate. For the highest maximal velocities, they are driven by AGN; these outflows are therefore a clear way to moderate or suppress star formation. Some of the most convincing examples at low redshift come from the radio mode, when the radio jets are inclined toward the galaxy plane, or expand in the hot intra-cluster medium, in cool core clusters. However, AGN feedback can also be positive in many occasions, and the net effect is difficult to evaluate. The quenching efficiency is discussed in view of recent observations.

ACCRETION KINEMATICS THROUGH THE WARPED TRANSITION DISK IN HD 142527 FROM RESOLVED CO(6–5) OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casassus, S.; Marino, S.; Pérez, S.; Plas, G. van der; Christiaens, V.; Montesinos, Matías [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile); Roman, P.; Dunhill, A.; Cuadra, J.; Cieza, L.; Moral, Victor [Millennium Nucleus “Protoplanetary Disks,” Chile (Chile); Armitage, P. J. [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, UCB 440, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Wootten, A., E-mail: scasassus@u.uchile.cl [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 (United States)

2015-10-01

The finding of residual gas in the large central cavity of the HD 142527 disk motivates questions regarding the origin of its non-Keplerian kinematics and possible connections with planet formation. We aim to understand the physical structure that underlies the intra-cavity gaseous flows, guided by new molecular-line data in CO(6–5) with unprecedented angular resolutions. Given the warped structure inferred from the identification of scattered-light shadows cast on the outer disk, the kinematics are consistent, to first order, with axisymmetric accretion onto the inner disk occurring at all azimuths. A steady-state accretion profile, fixed at the stellar accretion rate, explains the depth of the cavity as traced in CO isotopologues. The abrupt warp and evidence for near free-fall radial flows in HD 142527 resemble theoretical models for disk tearing, which could be driven by the reported low-mass companion, whose orbit may be contained in the plane of the inner disk. The companion’s high inclination with respect to the massive outer disk could drive Kozai oscillations over long timescales; high-eccentricity periods may perhaps account for the large cavity. While shadowing by the tilted disk could imprint an azimuthal modulation in the molecular-line maps, further observations are required to ascertain the significance of azimuthal structure in the density field inside the cavity of HD 142527.

On the Observability of Individual Population III Stars and Their Stellar-mass Black Hole Accretion Disks through Cluster Caustic Transits

Science.gov (United States)

Windhorst, Rogier A.; Timmes, F. X.; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Andrews, Stephen K.; Coe, Daniel; Diego, Jose M.; Dijkstra, Mark; Driver, Simon P.; Kelly, Patrick L.; Kim, Duho

2018-02-01

We summarize panchromatic Extragalactic Background Light data to place upper limits on the integrated near-infrared surface brightness (SB) that may come from Population III stars and possible accretion disks around their stellar-mass black holes (BHs) in the epoch of First Light, broadly taken from z ≃ 7–17. Theoretical predictions and recent near-infrared power spectra provide tighter constraints on their sky signal. We outline the physical properties of zero-metallicity Population III stars from MESA stellar evolution models through helium depletion and of BH accretion disks at z≳ 7. We assume that second-generation non-zero-metallicity stars can form at higher multiplicity, so that BH accretion disks may be fed by Roche-lobe overflow from lower-mass companions. We use these near-infrared SB constraints to calculate the number of caustic transits behind lensing clusters that the James Webb Space Telescope and the next-generation ground-based telescopes may observe for both Population III stars and their BH accretion disks. Typical caustic magnifications can be μ ≃ {10}4{--}{10}5, with rise times of hours and decline times of ≲ 1 year for cluster transverse velocities of {v}T≲ 1000 km s‑1. Microlensing by intracluster-medium objects can modify transit magnifications but lengthen visibility times. Depending on BH masses, accretion-disk radii, and feeding efficiencies, stellar-mass BH accretion-disk caustic transits could outnumber those from Population III stars. To observe Population III caustic transits directly may require monitoring 3–30 lensing clusters to {AB}≲ 29 mag over a decade.

Density diagnostics of ionized outflows in active galacitc nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, J.; Kaastra, J.; Mehdipour, M.; Raassen, T.; Gu, L.

2017-10-01

Ionized outflows in Active Galactic Nuclei are thought to influence their nuclear and local galactic environment. However, the distance of outflows with respect to the central engine is poorly constrained, which limits our understanding of the kinetic power by the outflows. Therefore, the impact of AGN outflows on their host galaxies is uncertain. Given the density of the outflows, their distance can be immediately obtained by the definition of the ionization parameter. Here we carry out a theoretical study of density diagnostics of AGN outflows using absorption lines from metastable levels in Be-like to F-like ions. With the new self-consistent photoionization model (PION) in the SPEX code, we are able to calculate ground and metastable level populations. This enable us to determine under what physical conditions these levels are significantly populated. We then identify characteristic transitions from these metastable levels in the X-ray band. Firm detections of absorption lines from such metastable levels are challenging for current grating instruments. The next generation of spectrometers like X-IFU onboard Athena will certainly identify the presence/absence of these density- sensitive absorption lines, thus tightly constraining the location and the kinetic power of AGN outflows.

Supermassive black holes with high accretion rates in active galactic nuclei. I. First results from a new reverberation mapping campaign

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Pu; Hu, Chen; Qiu, Jie; Li, Yan-Rong; Wang, Jian-Min [Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19B Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049 (China); Lu, Kai-Xing [Astronomy Department, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Wang, Fang; Bai, Jin-Ming [Yunnan Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650011, Yunnan (China); Kaspi, Shai; Netzer, Hagai [Wise Observatory, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978 (Israel); Collaboration: SEAMBH collaboration

2014-02-10

We report first results from a large project to measure black hole (BH) mass in high accretion rate active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Such objects may be different from other AGNs in being powered by slim accretion disks and showing saturated accretion luminosities, but both are not yet fully understood. The results are part of a large reverberation mapping (RM) campaign using the 2.4 m Shangri-La telescope at the Yunnan Observatory in China. The goals are to investigate the gas distribution near the BH and the properties of the central accretion disks, to measure BH mass and Eddington ratios, and to test the feasibility of using such objects as a new type of cosmological candles. The paper presents results for three objects, Mrk 335, Mrk 142, and IRAS F12397+3333, with Hβ time lags relative to the 5100 Å continuum of 10.6{sub −2.9}{sup +1.7}, 6.4{sub −2.2}{sup +0.8} and 11.4{sub −1.9}{sup +2.9} days, respectively. The corresponding BH masses are (8.3{sub −3.2}{sup +2.6})×10{sup 6} M{sub ⊙}, (3.4{sub −1.2}{sup +0.5})×10{sup 6} M{sub ⊙}, and (7.5{sub −4.1}{sup +4.3})×10{sup 6} M{sub ⊙}, and the lower limits on the Eddington ratios are 0.6, 2.3, and 4.6 for the minimal radiative efficiency of 0.038. Mrk 142 and IRAS F12397+333 (extinction corrected) clearly deviate from the currently known relation between Hβ lag and continuum luminosity. The three Eddington ratios are beyond the values expected in thin accretion disks and two of them are the largest measured so far among objects with RM-based BH masses. We briefly discuss implications for slim disks, BH growth, and cosmology.

Merger of Multiple Accreting Black Holes Concordant with Gravitational-wave Events

Science.gov (United States)

Tagawa, Hiromichi; Umemura, Masayuki

2018-03-01

Recently, the advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (aLIGO) has detected black hole (BH) merger events, most of which are sourced by BHs more massive than 30 M ⊙. Especially, the observation of GW170104 suggests dynamically assembled binaries favoring a distribution of misaligned spins. It has been argued that mergers of unassociated BHs can be engendered through a chance meeting in a multiple BH system under gas-rich environments. In this paper, we consider the merger of unassociated BHs, concordant with the massive BH merger events. To that end, we simulate a multiple BH system with a post-Newtonian N-body code incorporating gas accretion and general relativistic effects. As a result, we find that gas dynamical friction effectively promotes a three-body interaction of BHs in dense gas of n gas ≳ 106 cm‑3, so that BH mergers can take place within 30 Myr. This scenario predicts an isotropic distribution of spin tilts. In the concordant models with GW150914, the masses of seed BHs are required to be ≳25 M ⊙. The potential sites of such chance meeting BH mergers are active galactic nucleus (AGN) disks and dense interstellar clouds. Assuming the LIGO O1, we roughly estimate the event rates for PopI BHs and PopIII BHs in AGN disks to be ≃1–2 yr‑1 and ≃1 yr‑1, respectively. Multiple episodes of AGNs may enhance the rates by roughly an order of magnitude. For massive PopI BHs in dense interstellar clouds the rate is ≃0.02 yr‑1. Hence, high-density AGN disks are a more plausible site for mergers of chance meeting BHs.

X-RAY REFLECTED SPECTRA FROM ACCRETION DISK MODELS. I. CONSTANT DENSITY ATMOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, J.; Kallman, T. R.

2010-01-01

We present new models for illuminated accretion disks, their structure, and reprocessed emission. We consider the effects of incident X-rays on the surface of an accretion disk by simultaneously solving the equations of radiative transfer, energy balance, and ionization equilibrium over a large range of column densities. We assume plane-parallel geometry and azimuthal symmetry, such that each calculation corresponds to a ring at a given distance from the central object. Our models include recent and complete atomic data for K-shell processes of the iron and oxygen isonuclear sequences. We examine the effect on the spectrum of fluorescent Kα line emission and absorption in the emitted spectrum. We also explore the dependence of the spectrum on the strength of the incident X-rays and other input parameters, and discuss the importance of Comptonization on the emitted spectrum.

