Related papers: Black Hole Accretion in Low States: Electron Heati…
We study the structure and properties of hot MHD accretion onto a Kerr black hole. In such a system, the hole is magnetically coupled to the inflowing gas and exerts a torque onto the accretion flow. A hot settling flow can form around the…
Observed spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and luminous X-ray binaries in our Galaxy suggest that both hot (~10^9 K) and cold (~10^6 K) plasma components exist close to the central accreting black hole. Hard X-ray component of the…
Recent studies have focused on how spinning black holes (BHs) within a binary system containing a strongly magnetized neutron star, then immersed in external magnetic fields, can acquire charge through mechanisms like the Wald process and…
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)…
Truncated accretion disks are commonly invoked to explain the spectro-temporal variability from accreting black holes in both small systems, i.e. state transitions in galactic black hole binaries (GBHBs), and large systems, i.e.…
Numerical simulation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence makes it possible to study accretion dynamics in detail. However, special effort is required to connect inflow dynamics (dependent largely on angular momentum transport) to…
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) self-regulate galaxies, groups, and clusters, yet the pathway transporting gas from halo scales to sub-pc radii remains debated. In hot stratified atmospheres, subsonic turbulence can trigger nonlinear…
Close to a black hole, the density of the sub-Keplerian accreting matter becomes higher compared to a spherical flow due to the presence of a centrifugal barrier independent of whether or not a standing shock actually forms. This hot dense…
In the inner-most regions of radiation pressure supported accretion disks, the turbulent magnetic pressure may greatly exceed that of the gas. If this is the case, it is possible for bulk Alfvenic motions driven by the magnetorotational…
The effectiveness of the thermal coupling of ions and electrons in the context of optically thin, hot accretion flows is investigated. In the limit of complete coupling, we focus on the one-temperature accretion flows. Based on a global…
We study the interplay between turbulent heating, mixing, and radiative cooling in an idealized model of cool cluster cores. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets are expected to drive turbulence and heat cluster cores. Cooling of the…
Magnetic field behaviour in a spherically-symmetric accretion flow for parameters typical of single black holes in the Galaxy is discussed. It is shown that in the majority of Galaxy volume, accretion onto single stellar-mass black holes…
Radiation pressure dominated accretion discs around compact objects may have turbulent velocities that greatly exceed the electron thermal velocities within the disc. Bulk Comptonization by the turbulence may therefore dominate over thermal…
We solve for the structure of a hot accretion disc with unsaturated thermal Comptonisation of soft photons and with advection, generalizing the classical model of Shapiro et al. The upper limit on the accretion rate due to advection…
Observational evidence in space and astrophysical plasmas with long collisional mean free path suggests that more massive charged particles may be preferentially heated. One possible mechanism for this is the turbulent cascade of energy…
Does overall thermal equilibrium exist between ions and electrons in a weakly collisional, magnetised, turbulent plasma---and, if not, how is thermal energy partitioned between ions and electrons? This is a fundamental question in plasma…
The collision of two expanding plasma clouds is investigated, emphasizing instabilities and electron energization in the plasma mixing layer. This work is directly relevant to laboratory experiments with explosively-created laser or z-pinch…
We briefly review recent developments in black hole accretion disk theory, placing new emphasis on the vital role played by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stresses in transporting angular momentum. The apparent universality of accretion-related…
As the luminosity of an accreting black hole drops to a few percent of Eddington, the spectrum switches from the familiar soft state to a hard state that is well-described by a distended and tenuous advection-dominated accretion flow…
We study the energetics of a black hole-accretion disk system with magnetic connection: a Keplerian disk is connected to a Kerr black hole by a large-scale magnetic field going through the transition region. We assume that the magnetic…