We study the relativistic, time-independent, low angular momentum, inviscid, advective accretion flow around Kerr black hole. Considering the relativistic equation of state (REoS), we examine the transonic properties of the flow and find that there exists an upper bound of the location of the physically accepted critical point ($r^{\rm max}_{\rm out}$). However, no such limit exists when an ideal gas equation of state (IEoS) is assumed to describe the flow. Further, we calculate the global accretion solutions that contain shock waves and separate the domain of parameter space in angular momentum ($λ$) and energy (${\cal E}$) plane. We find ample disagreement between the shock parameter spaces obtained for REoS and IEoS, respectively. In general, post-shock flow (equivalently post-shock corona, hereafter PSC) is characterized by shock location ($r_s$) and compression ratio ($R$, measure of density compression across the shock front) which are uniquely determined for flow with given input parameters, namely $({\cal E}, λ)$. Using $r_s$ and $R$, we empirically compute the oscillation frequency ($ν_{QPO}$) of the shock front which is in general quasi-periodic (QP) in nature and retrace the domain of shock parameter space in the $r_s-R$ plane in terms of $ν_{QPO}$ for REoS around the weakly as well as rapidly rotating black holes. Finally, we indicate the relevance of the present work to explain the plausible origin of high frequency QPO (HFQPO) and its connection with the spin ($a_k$) of the Galactic black hole sources.
Context. Quasi-periodic variability has been observed in a number of X-ray binaries harboring black hole candidates. In general relativity, black holes are uniquely described by the Kerr metric and, according to the cosmic censorship conjecture, curvature singularities always have to be clothed by an event horizon. Aims. In this paper, we study the effect of an external magnetic field on the observed light curves of orbiting hot spots in thin accretion discs around Kerr black holes and naked singularities. Methods. We employ a ray-tracing algorithm to calculate the light curves and power spect…
An inspiralling object of mass $μ$ around a Kerr black hole of mass $M (\gg μ)$ experiences a continuous transition near the innermost stable circular orbit from adiabatic inspiral to plunge into the horizon as gravitational radiation extracts its energy and angular momentum. We investigate the collision of such an object with a generic counterpart around a Kerr black hole. We find that the angular momentum of the object is fine-tuned through gravitational radiation and that the high-velocity collision of the object with a generic counterpart naturally occurs around a nearly maximally rotating…
General relativity makes clear predictions about the spacetime geometry around black holes. In the near future, new facilities will have the capability to explore the metric around SgrA$^*$, the supermassive black hole candidate at the Center of our Galaxy, and open a new window to test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. In this paper, we compute light curves and images associated with compact emission regions (hot spots) orbiting around Kerr and non-Kerr black holes. We study how the analysis of the properties of the radiation emitted by a hot spot can be used to test the Kerr nature of SgrA$^*$…
SgrA$^*$, the supermassive black hole candidate at the Galactic Center, exhibits flares in the X-ray, NIR, and sub-mm bands that may be interpreted within a hot spot model. Light curves and images of hot spots orbiting a black hole are affected by a number of special and general relativistic effects, and they can be potentially used to check whether the object is a Kerr black hole of general relativity. However, in a previous study we have shown that the relativistic features are usually subdominant with respect to the background noise and the model-dependent properties of the hot spot, and ev…
We investigate resonance crossings of a charged body moving around a Kerr black hole immersed in an external homogeneous magnetic field. This system can serve as an electromagnetic analogue of a weakly non-integrable extreme mass ratio inspiral (EMRI). In particular, the presence of the magnetic field renders the conservative part of the system non-integrable in the Liouville sense, while the electromagnetic self-force causes the charged body to inspiral. By studying the system without the self-force, we show the existence of an approximate Carter-like constant and discuss how resonances grow …
We study the role of adiabatic index in determining the critical points in the transonic low angular momentum accretion flow onto a black hole. We present the general relativistic 2D hydrodynamic simulations of axisymmetric, inviscid accretion flows in a fixed Kerr black hole gravitational field. A relativistic fluid where its bulk velocity is comparable to the speed of light, flowing in the accretion disk very close to the horizon can be described by an adiabatic index of 4/3 < γ < 5/3. The time dependent evolution of the shock position and respective effects on mass accretion rate and oscill…