EDDINGTON RATIO DISTRIBUTION OF X-RAY-SELECTED BROAD-LINE AGNs AT 1.0 < z < 2.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Hyewon; Hasinger, Günther; Steinhardt, Charles; Silverman, John D.; Schramm, Malte

2015-01-01

We investigate the Eddington ratio distribution of X-ray-selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the redshift range 1.0 < z < 2.2, where the number density of AGNs peaks. Combining the optical and Subaru/Fiber Multi Object Spectrograph near-infrared spectroscopy, we estimate black hole masses for broad-line AGNs in the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S), Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDF-S), and the XMM-Newton Lockman Hole (XMM-LH) surveys. AGNs with similar black hole masses show a broad range of AGN bolometric luminosities, which are calculated from X-ray luminosities, indicating that the accretion rate of black holes is widely distributed. We find a substantial fraction of massive black holes accreting significantly below the Eddington limit at z ≲ 2, in contrast to what is generally found for luminous AGNs at high redshift. Our analysis of observational selection biases indicates that the “AGN cosmic downsizing” phenomenon can be simply explained by the strong evolution of the comoving number density at the bright end of the AGN luminosity function, together with the corresponding selection effects. However, one might need to consider a correlation between the AGN luminosity and the accretion rate of black holes, in which luminous AGNs have higher Eddington ratios than low-luminosity AGNs, in order to understand the relatively small fraction of low-luminosity AGNs with high accretion rates in this epoch. Therefore, the observed downsizing trend could be interpreted as massive black holes with low accretion rates, which are relatively fainter than less-massive black holes with efficient accretion

A NICER View of the Accretion Disk in GX 339-4

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, James Francis; Bulbul, Esra; Cackett, Ed; Fabian, Andy; Gendreau, Keith C.; Neilsen, Joseph; Ranga Reddy Pasham, Dheeraj; Remillard, Ron; Uttley, Phil; Wood, Kent S.

2018-01-01

The poster-child black hole transient GX 339-4 has gone into outburst once again. With no pileup, low-background, and high fidelity in the soft X-ray bandpass, NICER is uniquely positioned to detect emergent thermal disk emission from an optically thick accretion flow approaching the innermost-stable circular orbit. We present NICER's results on the 2017 outburst, and detail its implications for the disk-truncation controversy. We also investigate the X-ray state evolution, as seen in NICER's spectral range of 0.2 to 12 keV.

Buoyancy limits on magnetic viscosity stress-law scalings in quasi stellar object accretion disk models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakimoto, P.J.

1985-01-01

Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSOs) are apparently the excessively bright nuclei of distant galaxies. They are thought to be powered by accretion disks surrounding supermassive black holes: however, proof of this presumption is hampered by major uncertainties in the viscous stress necessary for accretion to occur. Models generally assume an and hoc stress law which scales the stress with the total pressure. Near the black hole, radiation pressure dominates gas pressure; scaling the stress with the radiation pressure results in disk models that are thermally unstable and optically thin. This dissertation shows that a radiation pressure scaling for the stress is not possible if the viscosity is due to turbulent magnetic Maxwell stresses. The argument is one of internal self-consistency. First, four model accretion disks that bound the reasonably expected ranges of viscous stress scalings and vertical structures are constructed. Magnetic flux tubes of various initial field strengths are then placed within these models, nd their buoyancy is modeled numerically. In disks using the radiation pressure stress law scaling, low opacities allow rapid heat flow into the flux tubes: the tubes are extremely buoyant, and magnetic fields strong enough to provide the required stress cannot be retained. If an alternative gas pressure scaling for the stress is assumed, then the disks are optically thick; flux tubes have corresponding lower buoyancy, and magnetic fields strong enough to provide the stress can be retained for dynamically significant time periods

Super-Eddington Mechanical Power of an Accreting Black Hole in M83

Science.gov (United States)

Soria, R.; Long, K. S.; Blair, W. P.; Godfrey, L.; Kuntz, K. D.; Lenc, E.; Stockdale, C.; Winkler, P. F.

2014-01-01

Mass accretion onto black holes releases energy in the form of radiation and outflows. Although the radiative flux cannot substantially exceed the Eddington limit, at which the outgoing radiation pressure impedes the inflow of matter, it remains unclear whether the kinetic energy flux is bounded by this same limit. Here, we present the detection of a radio-optical structure, powered by outflows from a non-nuclear black hole. Its accretion disk properties indicate that this black hole is less than 100 solar masses. The optical-infrared line emission implies an average kinetic power of 3 × 10(exp 40) erg second(exp -1), higher than the Eddington luminosity of the black hole. These results demonstrate kinetic power exceeding the Eddington limit over a sustained period, which implies greater ability to influence the evolution of the black hole's environment.

THERMAL AND DYNAMICAL PROPERTIES OF GAS ACCRETING ONTO A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE IN AN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mościbrodzka, M.; Proga, D.

2013-01-01

We study stability of gas accretion in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our grid-based simulations cover a radial range from 0.1 to 200 pc, which may enable linking the galactic/cosmological simulations with small-scale black hole (BH) accretion models within a few hundreds of Schwarzschild radii. Here, as in previous studies by our group, we include gas radiative cooling as well as heating by a sub-Eddington X-ray source near the central supermassive BH of 10 8 M ☉ . Our theoretical estimates and simulations show that for the X-ray luminosity, L X ∼ 0.008 L Edd , the gas is thermally and convectively unstable within the computational domain. In the simulations, we observe that very tiny fluctuations in an initially smooth, spherically symmetric, accretion flow, grow first linearly and then nonlinearly. Consequently, an initially one-phase flow relatively quickly transitions into a two-phase/cold-hot accretion flow. For L X = 0.015 L Edd or higher, the cold clouds continue to accrete but in some regions of the hot phase, the gas starts to move outward. For L X Edd , the cold phase contribution to the total mass accretion rate only moderately dominates over the hot phase contribution. This result might have some consequences for cosmological simulations of the so-called AGN feedback problem. Our simulations confirm the previous results of Barai et al. who used smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) simulations to tackle the same problem. Here, however, because we use a grid-based code to solve equations in one dimension and two dimensions, we are able to follow the gas dynamics at much higher spacial resolution and for longer time compared with the three-dimensional SPH simulations. One of the new features revealed by our simulations is that the cold condensations in the accretion flow initially form long filaments, but at the later times, those filaments may break into smaller clouds advected outward within the hot outflow. Therefore, these simulations may serve as

Superwind Outflows in Seyfert Galaxies? : Large-Scale Radio Maps of an Edge-On Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E.; Gallimore, J.; Baum, S.; O'Dea, C.

1995-03-01

Large-scale galactic winds (superwinds) are commonly found flowing out of the nuclear region of ultraluminous infrared and powerful starburst galaxies. Stellar winds and supernovae from the nuclear starburst provide the energy to drive these superwinds. The outflowing gas escapes along the rotation axis, sweeping up and shock-heating clouds in the halo, which produces optical line emission, radio synchrotron emission, and X-rays. These features can most easily be studied in edge-on systems, so that the wind emission is not confused by that from the disk. We have begun a systematic search for superwind outflows in Seyfert galaxies. In an earlier optical emission-line survey, we found extended minor axis emission and/or double-peaked emission line profiles in >~30% of the sample objects. We present here large-scale (6cm VLA C-config) radio maps of 11 edge-on Seyfert galaxies, selected (without bias) from a distance-limited sample of 23 edge-on Seyferts. These data have been used to estimate the frequency of occurrence of superwinds. Preliminary results indicate that four (36%) of the 11 objects observed and six (26%) of the 23 objects in the distance-limited sample have extended radio emission oriented perpendicular to the galaxy disk. This emission may be produced by a galactic wind blowing out of the disk. Two (NGC 2992 and NGC 5506) of the nine objects for which we have both radio and optical data show good evidence for a galactic wind in both datasets. We suggest that galactic winds occur in >~30% of all Seyferts. A goal of this work is to find a diagnostic that can be used to distinguish between large-scale outflows that are driven by starbursts and those that are driven by an AGN. The presence of starburst-driven superwinds in Seyferts, if established, would have important implications for the connection between starburst galaxies and AGN.

A spin-down mechanism for accreting neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Illarionov, A.F.; AN SSSR, Moscow. Fizicheskij Inst.); Kompaneets, D.A.

1990-01-01

We propose a new spin-down mechanism for accreting neutron stars that explains the existence of a number of long-period (p≅100-1000 s) X-ray pulsars in wide binaries with OB-stars. The spin-down is a result of efficient angular momentum transfer from the rotating magnetosphere of the accreting star to an outflowing stream of magnetized matter. The outflow is formed within a limited solid angle, and the outflow rate is less than the accretion rate. The outflow formation is connected with the anisotropy and intensity of the hard X-ray emission of the neutron star. X-rays from the pulsar heat through Compton scattering the accreting matter anisotropically. The heated matter has a lower density than the surrounding accreting matter and flows up by the action of the buoyancy force. We find the criterion for the outflow to form deep in the accretion flow (i.e., close to the neutron star magnetosphere). The neutron star loses angular momentum when the outflow forms so deep as to capture the magnetic field lines from the rotating magnetosphere. The balance between angular momentum gain by accreting gas and loss by outflowing matter takes place at a particular value of the period of the spinning neutron star. (orig.)

