The magnetic nature of disk accretion onto black holes

Although disk accretion onto compact objects-white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes-is central to much of high-energy astrophysics, the mechanisms that enable this process have remained observationally difficult to determine. Accretion disks must transfer angular momentum in order for matter to travel radially inward onto the compact object. Internal viscosity from magnetic processes and disk winds can both in principle transfer angular momentum, but hitherto we lacked evidence that either occurs. Here we report that an X-ray-absorbing wind discovered in an observation of the stellar-mass black hole binary GRO J1655 - 40 (ref. 6) must be powered by a magnetic process that can also drive accretion through the disk. Detailed spectral analysis and modelling of the wind shows that it can only be powered by pressure generated by magnetic viscosity internal to the disk or magnetocentrifugal forces. This result demonstrates that disk accretion onto black holes is a fundamentally magnetic process.     

Birth of a relativistic outflow in the unusual γ-ray transient Swift J164449.3+573451

Active galactic nuclei, which are powered by long-term accretion onto central supermassive black holes, produce relativistic jets with lifetimes of at least one million years, and the observation of the birth of such a jet is therefore unlikely. Transient accretion onto a supermassive black hole, for example through the tidal disruption of a stray star, thus offers a rare opportunity to study the birth of a relativistic jet. On 25 March 2011, an unusual transient source (Swift J164449.3+573451) was found, potentially representing such an accretion event. Here we report observations spanning centimetre to millimetre wavelengths and covering the first month of evolution of a luminous radio transient associated with Swift J164449.3+573451. The radio transient coincides with the nucleus of an inactive galaxy. We conclude that we are seeing a newly formed relativistic outflow, launched by transient accretion onto a million-solar-mass black hole. A relativistic outflow is not predicted in this situation, but we show that the tidal disruption of a star naturally explains the observed high-energy properties and radio luminosity and the inferred rate of such events. The weaker beaming in the radio-frequency spectrum relative to γ-rays or X-rays suggests that radio searches may uncover similar events out to redshifts of z?≈?6.     

两类Seyfert星系的黑洞质量与吸积率

收集了89个Seyfert星系样本,利用反响映射法和恒星弥散速度法计算了Seyfert星系的黑洞质量,分别研究了Seyfert 1和Seyfert 2星系的黑洞质量与吸积率、热光度和红移之间的相关性,结果发现Seyfert 1星系的黑洞质量与吸积率、热光度和红移之间具有强相关性,Seyfert 2星系的黑洞质量与吸积率之间具有弱的负相关性,与热光度和红移之间具有弱相关性.两类Seyfert星系的区别除了源于吸积盘倾角不同外,还可能与星系的环境、演化和星系核的活动有关.     

活动星系核吸积盘辐射的研究

在标准吸积盘辐射模型的基础上,考虑了不同的质量吸积率、不同的无量纲旋转参数a(中心黑洞为克尔黑洞)、最小稳定轨道半径处存在的约束(产生一个矩)和吸积盘表面磁场的存在(喷流辐射与吸积盘辐射之间存在一定的耦合)对吸积盘辐射的影响。结果表明,中心黑洞为正旋转的克尔黑洞比史瓦西黑洞辐射的峰值及峰值频率大,负旋转的克尔黑洞比史瓦西黑洞辐射的峰值及峰值频率小,质量吸积率越大峰值和峰值频率变大,无量纲黑洞旋转参数a越大峰值与峰值频率越大,喷流辐射能量和吸积盘辐射能量之比越大峰值和峰值频率越小,辐射效率越大峰值和峰值频率越大。     

The unusual gamma-ray burst GRB 101225A explained as a minor body falling onto a neutron star

