The jet power extracted from a magnetized accretion disc

We consider the power of a relativistic jet accelerated by the magnetic field of an accretion disc. It is found that the power extracted from the disc is mainly determined by the field strength and configuration of the field far from the disc. Comparing it with the power extracted from a rotating black hole, we find that the jet power extracted from a disc can dominate over that from the rotating black hole. However, in some cases, the jet power extracted from a rapidly rotating hole can be more important than that from the disc, even if the poloidal field threading the hole is not significantly larger than that threading the inner edge of the disc. The results imply that the radio-loudness of quasars may be governed by its accretion rate, which might be regulated by the central black hole mass. It is proposed that the different disc field generation mechanisms might be tested against observations of radio-loud quasars if their black hole masses are available.     

Resistive and magnetized accretion flows with convection

We considered the effects of convection on the radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAF) in the presence of resistivity and toroidal magnetic field. We discussed the effects of convection on transports of angular momentum and energy. We established two cases for the resistive and magnetized RIAFs with convection: assuming the convection parameter as a free parameter and using mixing-length theory to calculate convection parameter. A self-similar method is used to solve the integrated equations that govern the behavior of the presented model. The solutions show that the accretion and rotational velocities decrease by adding the convection parameter, while the sound speed increases. Moreover, by using mixing-length theory to calculate convection parameter, we found that the convection can be important in RIAFs with magnetic field and resistivity.     

Study of magnetized accretion flow with cooling processes

We have studied shock in magnetized accretion flow/funnel flow in case of neutron star with bremsstrahlung cooling and cyclotron cooling. All accretion solutions terminate with a shock close to the neutron star surface, but at some regions of the parameter space, it also harbours a second shock away from the star surface. We have found that cyclotron cooling is necessary for correct accretion solutions which match the surface boundary conditions.     

On the nonradiative magnetized accretion flows with convection

In this paper, we explore the radial structure of radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs) in the presence of an ordered magnetic field and convection. We assume the magnetic field has the toroidal and vertical components. We apply the influences of convection on equations of angular momentum and energy. The convective instability can transport the angular momentum inward or outward. We establish two cases for consideration of the effects of convection parameter on magnetized RIAFs. In the first case, we assume the convection parameter as a free parameter and in the other case we calculate convection parameter through use of mixing length theory. In both cases, the solutions show that a magnetized RIAF is very sensitive to the convection parameter and transport direction of angular momentum due to convection. Moreover, we show that the convection strength strongly depends on magnetic field and viscosity.     

Simulations of jet formation from a magnetized accretion disk

Axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations have been made of the formation of jets from a Keplerian disk threaded by a magnetic field. The disk is treated as a boundary condition, where matter with high specific entropy is ejected with a Keplerian azimuthal speed and a poloidal speed less than the slow magnetosonic velocity, and where boundary conditions on the magnetic fields correspond to a highly conducting disk. Initially, the space above the disk, the corona, is filled with high specific entropy plasma in the thermal equilibrium in the gravitational field of the central object. The initial magnetic field is poloidal and is represented by the superposition of the fields of monopoles located below the plane of the disk.The rotation of the disk twists the initial poloidal magnetic field lines, and this twist propagates into the corona pushing matter into jet-like outflow in a cylindrical region. After the first switch-on wave, which originates during the first rotation period of the inner radius of the disk, the matter outflowing from the disk starts to flow and accelerate in thez-direction owing to both the magnetic and pressure gradient forces. The flow accelerates through the slow magnetosonic and Alfvén surfaces and at larger distances through the fast magnetosonic surface. The flow velocity of the jet is approximately parallel to thez-axis, with the collimation mainly a result of the pinching force of the toroidal magnetic field. The energy flux of the flow increases with increasing magnetic field strength on the disk. Some of the cases studied have been run for long times, 60 rotation periods of the inner radius of the disk, and show indications of approaching a stationary state.     

Unipolar induction of a magnetized accretion disk around a black hole

The structure and magnitude of the electromagnetic field produced by a rotating accretion disk around a black hole were determined. The disk matter is assumed to be a magnetized plasma with a frozenin poloidal magnetic field. The vacuum approximation is used outside the disk.     

Structure and stability of magnetized accretion disks with anomalous viscosity

The structure and stability of a magnetized accretion disk are numerically examined with anomalous viscosity. The temperature, surface density and radial velocity all decrease with increasing radius r. The results show that the existence of the magnetic field B has an impact on the structure of the disk, which directly results in the variation of the growth rate and the damping rate of the unstable and stable modes. For Inward-moving mode, the magnetic field greatly enhances the instability at short wavelength and acts as a factor of stability at long wavelength. The growth rate of outward-moving unstable mode decreases, while the damping rate of thermally stable mode increases significantly owing to the magnetic field.     