On the Observability of Individual Population III Stars and Their Stellar-mass Black Hole Accretion Disks through Cluster Caustic Transits

Science.gov (United States)

Windhorst, Rogier A.; Wyithe, Stuart; Alpaslan, Mehmet; Timmes, F. X.; Andrews, Stephen K.; Kim, Duho; Kelly, Patrick; Coe, Dan A.; Diego, Jose M.; Driver, Simon P.; Dijkstra, Mark

2018-06-01

We summarize panchromatic Extragalactic Background Light data to place upper limits on the integrated near-IR surface brightness (SB) that may come from Population III stars and possible accretion disks around their stellar-mass black holes (BHs) in the epoch of First Light, broadly taken from z=7-17.We outline the physical properties of zero-metallicity Population III stars from MESA stellar evolution models through helium depletion and of BH accretion disks at z>7. We assume that second-generation non-zero-metallicity stars can form at higher multiplicity, so that BH accretion disks may be fed by Roche-lobe overflow from lower-mass companions.We use these near-infrared SB constraints to calculate the number of caustic transits behind lensing clusters that the James Webb Space Telescope and the next-generation ground-based telescopes may observe for both Population III stars and their BH accretion disks. Typical caustic magnifications can be 10^4-10^5x, with rise times of hours and decline times of z~Economia y Competitividad of Spain Consolider Project CSD2010-00064.

X-RAY PROPERTIES OF INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLES IN ACTIVE GALAXIES. II. X-RAY-BRIGHT ACCRETION AND POSSIBLE EVIDENCE FOR SLIM DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desroches, Louis-Benoit; Greene, Jenny E.; Ho, Luis C.

2009-01-01

We present X-ray properties of optically selected intermediate-mass (∼10 5 -10 6 M sun ) black holes (BHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), using data from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Our observations are a continuation of a pilot study by Greene and Ho. Of the eight objects observed, five are detected with X-ray luminosities in the range L 0.5-2keV = 10 41 -10 43 erg s -1 , consistent with the previously observed sample. Objects with enough counts to extract a spectrum are well fit by an absorbed power law. We continue to find a range of soft photon indices 1 s -Γ s , consistent with previous AGN studies, but generally flatter than other narrow-line Seyfert 1 active nuclei (NLS1s). The soft photon index correlates strongly with X-ray luminosity and Eddington ratio, but does not depend on BH mass. There is no justification for the inclusion of any additional components, such as a soft excess, although this may be a function of the relative inefficiency of detecting counts above 2 keV in these relatively shallow observations. As a whole, the X-ray-to-optical spectral slope α ox is flatter than in more massive systems, even other NLS1s. Only X-ray-selected NLS1s with very high Eddington ratios share a similar α ox . This is suggestive of a physical change in the accretion structure at low masses and at very high accretion rates, possibly due to the onset of slim disks. Although the detailed physical explanation for the X-ray loudness of these intermediate-mass BHs is not certain, it is very striking that targets selected on the basis of optical properties should be so distinctly offset in their broader spectral energy distributions.

Mass Flux and Terminal Velocities of Magnetically Driven Jets from Accretion Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Kudoh, Takahiro; Shibata, Kazunari

1995-10-01

In order to investigate astrophysical jets from accretion disks, we solve 1.5-dimensional steady MHD equations for a wide range of parameters, assuming the shape of poloidal magnetic field lines. We include a thermal effect to obtain the relation between the mass flux of the jet and the magnetic energy at the disk, although the jet is mainly accelerated by the magnetic force. It is found that the mass flux of the jets ( M dot ) is dependent on the magnetic energy at the disk surface, i.e., M dot ~ (rho Aa|Bp/B|)_{{slow}} ~ (rho Aa|Bp/Bphi|)_{{slow}} ~ Ealpha_{{mg}} [where rho is the density, a is the sound velocity, A is the cross section of the magnetic flux, B = (B2p + B2phi)^{1/2} , Bp and B phi are the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field strength, respectively, Emg is the magnetic energy in unit of the gravitational energy at the disk surface, and the suffix "slow" denotes the value at a slow point], when the magnetic energy is not too large. The parameter alpha increases from 0 to 0.5 with decreasing magnetic energy. Since the scaling law of Michel's minimum energy solution nearly holds in the magnetically driven flows, the dependence of the terminal velocity on the magnetic energy becomes weaker than had been expected, i.e., v_∞ ~ E^{(1-alpha)/3}_{{mg}} . It is shown that the terminal velocity of the jet is an order of Keplerian velocity at the footpoint of the jets for a wide range of values of Emg expected for accretion disks in star-forming regions and active galactic nuclei. We argue that the mass-loss rates observed in the star-forming regions would constrain the magnetic energies at the disk surfaces.

The origin of blueshifted absorption features in the X-ray spectrum of PG 1211+143: outflow or disc

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, L. C.; Fabian, A. C.

2013-07-01

In some radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGN), high-energy absorption features in the X-ray spectra have been interpreted as ultrafast outflows (UFOs) - highly ionized material (e.g. Fe XXV and Fe XXVI) ejected at mildly relativistic velocities. In some cases, these outflows can carry energy in excess of the binding energy of the host galaxy. Needless to say, these features demand our attention as they are strong signatures of AGN feedback and will influence galaxy evolution. For the same reason, alternative models need to be discussed and refuted or confirmed. Gallo and Fabian proposed that some of these features could arise from resonance absorption of the reflected spectrum in a layer of ionized material located above and corotating with the accretion disc. Therefore, the absorbing medium would be subjected to similar blurring effects as seen in the disc. A priori, the existence of such plasma above the disc is as plausible as a fast wind. In this work, we highlight the ambiguity by demonstrating that the absorption model can describe the ˜7.6 keV absorption feature (and possibly other features) in the quasar PG 1211+143, an AGN that is often described as a classic example of a UFO. In this model, the 2-10 keV spectrum would be largely reflection dominated (as opposed to power law dominated in the wind models) and the resonance absorption would be originating in a layer between about 6 and 60 gravitational radii. The studies of such features constitute a cornerstone for future X-ray observatories like Astro-H and Athena+. Should our model prove correct, or at least important in some cases, then absorption will provide another diagnostic tool with which to probe the inner accretion flow with future missions.

A Compact Group of Galaxies at z = 2.48 Hosting an AGN-driven Outflow

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Hsin-Yi; Stockton, Alan

2015-12-01

We present observations of a remarkable compact group of galaxies at z = 2.48. Four galaxies, all within 40 kpc of each other, surround a powerful high-redshift radio source. This group comprises two compact red passive galaxies and a pair of merging galaxies. One of the red galaxies, with an apparent stellar mass of 3.6 × 1011M⊙ and an effective radius of 470 pc, is one of the most extreme examples of a massive quiescent compact galaxy found so far. One of the pair of merging galaxies hosts the active galactic nucleus (AGN) producing the large powerful radio structure. The merger is massive and enriched, consistent with the mass-metallicity relation expected at this redshift. Close to the merging nuclei, the emission lines exhibit broad and asymmetric profiles that suggest outflows powered either by a very young expanding radio jet or by AGN radiation. At ≳50 kpc from the system, we found a fainter extended-emission region that may be a part of a radio-jet-driven outflow. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The work is also based, in part, on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil), and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).

Occultations from an Active Accretion Disk in a 72-day Detached Post-Algol System Detected by K2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, G.; Rappaport, S.; Nelson, L.

2018-01-01

Disks in binary systems can cause exotic eclipsing events. MWC 882 (BD –22 4376, EPIC 225300403) is such a disk-eclipsing system identified from observations during Campaign 11 of the K2 mission. We propose that MWC 882 is a post-Algol system with a B7 donor star of mass in a 72-day orbit around...... an A0 accreting star of mass . The disk around the accreting star occults the donor star once every orbit, inducing 19-day long, 7% deep eclipses identified by K2 and subsequently found in pre-discovery All-Sky Automated Survey and All Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae observations. We coordinated...

PATCHY ACCRETION DISKS IN ULTRA-LUMINOUS X-RAY SOURCES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, J. M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1042 (United States); Bachetti, M.; Barret, D.; Webb, N. A. [Universite de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, F- 31100 Toulouse (France); Harrison, F. A.; Walton, D. J.; Rana, V. [Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Fabian, A. C., E-mail: jonmm@umich.edu [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)

2014-04-10

The X-ray spectra of the most extreme ultra-luminous X-ray sources—those with L ≥ 10{sup 40} erg s{sup –1}—remain something of a mystery. Spectral roll-over in the 5-10 keV band was originally detected in the deepest XMM-Newton observations of the brightest sources; this is confirmed in subsequent NuSTAR spectra. This emission can be modeled via Comptonization, but with low electron temperatures (kT{sub e} ≅ 2 keV) and high optical depths (τ ≅ 10) that pose numerous difficulties. Moreover, evidence of cooler thermal emission that can be fit with thin disk models persists, even in fits to joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations. Using NGC 1313 X-1 as a test case, we show that a patchy disk with a multiple temperature profile may provide an excellent description of such spectra. In principle, a number of patches within a cool disk might emit over a range of temperatures, but the data only require a two-temperature profile plus standard Comptonization, or three distinct blackbody components. A mechanism such as the photon bubble instability may naturally give rise to a patchy disk profile, and could give rise to super-Eddington luminosities. It is possible, then, that a patchy disk (rather than a disk with a standard single-temperature profile) might be a hallmark of accretion disks close to or above the Eddington limit. We discuss further tests of this picture and potential implications for sources such as narrow-line Seyfert-1 galaxies and other low-mass active galactic nuclei.

WIND-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. I. SUPPRESSION OF THE MAGNETOROTATIONAL INSTABILITY AND LAUNCHING OF THE MAGNETOCENTRIFUGAL WIND

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Xuening; Stone, James M.