We report 235 GHz linear and circular polarization (LP and CP) detections of Sgr A* at levels of $\sim10\%$ and $\sim-1\%$, respectively, using ALMA. We describe the first full-Stokes modeling of an observed submillimeter flare with an adiabatically-expanding synchrotron hotspot using a polarized radiative transfer prescription. Augmented with a simple full-Stokes model for the quiescent emission, we jointly characterize properties of both the quiescent and variable components by simultaneously fitting all four Stokes parameter light curves. The hotspot has magnetic field strength $71$ G, radi…
We investigate the adiabatic index $Γ_{\mathrm{th}}$ of hot and dense nuclear matter from chiral effective field theory and find that the results are systematically larger than from typical mean field models. We start by constructing the finite-temperature equation of state from chiral two- and three-nucleon forces, which we then use to fit a class of extended Skyrme energy density functionals. This allows for modeling the thermal index across the full range of densities and temperatures that may be probed in simulations of core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers, including the low-d…
We study time evolution of sub-Keplerian transonic accretion flows onto black holes using a general relativistic numerical simulation code. We perform simulations around the black holes having non-zero rotation. We first compare one-dimensional simulation results with theoretical results and validate the performance of our code. Next, we present results of axisymmetric, two-dimensional simulation of advective flows. In the literature, there is no solution which describes steady shock solutions in two dimensions. However, our simulations produce these centrifugal force supported steady shock wa…
A GRMHD-Calibrated Semi-Analytical Model for Hot Sub-Keplerian Accretion Flows in Kerr Spacetime
Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University(特里布万大学物理中央系);Faculty of Physics and Applied Informatics, University of Łódź(罗兹大学物理与应用信息学院);Department of Physics, Kennesaw State University(肯尼索州立大学物理系)
Scientific analysis for the gravitational-wave detector LISA will require theoretical waveforms from extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) that extensively cover all possible orbital and spin configurations around astrophysical Kerr black holes. However, on-the-fly calculations of these waveforms have not yet overcome the high dimensionality of the parameter space. To confront this challenge, we present a user-ready EMRI waveform model for generic (eccentric and inclined) orbits in Kerr spacetime, using an analytical self-force approach. Our model accurately covers all EMRIs with arbitrary incl…
The iron K$α$ line commonly observed in the X-ray spectrum of both stellar-mass and supermassive black hole candidates is produced by the illumination of a cold accretion disk by a hot corona. In this framework, the activation of a new flaring region in the hot corona imprints a time variation on the iron line spectrum. Future X-ray facilities with high time resolution and large effective areas may be able to measure the so-called 2-dimensional transfer function; that is, the iron line profile detected by a distant observer as a function of time in response to an instantaneous flare from the X…
We present the results of three-dimensional general relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of adiabatic and spherically symmetric accretion in Kerr space-time. We consider compact objects with spin parameter $|a_*| \le 1$ (black holes) and with $|a_*| > 1$ (super-spinars). Our full three-dimensional simulations confirm the formation of equatorial outflows for high values of $|a_*|$, as found in our previous work in 2.5 dimensions. We show that the critical value of $|a_*|$ determining the onset of powerful outflows depends mainly on the radius of the compact object. The phenomenon of equatorial…
Any abundance of black holes that was present in the early universe will evolve as matter, making up an increasingly large fraction of the total energy density as space expands. This motivates us to consider scenarios in which the early universe included an era that was dominated by low-mass ($M < 5\times 10^8$ g) black holes which evaporate prior to primordial nucleosynthesis. In significant regions of parameter space, these black holes will become gravitationally bound within binary systems, and undergo mergers before evaporating. Such mergers result in three potentially observable signature…
We study the high energy emission of two active galactic nuclei (AGN), NGC 4258 and NGC 7213. We directly apply the general-relativistic (GR) hot flow model, kerrflow, to the archival BeppoSAX, NuSTAR and Suzaku observations of these objects. Most of these data sets indicate that about 10-20 per cent of the accretion power is used for the direct heating of electrons, however, we find also indications for significant changes of the electron heating efficiency in some cases. Furthermore, all these X-ray data sets indicate rather strongly magnetized flows, with the magnetic field close to the equ…