The tidal disruption of a solar-mass star around a supermassive black hole has been extensively studied analytically and numerically. In these events, the star develops into an elongated banana-shaped structure. After completing an eccentric orbit, the bound debris falls into the black hole, forming an accretion disk and emitting radiation. The same process may occur on planetary scales if a minor body passes too close to its star. In the Solar System, comets fall directly into our Sun or onto planets. If the star is a compact object, the minor body can become tidally disrupted. Indeed, one of the first mechanisms invoked to produce strong gamma-ray emission involved accretion of comets onto neutron stars in our Galaxy. Here we report that the peculiarities of the 'Christmas' gamma-ray burst (GRB 101225A) can be explained by a tidal disruption event of a minor body around an isolated Galactic neutron star. This would indicate either that minor bodies can be captured by compact stellar remnants more frequently than occurs in the Solar System or that minor-body formation is relatively easy around millisecond radio pulsars. A peculiar supernova associated with a gamma-ray burst provides an alternative explanation.     

A periodicity of approximately 1 hour in X-ray emission from the active galaxy RE J1034+396

Active galactic nuclei and quasars are thought to be scaled-up versions of Galactic black hole binaries, powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes with masses of 10(6)-10(9) M[symbol: see text], as opposed to the approximately 10 M [symbol: see text] in binaries (here M [symbol: see text] is the solar mass). One example of the similarities between these two types of systems is the characteristic rapid X-ray variability seen from the accretion flow. The power spectrum of this variability in black hole binaries consists of a broad noise with multiple quasi-periodic oscillations superimposed on it. Although the broad noise component has been observed in many active galactic nuclei, there have hitherto been no significant detections of quasi-periodic oscillations. Here we report the discovery of an approximately 1-hour X-ray periodicity in a bright active galaxy, RE J1034+396. The signal is highly statistically significant (at the 5.6 sigma level) and very coherent, with quality factor Q > 16. The X-ray modulation arises from the direct vicinity of the black hole.     

活动星系核的演化与吸积率

红移,中心黑洞质量和吸积率是类星体演化的重要参数,通过三种方法计算了405个类星体和Seyfert星系样本的中心黑洞质量,并分析了中心黑洞质量和吸积率的分布,进而验证了：1.类星体-Seyfert星系的演化序列;2.平谱射电类星体（FSRQ）-BL Lac天体-射电星系（RG）的演化序列。     

吸积盘中心黑洞的熵变与 B-Z 过程

分别在薄盘和厚盘两种情况下,详细讨论了纯吸积过程和Ｂ－Ｚ过程中吸积盘中心黑洞的熵变．结果表明,中心黑洞各参量在Ｂ－Ｚ过程中的变化率与在纯吸积过程中的变化率之差与盘结构无关,而且与Ｂ－Ｚ过程的辐射功率成正比．在Ｂ－Ｚ过程中黑洞熵的变化率总是大于纯吸积过程中黑洞熵的变化率,二者之差来自中心黑洞延伸视界上的耗散功率．此外,还讨论了黑洞热力学定律在上述盘吸积过程中的有效性．     

正则静态黑洞的薄吸积盘

依照Penrose的宇宙检察猜想,自然界不存在裸奇性.所以,值得进一步考虑的是自然界根本不存在奇性.讨论了没有奇点的正则黑洞,并研究史瓦西黑洞和正则黑洞在天体物理学中的区别.研究围绕正则黑洞的薄吸积盘,比较了不同正则黑洞之间薄吸积盘的能量通量,辐射温度和吸积效率.结果显示,正则黑洞薄吸积盘内的相互作用比史瓦西的更加强.此外,随着正则黑洞质量不断地减少,薄吸积盘会更有效地消耗能量.这些特征提供了一种区分出正则黑洞的可能性.     

环绕克尔黑洞的电磁场与电荷吸积

相对论天体物理中,由于黑洞附近时空弯曲相当严重,我们可以得到一些在平直时空中难以想象的有趣效应。在克尔旋转黑洞的时空背景中,磁场可以转变为电场,在此基础上,我们将讨论电荷的吸积以及克尔黑洞转变为克尔-纽曼黑洞等问题。