2013-01-01

We perform local, vertically stratified shearing-box MHD simulations of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) at a fiducial radius of 1 AU that take into account the effects of both Ohmic resistivity and ambipolar diffusion (AD). The magnetic diffusion coefficients are evaluated self-consistently from a look-up table based on equilibrium chemistry. We first show that the inclusion of AD dramatically changes the conventional picture of layered accretion. Without net vertical magnetic field, the system evolves into a toroidal field dominated configuration with extremely weak turbulence in the far-UV ionization layer that is far too inefficient to drive rapid accretion. In the presence of a weak net vertical field (plasma β ∼ 10 5 at midplane), we find that the magnetorotational instability (MRI) is completely suppressed, resulting in a fully laminar flow throughout the vertical extent of the disk. A strong magnetocentrifugal wind is launched that efficiently carries away disk angular momentum and easily accounts for the observed accretion rate in PPDs. Moreover, under a physical disk wind geometry, all the accretion flow proceeds through a strong current layer with a thickness of ∼0.3H that is offset from disk midplane with radial velocity of up to 0.4 times the sound speed. Both Ohmic resistivity and AD are essential for the suppression of the MRI and wind launching. The efficiency of wind transport increases with increasing net vertical magnetic flux and the penetration depth of the FUV ionization. Our laminar wind solution has important implications on planet formation and global evolution of PPDs.

On the structure of circumbinary accretion disks and the tidal evolution of commensurable satellites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, D.N.C.; Papaloizou, J.

1979-01-01

The investigation is continued of tidal torques on accretion disk flows in the vicinity of close binary systems. It is shown that the tidal effect can truncate the inner edge of circumbinary accretion discs. If the viscous dissipation is weak in such disks, density enhancement can be produced at the outer Lindblad resonance. The results are applied to contact binaries and the formation of commensurable satellites in the solar system. In order to determine whether the present configurations are a result of formation, or subsequent tidal evolution, the forced eccentricity of resonant satellites is related to the Q values of the planet and satellites. It is found that while the Galilean satellites may owe their present configuration, in part, to tidal effects, this is unlikely for other commensurable pairs. (author)

Three-dimensional simulations of the interaction between the nova ejecta, accretion disk, and companion star

Science.gov (United States)

Figueira, Joana; José, Jordi; García-Berro, Enrique; Campbell, Simon W.; García-Senz, Domingo; Mohamed, Shazrene

2018-05-01

Context. Classical novae are thermonuclear explosions hosted by accreting white dwarfs in stellar binary systems. Material piles up on top of the white dwarf star under mildly degenerate conditions, driving a thermonuclear runaway. The energy released by the suite of nuclear processes operating at the envelope, mostly proton-capture reactions and β+-decays, heats the material up to peak temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 MK. In these events, about 10-3-10-7 M⊙, enriched in CNO and, sometimes, other intermediate-mass elements (e.g., Ne, Na, Mg, and Al) are ejected into the interstellar medium. Aims: To date, most of the efforts undertaken in the modeling of classical nova outbursts have focused on the early stages of the explosion and ejection, ignoring the interaction of the ejecta, first with the accretion disk orbiting the white dwarf and ultimately with the secondary star. Methods: A suite of 3D, smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of the interaction between the nova ejecta, accretion disk, and stellar companion were performed to fill this gap; these simulations were aimed at testing the influence of the model parameters—that is, the mass and velocity of the ejecta, mass and the geometry of the accretion disk—on the dynamical and chemical properties of the system. Results: We discuss the conditions that lead to the disruption of the accretion disk and to mass loss from the binary system. In addition, we discuss the likelihood of chemical contamination of the stellar secondary induced by the impact with the nova ejecta and its potential effect on the next nova cycle. Movies showing the full evolution of several models are available online at http://https://www.aanda.org and at http://www.fen.upc.edu/users/jjose/Downloads.html

An X-Ray/SDSS Sample: Observational Characterization of The Outflowing Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Perna, Michele; Brusa, M.; Lanzuisi, G.; Mignoli, M.

2016-10-01

Powerful ionised AGN-driven outflows, commonly detected both locally and at high redshift, are invoked to contribute to the co-evolution of SMBH and galaxies through feedback phenomena. Our recent works (Brusa+2015; 2016; Perna+2015a,b) have shown that the XMM-COSMOS targets with evidence of outflows collected so far ( 10 sources) appear to be associated with low X-ray kbol corrections (Lbol /LX ˜ 18), in spite of their spread in obscuration, in the locations on the SFR-Mstar diagram, in their radio emission. A higher statistical significance is required to validate a connection between outflow phenomena and a X-ray loudness. Moreover, in order to validate their binding nature to the galaxy fate, it is crucial to correctly determine the outflow energetics. This requires time consuming integral field spectroscopic (IFS) observations, which are, at present, mostly limited to high luminosity objectsThe study of SDSS data offers a complementary strategy to IFS efforts. I will present physical and demographic characterization of the AGN-galaxy system during the feedback phase obtained studying a sample of 500 X-ray/SDSS AGNs, at zdispersion) and X-ray properties (intrinsic X-ray luminosity, obscuration and X-ray kbol correction), to determine what drives ionised winds. Several diagnostic line ratios have been used to infer the physical properties of the ionised outflowing gas. The knowledge of these properties can reduce the actual uncertainties in the outflow energetics by a factor of ten, pointing to improve our understanding of the AGN outflow phenomenon and its impact on galaxy evolution.

CHEMISTRY IN A FORMING PROTOPLANETARY DISK: MAIN ACCRETION PHASE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoneda, Haruaki [Department of Planetology, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501 (Japan); Tsukamoto, Yusuke [Riken, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama (Japan); Furuya, Kenji; Aikawa, Yuri, E-mail: aikawa@ccs.tsukuba.ac.jp [Center for Computational Sciences, University of Tsukuba (Japan)

2016-12-10

We investigate the chemistry in a radiation-hydrodynamics model of a star-forming core that evolves from a cold (∼10 K) prestellar core to the main accretion phase in ∼10{sup 5} years. A rotationally supported gravitationally unstable disk is formed around a protostar. We extract the temporal variation of physical parameters in ∼1.5 × 10{sup 3} SPH particles that end up in the disk, and perform post-processing calculations of the gas-grain chemistry adopting a three-phase model. Inside the disk, the SPH particles migrate both inward and outward. Since a significant fraction of volatiles such as CO can be trapped in the water-dominant ice in the three-phase model, the ice mantle composition depends not only on the current position in the disk, but also on whether the dust grain has ever experienced higher temperatures than the water sublimation temperature. Stable molecules such as H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, NH{sub 3}, and CH{sub 3}OH are already abundant at the onset of gravitational collapse and are simply sublimated as the fluid parcels migrate inside the water snow line. On the other hand, various molecules such as carbon chains and complex organic molecules (COMs) are formed in the disk. The COMs abundance sensitively depends on the outcomes of photodissociation and diffusion rates of photofragments in bulk ice mantle. As for S-bearing species, H{sub 2}S ice is abundant in the collapse phase. In the warm regions in the disk, H{sub 2}S is sublimated to be destroyed, while SO, H{sub 2}CS, OCS, and SO{sub 2} become abundant.

CHEMISTRY IN A FORMING PROTOPLANETARY DISK: MAIN ACCRETION PHASE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoneda, Haruaki; Tsukamoto, Yusuke; Furuya, Kenji; Aikawa, Yuri

2016-01-01

We investigate the chemistry in a radiation-hydrodynamics model of a star-forming core that evolves from a cold (∼10 K) prestellar core to the main accretion phase in ∼10 5 years. A rotationally supported gravitationally unstable disk is formed around a protostar. We extract the temporal variation of physical parameters in ∼1.5 × 10 3 SPH particles that end up in the disk, and perform post-processing calculations of the gas-grain chemistry adopting a three-phase model. Inside the disk, the SPH particles migrate both inward and outward. Since a significant fraction of volatiles such as CO can be trapped in the water-dominant ice in the three-phase model, the ice mantle composition depends not only on the current position in the disk, but also on whether the dust grain has ever experienced higher temperatures than the water sublimation temperature. Stable molecules such as H 2 O, CH 4 , NH 3 , and CH 3 OH are already abundant at the onset of gravitational collapse and are simply sublimated as the fluid parcels migrate inside the water snow line. On the other hand, various molecules such as carbon chains and complex organic molecules (COMs) are formed in the disk. The COMs abundance sensitively depends on the outcomes of photodissociation and diffusion rates of photofragments in bulk ice mantle. As for S-bearing species, H 2 S ice is abundant in the collapse phase. In the warm regions in the disk, H 2 S is sublimated to be destroyed, while SO, H 2 CS, OCS, and SO 2 become abundant.

AGN feedback compared: jets versus radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Cielo, Salvatore; Bieri, Rebekka; Volonteri, Marta; Wagner, Alexander Y.; Dubois, Yohan

2018-06-01

Feedback by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is often divided into quasar and radio mode, powered by radiation or radio jets, respectively. Both are fundamental in galaxy evolution, especially in late-type galaxies, as shown by cosmological simulations and observations of jet-ISM (interstellar medium) interactions in these systems. We compare AGN feedback by radiation and by collimated jets through a suite of simulations, in which a central AGN interacts with a clumpy, fractal galactic disc. We test AGNs of 1043 and 1046 erg s-1, considering jets perpendicular or parallel to the disc. Mechanical jets drive the more powerful outflows, exhibiting stronger mass and momentum coupling with the dense gas, while radiation heats and rarefies the gas more. Radiation and perpendicular jets evolve to be quite similar in outflow properties and effect on the cold ISM, while inclined jets interact more efficiently with all the disc gas, removing the densest 20 {per cent} in 20 Myr, and thereby reducing the amount of cold gas available for star formation. All simulations show small-scale inflows of 0.01-0.1 M⊙ yr-1, which can easily reach down to the Bondi radius of the central supermassive black hole (especially for radiation and perpendicular jets), implying that AGNs modulate their own duty cycle in a feedback/feeding cycle.