Electron-positron cascade in magnetospheres of supermassive Kerr black holes and the origin of relativistic AGN jets
University of Kansas(堪萨斯大学);Massachusetts Institute of Technology(麻省理工学院);Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences(波兰科学院尼古拉·哥白尼天文中心)
The effect of mass and energy loading on the efficiency at which energy can be extracted magnetically from a Kerr black hole is explored, using a semi-analytic, ideal MHD model that incorporates plasma injection on magnetic field lines. We find a critical load below which the specific energy of the plasma inflowing into the black hole is negative, and above which it is positive, and identify two types of flows with distinct properties; at sub-critical loads a magnetic outflow is launched from the ergosphere, owing to extraction of the black hole spin energy, as originally proposed by Blandford…
We present the relativistic 2D and 3D GRMHD simulation of axisymmetric, inviscid, hydrodynamic accretion flows in a fixed Kerr black hole gravitational field. The flow is having low angular momentum with respect to Keplerian one. A relativistic fluid where its bulk velocity is comparable to the speed of light, flowing in the accretion disk very close to the horizon should be described by adiabtic index: 4=3 < g < 5=3 .The time dependent evolution of shock position and respective effect on mass accretion rate and oscillation frequency with varying adiabatic index has been studied. Here we prese…
We present analytical solutions for the thermodynamic (temperature, pressure, density, etc.) properties of thin accretion flows in the region within the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of a Kerr black hole, the first analytical solutions of their kind. These solutions are constructed in the adiabatic limit and neglect radiative losses, an idealisation valid for a restricted region of parameter space. We highlight a number of remarkable properties of these solutions, including that these solutions cool for radii $r_I/2 < r < r_I$, before increasing in temperature for $0 < r < r_I/2$, ind…
Secular evolution of orbital parameters for general bound orbits in Kerr spacetime
Division of General Education, Kanazawa Medical University(金泽医科大学通识教育系);Institute of General Education, Otemon Gakuin University(大东文化大学通识教育研究所);Center for Gravitational Physics and Quantum Information, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University(京都大学汤川理论物理研究所引力物理与量子信息中心);Department of Physics, National University of Singapore(新加坡国立大学物理系);Faculty of Law, Ryukoku University(龙谷大学法学部)
Gravitational lensing near a black hole is strong enough that light rays can circle the event horizon multiple times. Photons emitted in multiple directions at a single event, perhaps because of localized, impulsive heating of accreting plasma, take multiple paths to a distant observer. In the Kerr geometry, each path is associated with a distinct light travel time and a distinct arrival location in the image plane, producing black hole glimmer. This sequence of arrival times and locations uniquely encodes the mass and spin of the black hole and can be understood in terms of properties of boun…
Super-massive black holes (SMBHs) hosted in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be characterized by multi-accreting periods as the attractors interact with the environment during their life-time. These multi-accretion episodes should leave traces in the matter orbiting the attractor. Counterrotating and even misaligned structures orbiting around the SMBHs would be consequences of these episodes. Our task in this work is to consider situations where such accretions occur and to trace their remnants represented by several toroidal accreting fluids, corotating or counterrotating relative to the cen…
Autocorrelation in black hole flare movies: Departures from Kerr
Institute of Fundamental Physics and Quantum Technology, and School of Physical Science and Technology, Ningbo University(宁波大学基础物理与量子技术研究所和物理科学与技术学院);Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Extreme Universe, and BINGO Center, Ningbo University(宁波大学浙江极端宇宙重点实验室和BINGO中心);School of Physics, and Center for High Energy Physics, Peking University(北京大学物理学院和高能物理研究中心)
We develop a simple toy model for polarized images of synchrotron emission from an equatorial source around a Kerr black hole by using a semi-analytic solution of the null geodesic equation and conservation of the Penrose-Walker constant. Our model is an extension of Narayan et al. (2021), which presented results for a Schwarzschild black hole, including a fully analytic approximation. Our model includes an arbitrary observer inclination, black hole spin, local boost, and local magnetic field configuration. We study the geometric effects of black hole spin on photon parallel transport and isol…