The SINS/zC-SINF survey of z ∼ 2 galaxy kinematics: Evidence for powerful active galactic nucleus-driven nuclear outflows in massive star-forming galaxies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Förster Schreiber, N. M.; Genzel, R.; Kurk, J. D.; Lutz, D.; Tacconi, L. J.; Wuyts, S.; Bandara, K.; Buschkamp, P.; Davies, R.; Eisenhauer, F.; Lang, P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Newman, S. F. [Department of Astronomy, Hearst Field Annex, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Burkert, A. [Universitäts-Sternwarte, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Scheinerstrasse 1, D-81679 München (Germany); Carollo, C. M.; Lilly, S. J. [Institute for Astronomy, Department of Physics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, 8093-CH Zürich (Switzerland); Cresci, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica—Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Daddi, E. [CEA Saclay, DSM/IRFU/SAp, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Hicks, E. K. S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, P.O. Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195-1580 (United States); Mainieri, V. [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Mancini, C. [Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica—Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); and others

2014-05-20

We report the detection of ubiquitous powerful nuclear outflows in massive (≥10{sup 11} M {sub ☉}) z ∼ 2 star-forming galaxies (SFGs), which are plausibly driven by an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The sample consists of the eight most massive SFGs from our SINS/zC-SINF survey of galaxy kinematics with the imaging spectrometer SINFONI, six of which have sensitive high-resolution adaptive optics-assisted observations. All of the objects are disks hosting a significant stellar bulge. The spectra in their central regions exhibit a broad component in Hα and forbidden [N II] and [S II] line emission, with typical velocity FWHM ∼ 1500 km s{sup –1}, [N II]/Hα ratio ≈ 0.6, and intrinsic extent of 2-3 kpc. These properties are consistent with warm ionized gas outflows associated with Type 2 AGN, the presence of which is confirmed via independent diagnostics in half the galaxies. The data imply a median ionized gas mass outflow rate of ∼60 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} and mass loading of ∼3. At larger radii, a weaker broad component is detected but with lower FWHM ∼485 km s{sup –1} and [N II]/Hα ≈ 0.35, characteristic for star formation-driven outflows as found in the lower-mass SINS/zC-SINF galaxies. The high inferred mass outflow rates and frequent occurrence suggest that the nuclear outflows efficiently expel gas out of the centers of the galaxies with high duty cycles and may thus contribute to the process of star formation quenching in massive galaxies. Larger samples at high masses will be crucial in confirming the importance and energetics of the nuclear outflow phenomenon and its connection to AGN activity and bulge growth.

Mid-infrared Variability of Changing-look AGNs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheng, Zhenfeng; Wang, Tinggui; Jiang, Ning; Yang, Chenwei; Peng, Bo; Yan, Lin; Dou, Liming

2017-01-01

It is known that some active galactic nuclei (AGNs) transit from Type 1 to Type 2 or vice versa. There are two explanations for the so-called changing-look AGNs: one is the dramatic change of the obscuration along the line of sight, and the other is the variation of accretion rate. In this Letter, we report the detection of large amplitude variations in the mid-infrared luminosity during the transitions in 10 changing-look AGNs using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) and newly released Near-Earth Object WISE Reactivation data. The mid-infrared light curves of 10 objects echo the variability in the optical band with a time lag expected for dust reprocessing. The large variability amplitude is inconsistent with the scenario of varying obscuration, rather it supports the scheme of dramatic change in the accretion rate.

Mid-infrared Variability of Changing-look AGNs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheng, Zhenfeng; Wang, Tinggui; Jiang, Ning; Yang, Chenwei; Peng, Bo [CAS Key Laboratory for Researches in Galaxies and Cosmology, University of Sciences and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Yan, Lin [Caltech Optical Observatories, Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Dou, Liming, E-mail: shengzf@mail.ustc.edu.cn, E-mail: twang@ustc.edu.cn [Center for Astrophysics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

2017-09-01

It is known that some active galactic nuclei (AGNs) transit from Type 1 to Type 2 or vice versa. There are two explanations for the so-called changing-look AGNs: one is the dramatic change of the obscuration along the line of sight, and the other is the variation of accretion rate. In this Letter, we report the detection of large amplitude variations in the mid-infrared luminosity during the transitions in 10 changing-look AGNs using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) and newly released Near-Earth Object WISE Reactivation data. The mid-infrared light curves of 10 objects echo the variability in the optical band with a time lag expected for dust reprocessing. The large variability amplitude is inconsistent with the scenario of varying obscuration, rather it supports the scheme of dramatic change in the accretion rate.

Characterizing the origin and impact of the most extreme molecular outflows in the nearby universe

Science.gov (United States)

Gowardhan, Avani; Riechers, Dominik A.; Spoon, Henrik; Farrah, Duncan

2018-01-01

Observations over the last decade have revealed that feedback in the form of molecular gas outflows is ubiquitous in local ultra luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). Such outflows can clear the nuclear environments of gas and dust, quench star formation and active galactic nuclei (AGN) growth, and they are a key step in the evolution of dust-obscured AGN to optically luminous quasars. We here present multi-spectral line observations of feedback in the two most powerful molecular gas outflows in the local universe. We spatially resolve the outflows to determine their kinematics and structure and find that they can drive out the molecular gas and quench star formation within ~ few Myr. Applying mid-IR diagnostics to constrain the relative contributions of AGN and nuclear starburst activity, we find that starburst activity plays a significant role in driving the outflow. We discuss the implications for future studies of feedback in the local universe and obscured AGN at high redshift, which is a key target population for JWST and ALMA over the next decade.

ACCRETION-INHIBITED STAR FORMATION IN THE WARM MOLECULAR DISK OF THE GREEN-VALLEY ELLIPTICAL GALAXY NGC 3226?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appleton, P. N.; Bitsakis, T.; Alatalo, K.; Mundell, C.; Lacy, M.; Armus, L.; Charmandaris, V.; Duc, P.-A.; Lisenfeld, U.; Ogle, P.

2014-01-01

We present archival Spitzer photometry and spectroscopy and Herschel photometry of the peculiar ''Green Valley'' elliptical galaxy NGC 3226. The galaxy, which contains a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN), forms a pair with NGC 3227 and is shown to lie in a complex web of stellar and H I filaments. Imaging at 8 and 16 μm reveals a curved plume structure 3 kpc in extent, embedded within the core of the galaxy and coincident with the termination of a 30 kpc long H I tail. In situ star formation associated with the infrared (IR) plume is identified from narrowband Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging. The end of the IR plume coincides with a warm molecular hydrogen disk and dusty ring containing 0.7-1.1 × 10 7 M ☉ detected within the central kiloparsec. Sensitive upper limits to the detection of cold molecular gas may indicate that a large fraction of the H 2 is in a warm state. Photometry derived from the ultraviolet (UV) to the far-IR shows evidence for a low star-formation rate of ∼0.04 M ☉ yr –1 averaged over the last 100 Myr. A mid-IR component to the spectral energy distribution (SED) contributes ∼20% of the IR luminosity of the galaxy, and is consistent with emission associated with the AGN. The current measured star formation rate is insufficient to explain NGC 3226's global UV-optical ''green'' colors via the resurgence of star formation in a ''red and dead'' galaxy. This form of ''cold accretion'' from a tidal stream would appear to be an inefficient way to rejuvenate early-type galaxies and may actually inhibit star formation

The Nature of Accreting Black Holes in Nearby Galaxy Nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Colbert, E. J. M.; Mushotzky, R. F.

1999-05-01

We have found compact X-ray sources in the center of 21 (54%) of 39 nearby face-on spiral and elliptical galaxies with available ROSAT HRI data. ROSAT X-ray luminosities (0.2 - 2.4 keV) of these compact X-ray sources are ~ 10(37) -10(40) erg s(-1) (with a mean of 3 x 10(39) erg s(-1) ). The mean displacement between the location of the compact X-ray source and the optical photometric center of the galaxy is ~ 390 pc. The fact that compact nuclear sources were found in nearly all (five of six) galaxies with previous evidence for a black hole or an AGN indicates that at least some of the X-ray sources are accreting supermassive black holes. ASCA spectra of six of the 21 galaxies show the presence of a hard component with relatively steep (Gamma ~ 2.5) spectral slope. A multicolor disk blackbody model fits the data from the spiral galaxies well, suggesting that the X-ray object in these galaxies may be similar to a Black Hole Candidate in its soft (high) state. ASCA data from the elliptical galaxies indicate that hot (kT ~ 0.7 keV) gas dominates the emission. The fact that (for both spiral and elliptical galaxies) the spectral slope is steeper than in normal type 1 AGNs and that relatively low absorbing columns (N_H ~ 10(21) cm(-2) ) were found to the power-law component indicates that these objects are somehow geometrically and/or physically different from AGNs in normal active galaxies. The X-ray sources in the spiral and elliptical galaxies may be black hole X-ray binaries, low-luminosity AGNs, or possibly young X-ray luminous supernovae. Assuming the sources in the spiral galaxies are accreting black holes in their soft state, we estimate black hole masses ~ 10(2) -10(4) M_sun.

Topics in the physics of accretion onto black holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoeger, W.R.

1977-06-01

The subject is covered in chapters, entitled: introduction and overview; boundary-condition modification of accretion-disk models; standard assumptions and nonkeplerian inner-disk models; the 'inner edge' of accretion disks and spiral orbits; a review of comptonization in accretion disks and a criterion for Lightman-Eardley stability; the thickening of accretion disks and flows; radial pressure gradients and low-angular-momentum accretion; accretion-disk scenarios for X-ray transient and burst sources; photon pair-creation processes in transrelativistic plasmas; and the astrophysical consequences of Rosen's bi-metric theory of gravity. (U.K.)

GALAXY OUTFLOWS WITHOUT SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sur, Sharanya [Indian Institute of Astrophysics, 2nd Block, Koramangala, Bangalore 560034 (India); Scannapieco, Evan [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 876004, Tempe-85287 (United States); Ostriker, Eve C., E-mail: sharanya.sur@iiap.res.in, E-mail: sharanya.sur@asu.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-02-10

High surface density, rapidly star-forming galaxies are observed to have ≈50–100 km s{sup −1} line of sight velocity dispersions, which are much higher than expected from supernova driving alone, but may arise from large-scale gravitational instabilities. Using three-dimensional simulations of local regions of the interstellar medium, we explore the impact of high velocity dispersions that arise from these disk instabilities. Parametrizing disks by their surface densities and epicyclic frequencies, we conduct a series of simulations that probe a broad range of conditions. Turbulence is driven purely horizontally and on large scales, neglecting any energy input from supernovae. We find that such motions lead to strong global outflows in the highly compact disks that were common at high redshifts, but weak or negligible mass loss in the more diffuse disks that are prevalent today. Substantial outflows are generated if the one-dimensional horizontal velocity dispersion exceeds ≈35 km s{sup −1}, as occurs in the dense disks that have star-formation rate (SFR) densities above ≈0.1 M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} kpc{sup −2}. These outflows are triggered by a thermal runaway, arising from the inefficient cooling of hot material coupled with successive heating from turbulent driving. Thus, even in the absence of stellar feedback, a critical value of the SFR density for outflow generation can arise due to a turbulent heating instability. This suggests that in strongly self-gravitating disks, outflows may be enhanced by, but need not caused by, energy input from supernovae.

Two-temperature accretion disks with electron-positron pairs - Effects of Comptonized external soft photons

Science.gov (United States)

Kusunose, Masaaki; Takahara, Fumio

1990-01-01

The present account of the effects of soft photons from external sources on two-temperature accretion disks in electron-positron pair equilibrium solves the energy-balance equation for a given radial distribution of the input rate of soft photons, taking into account their bremsstrahlung and Comptonization. Critical rate behavior is investigated as a function of the ratio of the energy flux of incident soft photons and the energy-generation rate. As in a previous study, the existence of a critical accretion rate is established.

AGN Feedback Compared: Jets versus Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Cielo, Salvatore; Bieri, Rebekka; Volonteri, Marta; Wagner, Alexander Y.; Dubois, Yohan

2018-03-01

Feedback by Active Galactic Nuclei is often divided into quasar and radio mode, powered by radiation or radio jets, respectively. Both are fundamental in galaxy evolution, especially in late-type galaxies, as shown by cosmological simulations and observations of jet-ISM interactions in these systems. We compare AGN feedback by radiation and by collimated jets through a suite of simulations, in which a central AGN interacts with a clumpy, fractal galactic disc. We test AGN of 1043 and 1046 erg/s, considering jets perpendicular or parallel to the disc. Mechanical jets drive the more powerful outflows, exhibiting stronger mass and momentum coupling with the dense gas, while radiation heats and rarifies the gas more. Radiation and perpendicular jets evolve to be quite similar in outflow properties and effect on the cold ISM, while inclined jets interact more efficiently with all the disc gas, removing the densest 20% in 20 Myr, and thereby reducing the amount of cold gas available for star formation. All simulations show small-scale inflows of 0.01 - 0.1 M⊙/yr, which can easily reach down to the Bondi radius of the central supermassive black hole (especially for radiation and perpendicular jets), implying that AGN modulate their own duty cycle in a feedback/feeding cycle.

An Extreme X-ray Disk Wind in the Black Hole Candidate IGR J17091-3624

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King, A. L.; Miller, J. M.; Raymond, J.; Fabian, A. C.; Reynolds, C. S.; Kallman, T. R.; Maitra, D.; Cackett, E. M.; Rupen, M. P.

2012-01-01

Chandra spectroscopy of transient stellar-mass black holes in outburst has clearly revealed accretion disk winds in soft, disk-dominated states, in apparent anti-correlation with relativistic jets in low/hard states. These disk winds are observed to be highly ionized. dense. and to have typical velocities of approx 1000 km/s or less projected along our line of sight. Here. we present an analysis of two Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating spectra of the Galactic black hole candidate IGR J17091-3624 and contemporaneous EVLA radio observations. obtained in 2011. The second Chandra observation reveals an absorption line at 6.91+/-0.01 keV; associating this line with He-like Fe XXV requires a blue-shift of 9300(+500/-400) km/ s (0.03c. or the escape velocity at 1000 R(sub schw)). This projected outflow velocity is an order of magnitude higher than has previously been observed in stellar-mass black holes, and is broadly consistent with some of the fastest winds detected in active galactic nuclei. A potential feature at 7.32 keV, if due to Fe XXVI, would imply a velocity of approx 14600 km/s (0.05c), but this putative feature is marginal. Photoionization modeling suggests that the accretion disk wind in IGR J17091-3624 may originate within 43,300 Schwarzschild radii of the black hole, and may be expelling more gas than accretes. The contemporaneous EVLA observations strongly indicate that jet activity was indeed quenched at the time of our Chandra observations. We discuss the results in the context of disk winds, jets, and basic accretion disk physics in accreting black hole systems

Fast Molecular Outflows in Luminous Galaxy Mergers: Evidence for Quasar Feedback from Herschel

Science.gov (United States)

Veilleux, S.; Melendez, M.; Sturm, E.; Garcia-Carpio, J.; Fischer, J.; Gonzalez-Alfonso, E.; Contursi, A.; Lutz, D.; Poglitsch, A.; Davies, R.;

EFFECTS OF LOCAL DISSIPATION PROFILES ON MAGNETIZED ACCRETION DISK SPECTRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Ted; Blaes, Omer

2013-01-01

We present spectral calculations of non-LTE accretion disk models appropriate for high-luminosity stellar mass black hole X-ray binary systems. We first use a dissipation profile based on scaling the results of shearing box simulations of Hirose et al. to a range of annuli parameters. We simultaneously scale the effective temperature, orbital frequency, and surface density with luminosity and radius according to the standard α-model. This naturally brings increased dissipation to the disk surface layers (around the photospheres) at small radii and high luminosities. We find that the local spectrum transitions directly from a modified blackbody to a saturated Compton scattering spectrum as we increase the effective temperature and orbital frequency while decreasing midplane surface density. Next, we construct annuli models based on the parameters of a L/L Edd = 0.8 disk orbiting a 6.62 solar mass black hole using two modified dissipation profiles that explicitly put more dissipation per unit mass near the disk surface. The new dissipation profiles are qualitatively similar to the one found by Hirose et al., but produce strong near power-law spectral tails. Our models also include physically motivated magnetic acceleration support based once again on scaling the Hirose et al. results. We present three full-disk spectra, each based on one of the dissipation prescriptions. Our most aggressive dissipation profile results in a disk spectrum that is in approximate quantitative agreement with certain observations of the steep power-law spectral states from some black hole X-ray binaries.

N uSTAR Hard X-Ray Data and Gemini 3D Spectra Reveal Powerful AGN and Outflow Histories in Two Low-redshift Lyα Blobs

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamuro, Taiki; Schirmer, Mischa; Turner, James E. H.; Davies, Rebecca L.; Ichikawa, Kohei

2017-10-01

We have shown that Lyα blobs (LABs) may still exist even at z˜ 0.3, about seven billion years later than most other LABs known (Shirmer et al.). Their luminous Lyα and [O III] emitters at z˜ 0.3 offer new insights into the ionization mechanism. This paper focuses on the two X-ray brightest LABs at z˜ 0.3, SDSS J0113+0106 (J0113) and SDSS J1155-0147 (J1155), comparable in size and luminosity to “B1,” one of the best-studied LABs at z≳ 2. Our NuSTAR hard X-ray (3-30 keV) observations reveal powerful active galactic nuclei (AGN) with {L}2{--10{keV}}=(0.5{--}3)× {10}44 erg s-1. J0113 also faded by a factor of ˜5 between 2014 and 2016, emphasizing that variable AGN may cause apparent ionization deficits in LABs. Joint spectral analyses including Chandra data constrain column densities of {N}{{H}}={5.1}-3.3+3.1× {10}23 cm-2 (J0113) and {N}{{H}}={6.0}-1.1+1.4× {10}22 cm-2 (J1155). J0113 is likely buried in a torus with a narrow ionization cone, but ionizing radiation is also leaking in other directions, as revealed by our Gemini/GMOS 3D spectroscopy. The latter shows a bipolar outflow over 10 kpc, with a peculiar velocity profile that is best explained by AGN flickering. X-ray analysis of J1155 reveals a weakly absorbed AGN that may ionize over a wide solid angle, consistent with our 3D spectra. Extinction-corrected [O III] log-luminosities are high, ˜43.6. The velocity dispersions are low, ˜100-150 km s-1, even at the AGN positions. We argue that this is a combination of high extinction hiding the turbulent gas and previous outflows that have cleared the escape paths for their successors.

A Heuristic Model for the Active Galactic Nucleus Based on the Planck Vacuum Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daywitt W. C.

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The standard explanation for an active galactic nucleus (AGN is a "central engine" consisting of a hot accretion disk surrounding a supermassive black hole. Energy is generated by the gravitational infall of material which is heated to high temperatures in this dissipative accretion disk. What follows is an alternative model for the AGN based on the Planck vacuum (PV theory, where both the energy of the AGN and its variable luminosity are explained in terms of a variable photon flux emanating from the PV.

Production of the entire range of r-process nuclides by black hole accretion disc outflows from neutron star mergers

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Meng-Ru; Fernández, Rodrigo; Martínez-Pinedo, Gabriel; Metzger, Brian D.

2016-12-01

We consider r-process nucleosynthesis in outflows from black hole accretion discs formed in double neutron star and neutron star-black hole mergers. These outflows, powered by angular momentum transport processes and nuclear recombination, represent an important - and in some cases dominant - contribution to the total mass ejected by the merger. Here we calculate the nucleosynthesis yields from disc outflows using thermodynamic trajectories from hydrodynamic simulations, coupled to a nuclear reaction network. We find that outflows produce a robust abundance pattern around the second r-process peak (mass number A ˜ 130), independent of model parameters, with significant production of A spike at A = 132 that is absent in the Solar system r-process distribution. The spike arises from convection in the disc and depends on the treatment of nuclear heating in the simulations. We conclude that disc outflows provide an important - and perhaps dominant - contribution to the r-process yields of compact binary mergers, and hence must be included when assessing the contribution of these systems to the inventory of r-process elements in the Galaxy.

Mass loss from pre-main-sequence accretion disks. I - The accelerating wind of FU Orionis

Science.gov (United States)

Calvet, Nuria; Hartmann, Lee; Kenyon, Scott J.

1993-01-01

We present evidence that the wind of the pre-main-sequence object FU Orionis arises from the surface of the luminous accretion disk. A disk wind model calculated assuming radiative equilibrium explains the differential behavior of the observed asymmetric absorption-line profiles. The model predicts that strong lines should be asymmetric and blueshifted, while weak lines should be symmetric and double-peaked due to disk rotation, in agreement with observations. We propose that many blueshifted 'shell' absorption features are not produced in a true shell of material, but rather form in a differentially expanding wind that is rapidly rotating. The inference of rapid rotation supports the proposal that pre-main-sequence disk winds are rotationally driven.

AGN Accretion Physics in the Time Domain: Survey Cadences, Stochastic Analysis, and Physical Interpretations

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Jackeline; Vogeley, Michael S.; Richards, Gordon; O'Brien, John T.; Kasliwal, Vishal

2018-01-01

We present rigorous testing of survey cadences (K2, SDSS, CRTS, & Pan-STARRS) for quasar variability science using a magnetohydrodynamics synthetic lightcurve and the canonical lightcurve from Kepler, Zw 229.15. We explain where the state of the art is in regards to physical interpretations of stochastic models (CARMA) applied to AGN variability. Quasar variability offers a time domain approach of probing accretion physics at the SMBH scale. Evidence shows that the strongest amplitude changes in the brightness of AGN occur on long timescales ranging from months to hundreds of days. These global behaviors can be constrained by survey data despite low sampling resolution. CARMA processes provide a flexible family of models used to interpolate between data points, predict future observations and describe behaviors in a lightcurve. This is accomplished by decomposing a signal into rise and decay timescales, frequencies for cyclic behavior and shock amplitudes. Characteristic timescales may point to length-scales over which a physical process operates such as turbulent eddies, warping or hotspots due to local thermal instabilities. We present the distribution of SDSS Stripe 82 quasars in CARMA parameters space that pass our cadence tests and also explain how the Damped Harmonic Oscillator model, CARMA(2,1), reduces to the Damped Random Walk, CARMA(1,0), given the data in a specific region of the parameter space.

Uncovering extreme AGN variability in serendipitous X-ray source surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Edward C.; Garcia Soto, Aylin; LaMassa, Stephanie; Urry, Meg

2018-01-01

Constraints on the duty cycle and duration of accretion episodes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are vital for establishing how most AGNs are fueled, which is essential for a complete picture of black hole/galaxy co-evolution. Perhaps the best handle we have on these activity parameters is provided by AGNs that have displayed dramatic changes in their bolometric luminosities and, in some cases, spectroscopic classifications. Given that X-ray emission is directly linked to black-hole accretion, X-ray surveys should provide a straightforward means of identifying AGNs that have undergone dramatic changes in their accretion states. However, it appears that such events are very rare, so wide-area surveys separated in time by many years are needed to maximize discovery rates. We have cross-correlated the Einstein IPC Two-Sigma Catalog with the ROSAT All-Sky Survey Faint Source Catalog to identify a sample of soft X-ray sources that varied by factors ranging from 7 to more than 100 over a ten year timescale. When possible, we have constructed long-term X-ray light curves for the sources by combining the Einstein and RASS fluxes with those obtained from serendipitous pointed observations by ROSAT, Chandra,XMM, and Swift. Optical follow-up observations indicate that many of the extremely variable sources in our sample are indeed radio-quiet AGNs. Interestingly, the majority of objects that dimmed between ~1980 and ~1990 are still (or are again) broad-line AGNs rather than“changing-look” candidates that have more subtle AGN signatures in their spectra — despite the fact that none of the sources examined thus far has returned to its highest observed luminosity. Future X-ray observations will provide the opportunity to characterize the X-ray behavior of these anonymous, extreme AGNs over a four decade span.

Toward a New Paradigm for the Unification of Radio Loud AGN and its Connection to Accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Georganpoulos, Markos; Meyer, Eileen T.; Fossati, Giovanni; Lister, Matthew L.

2012-01-01

We recently argued [21J that the collective properties. of radio loud active galactic nuclei point to the existence of two families of sources, one of powerful sources with single velocity jets and one of weaker jets with significant velocity gradients in the radiating plasma. These families also correspond to different accretion modes and therefore different thermal and emission line intrinsic properties: powerful sources have radiatively efficient accretion disks, while in weak sources accretion must be radiatively inefficient. Here, after we briefly review of our recent work, we present the following findings that support our unification scheme: (i) along the broken sequence of aligned objects, the jet kinetic power increases. (ii) in the powerful branch of the sequence of aligned objects the fraction of BLLs decreases with increasing jet power. (iii) for powerful sources, the fraction of BLLs increases for more un-aligned objects, as measured by the core to extended radio emission. Our results are also compatible with the possibility that a given accretion power produces jets of comparable kinetic power.

Generalized Langevin equation with colored noise description of the stochastic oscillations of accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harko, Tiberiu; Leung, Chun Sing; Mocanu, Gabriela

2014-01-01

We consider a description of the stochastic oscillations of the general relativistic accretion disks around compact astrophysical objects interacting with their external medium based on a generalized Langevin equation with colored noise and on the fluctuation-dissipation theorems. The former accounts for the general memory and retarded effects of the frictional force. The presence of the memory effects influences the response of the disk to external random interactions, and it modifies the dynamical behavior of the disk, as well as the energy dissipation processes. The generalized Langevin equation of the motion of the disk in the vertical direction is studied numerically, and the vertical displacements, velocities, and luminosities of the stochastically perturbed disks are explicitly obtained for both the Schwarzschild and the Kerr cases. The power spectral distribution of the disk luminosity is also obtained. As a possible astrophysical application of the formalism we investigate the possibility that the intra-day variability of the active galactic nuclei may be due to the stochastic disk instabilities. The perturbations due to colored/nontrivially correlated noise induce a complicated disk dynamics, which could explain some astrophysical observational features related to disk variability. (orig.)

Generalized Langevin equation with colored noise description of the stochastic oscillations of accretion disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harko, Tiberiu [University College London, Department of Mathematics, London (United Kingdom); Leung, Chun Sing [Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Mathematics, Hong Kong (China); Mocanu, Gabriela [Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Physics, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

2014-05-15

We consider a description of the stochastic oscillations of the general relativistic accretion disks around compact astrophysical objects interacting with their external medium based on a generalized Langevin equation with colored noise and on the fluctuation-dissipation theorems. The former accounts for the general memory and retarded effects of the frictional force. The presence of the memory effects influences the response of the disk to external random interactions, and it modifies the dynamical behavior of the disk, as well as the energy dissipation processes. The generalized Langevin equation of the motion of the disk in the vertical direction is studied numerically, and the vertical displacements, velocities, and luminosities of the stochastically perturbed disks are explicitly obtained for both the Schwarzschild and the Kerr cases. The power spectral distribution of the disk luminosity is also obtained. As a possible astrophysical application of the formalism we investigate the possibility that the intra-day variability of the active galactic nuclei may be due to the stochastic disk instabilities. The perturbations due to colored/nontrivially correlated noise induce a complicated disk dynamics, which could explain some astrophysical observational features related to disk variability. (orig.)

Generalized Langevin equation with colored noise description of the stochastic oscillations of accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Harko, Tiberiu; Leung, Chun Sing; Mocanu, Gabriela

2014-05-01

We consider a description of the stochastic oscillations of the general relativistic accretion disks around compact astrophysical objects interacting with their external medium based on a generalized Langevin equation with colored noise and on the fluctuation-dissipation theorems. The former accounts for the general memory and retarded effects of the frictional force. The presence of the memory effects influences the response of the disk to external random interactions, and it modifies the dynamical behavior of the disk, as well as the energy dissipation processes. The generalized Langevin equation of the motion of the disk in the vertical direction is studied numerically, and the vertical displacements, velocities, and luminosities of the stochastically perturbed disks are explicitly obtained for both the Schwarzschild and the Kerr cases. The power spectral distribution of the disk luminosity is also obtained. As a possible astrophysical application of the formalism we investigate the possibility that the intra-day variability of the active galactic nuclei may be due to the stochastic disk instabilities. The perturbations due to colored/nontrivially correlated noise induce a complicated disk dynamics, which could explain some astrophysical observational features related to disk variability.

Compact binary merger and kilonova: outflows from remnant disc

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Tuan; Gu, Wei-Min; Liu, Tong; Kumar, Rajiv; Mu, Hui-Jun; Song, Cui-Ying

2018-05-01

Outflows launched from a remnant disc of compact binary merger may have essential contribution to the kilonova emission. Numerical calculations are conducted in this work to study the structure of accretion flows and outflows. By the incorporation of limited-energy advection in the hyper-accretion discs, outflows occur naturally from accretion flows due to imbalance between the viscous heating and the sum of the advective and radiative cooling. Following this spirit, we revisit the properties of the merger outflow ejecta. Our results show that around 10-3 ˜ 10-1 M⊙ of the disc mass can be launched as powerful outflows. The amount of unbound mass varies with the disc mass and the viscosity. The outflow-contributed peak luminosity is around 1040 ˜ 1041 erg s-1. Such a scenario can account for the observed kilonovae associated with short gamma-ray bursts, including the recent event AT2017gfo (GW170817).

THE ROLE OF TINY GRAINS ON THE ACCRETION PROCESS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Xuening

2011-01-01

Tiny grains such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been thought to dramatically reduce the coupling between the gas and magnetic fields in weakly ionized gas such as in protoplanetary disks (PPDs) because they provide a tremendous surface area to recombine free electrons. The presence of tiny grains in PPDs thus raises the question of whether the magnetorotational instability (MRI) is able to drive rapid accretion consistent with observations. Charged tiny grains have similar conduction properties as ions, whose presence leads to qualitatively new behaviors in the conductivity tensor, characterized by n-bar /n e >1, where n e and n-bar denote the number densities of free electrons and all other charged species, respectively. In particular, Ohmic conductivity becomes dominated by charged grains rather than by electrons when n-bar /n e exceeds about 10 3 , and Hall and ambipolar diffusion (AD) coefficients are reduced by a factor of ( n-bar /n e ) 2 in the AD-dominated regime relative to that in the Ohmic regime. Applying the methodology of Bai, we find that in PPDs, when PAHs are sufficiently abundant (∼> 10 -9 per H 2 molecule), there exists a transition radius r trans of about 10-20 AU, beyond which the MRI active layer extends to the disk midplane. At r trans , the optimistically predicted MRI-driven accretion rate M-dot is one to two orders of magnitude smaller than that in the grain-free case, which is too small compared with the observed rates, but is in general no smaller than the predicted M-dot with solar-abundance 0.1 μm grains. At r > r trans , we find that, remarkably, the predicted M-dot exceeds the grain-free case due to a net reduction of AD by charged tiny grains and reaches a few times 10 -8 M sun yr -1 . This is sufficient to account for the observed M-dot in transitional disks. Larger grains (∼> 0.1 μm) are too massive to reach such high abundance as tiny grains and to facilitate the accretion process.

CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ACCRETION DISK AND JET IN THE RADIO GALAXY 3C 111

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatterjee, Ritaban; Marscher, Alan P.; Jorstad, Svetlana G.; Harrison, Brandon; Agudo, Ivan; Taylor, Brian W.; Markowitz, Alex; Rivers, Elizabeth; Rothschild, Richard E.; McHardy, Ian M.; Aller, Margo F.; Aller, Hugh D.; Laehteenmaeki, Anne; Tornikoski, Merja; Gomez, Jose L.; Gurwell, Mark

2011-01-01

We present the results of extensive multi-frequency monitoring of the radio galaxy 3C 111 between 2004 and 2010 at X-ray (2.4-10 keV), optical (R band), and radio (14.5, 37, and 230 GHz) wave bands, as well as multi-epoch imaging with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 43 GHz. Over the six years of observation, significant dips in the X-ray light curve are followed by ejections of bright superluminal knots in the VLBA images. This shows a clear connection between the radiative state near the black hole, where the X-rays are produced, and events in the jet. The X-ray continuum flux and Fe line intensity are strongly correlated, with a time lag shorter than 90 days and consistent with zero. This implies that the Fe line is generated within 90 lt-day of the source of the X-ray continuum. The power spectral density function of X-ray variations contains a break, with a steeper slope at shorter timescales. The break timescale of 13 +12 -6 days is commensurate with scaling according to the mass of the central black hole based on observations of Seyfert galaxies and black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs). The data are consistent with the standard paradigm, in which the X-rays are predominantly produced by inverse Compton scattering of thermal optical/UV seed photons from the accretion disk by a distribution of hot electrons-the corona-situated near the disk. Most of the optical emission is generated in the accretion disk due to reprocessing of the X-ray emission. The relationships that we have uncovered between the accretion disk and the jet in 3C 111, as well as in the Fanaroff-Riley class I radio galaxy 3C 120 in a previous paper, support the paradigm that active galactic nuclei and Galactic BHXRBs are fundamentally similar, with characteristic time and size scales proportional to the mass of the central black hole.

Ionized Gas Outflows from the MAGNUM Survey: NGC 1365 and NGC 4945

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venturi, Giacomo; Marconi, Alessandro [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (INAF), Firenze (Italy); Mingozzi, Matilde [Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (INAF), Firenze (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Carniani, Stefano [Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Cresci, Giovanni [Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (INAF), Firenze (Italy); Risaliti, Guido [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Italy); Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (INAF), Firenze (Italy); Mannucci, Filippo, E-mail: gventuri@arcetri.astro.it [Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (INAF), Firenze (Italy)

2017-11-24

AGN feedback, acting through strong outflows accelerated in the nuclear region of AGN hosts, is invoked as a key ingredient for galaxy evolution by many models to explain the observed BH-galaxy scaling relations. Recently, some direct observational evidence of radiative mode feedback in action has been finally found in quasars at z >1.5. However, it is not possible to study outflows in quasars at those redshifts on small scales (≲100 pc), as spatial information is limited by angular resolution. This is instead feasible in nearby active galaxies, which are ideal laboratories to explore outflow structure and properties, as well as the effects of AGN on their host galaxies. In this proceeding we present preliminary results from the MAGNUM survey, which comprises nearby Seyfert galaxies observed with the integral field spectrograph VLT/MUSE. We focus on two sources, NGC 1365 and NGC 4945, that exhibit double conical outflows extending on distances >1 kpc. We disentangle the dominant contributions to ionization of the various gas components observed in the central ~5.3 kpc of NGC 1365. An attempt to infer outflow 3D structure in NGC 4945 is made via simple kinematic modeling, suggesting a hollow cone geometry.

Molecular outflows in protostellar evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukui, Y.; Iwata, T.; Mizuno, A.; Ogawa, H.; Kawabata, K.; Sugitani, K.

1989-01-01

Molecular outflow is an energetic mass-ejection phenomenon associated with very early stage of stellar evolution. The large kinetic energy involved in the phenomenon indicates that outflow may play an essential role in the process of star formation, particularly by extracting angular momentum. Most of the previous searches have been strongly biased toward optical or near-infrared signposts of star formation. They are not able, therefore, to provide the complete database necessary for a statistical study of the evolutionary status of molecular outflow. To overcome this difficulty, it is of vital importance to make an unbiased search of single molecular clouds for molecular outflows; here we report the final result of such a survey of the Lynds 1641 dark cloud. We show that molecular outflows are characterized by a total luminosity significantly greater than that of T Tauri stars. This indicates that molecular outflow corresponds to the main accretion phase of protostellar evolution, in which the luminosity excess is due to the gravitational energy released by dynamical mass accretion onto the protostellar core. (author)

Evidence for AGN feedback in low-mass galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Masters, Karen; Penny, Sam; Smethurst, Rebecca; Krawczyk, Coleman; Nichol, Bob; SDSS-IV MaNGA

2018-01-01

Despite being the dominant galaxy population by number in groups and clusters, the formation and quenching mechanism of dwarf galaxies remains unknown. We present evidence for AGN feedback in a subset of 69 quenched low-mass galaxies (M* less than 5e9 Msun, fainter than Mr = -19) selected from the first two years of the MaNGA survey. The majority (85 per cent) of these quenched galaxies appear to reside in a group environment. We find 6 galaxies in our sample that appear to have an active AGN that is preventing on-going star-formation; this is the first time such a feedback mechanism has been observed in this mass range. Interestingly, five of these six galaxies have an ionised gas component that is kinematically offset from their stellar component, suggesting the gas is either recently accreted or outflowing. We hypothesise these six galaxies are low-mass equivalents to the “red geysers” observed in more massive galaxies. Of the other 62 galaxies in the sample, we find 8 do appear to have some low-level, residual star formation, or emission from hot, evolved stars. The remaining galaxies in our sample have no detectable ionised gas emission throughout their structures, consistent with them being quenched. I will show that despite being the "simplest" galaxies in our current models of galaxy formation, these quenched dwarf galaxies are a diverse population.