Thin accretion disc with a corona in a central magnetic field

We study the steady-state structure of an accretion disc with a corona surrounding a central, rotating, magnetized star. We assume that the magneto-rotational instability is the dominant mechanism of angular momentum transport inside the disc and is responsible for producing magnetic tubes above the disc. In our model, a fraction of the dissipated energy inside the disc is transported to the corona via these magnetic tubes. This energy exchange from the disc to the corona which depends on the disc physical properties is modified because of the magnetic interaction between the stellar magnetic field and the accretion disc. According to our fully analytical solutions for such a system, the existence of a corona not only increases the surface density but reduces the temperature of the accretion disc. Also, the presence of a corona enhances the ratio of gas pressure to the total pressure. Our solutions show that when the strength of the magnetic field of the central neutron star is large or the star is rotating fast enough, profiles of the physical variables of the disc significantly modify due to the existence of a corona.     

The inner magnetized regions of circumstellar accretion discs

In this lecture, I will briefly address several phenomena expected when magnetic fields are present in the innermost regions of circumstellar accretion discs: (i) the magneto-rotational instability and related “dead zones”; (ii) the formation of magnetically-driven jets and the observational constraints derived from Classical T Tauri stars; (iii) the magnetic star–disc interactions and their expected role in the stellar spin down.It should be noted that the magnetic fields invoked here are organized large scale magnetic fields, not turbulent small scale ones. I will therefore first argue why one can safely expect these fields to be present in circumstellar accretion discs. Objects devoid of such large scale fields would not be able to drive jets. A global picture is thus gradually emerging where the magnetic flux is an important control parameter of the star formation process as a whole. High angular resolution technics, by probing the innermost circumstellar disc regions should provide valuable constraints.     

Alignment and precession of a black hole with a warped accretion disc

We consider the shape of an accretion disc whose outer regions are misaligned with the spin axis of a central black hole and calculate the steady state form of the warped disc in the case where the viscosity and surface densities are power laws in the distance from the central black hole. We discuss the shape of the resulting disc in both the frame of the black hole and that of the outer disc. We note that some parts of the disc and also any companion star maybe shadowed from the central regions by the warp. We compute the torque on the black hole caused by the Lense–Thirring precession, and hence compute the alignment and precession time-scales. We generalize the case with viscosity and hence surface density independent of radius to more realistic density distributions for which the surface density is a decreasing function of radius. We find that the alignment time-scale does not change greatly but the precession time-scale is more sensitive. We also determine the effect on this time-scale if we truncate the disc. For a given truncation radius, the time-scales are less affected for more sharply falling density distributions.     

Variability of black hole accretion discs: the cool, thermal disc component

We extend the model of King et al. for variability in black hole accretion discs by taking proper account of the thermal properties of the disc. Because the degree of variability in the King et al. model depends sensitively on the ratio of disc thickness to radius, H / R , it is important to follow the time dependence of the local disc structure as the variability proceeds. In common with previous authors, we develop a one-zone model for the local disc structure. We agree that radial heat advection plays an important role in determining the inner disc structure, and also find limit-cycle behaviour. When the stochastic magnetic dynamo model of King et al. is added to these models, we find similar variability behaviour to before.
We are now better placed to put physical constraints on model parameters. In particular, we find that in order to be consistent with the low degree of variability seen in the thermal disc component of black hole binaries, we need to limit the energy density of the poloidal field that can be produced by local dynamo cells in the disc to less than a few per cent of the energy density of the dynamo field within the disc itself.     

An accretion disc model with a magnetic wind and turbulent viscosity

A model is presented for an accretion disc with turbulent viscosity and a magnetically influenced wind. The magnetic field is generated by a dynamo in the disc, involving the turbulence and radial shear. Disc-wind solutions are found for which the wind mass flux is sufficient to play a major part in driving an imposed steady inflow, but small enough for most material to be accreted on to the central object. Constraints arise for the magnetic Reynolds and Prandtl numbers in terms of the turbulent Mach number and vertical length-scale of the disc's horizontal magnetic field. It is shown that the imposition of a stellar boundary condition enhances the wind mass flux in the very inner region of the disc and may result in jet formation.     

On the pulsational-radial oscillations instability of isothermal magnetized accretion disk with self-gravity

This is the first paper to consider the effects of both magnetic field and self-gravity on the pulsational instability. Our main new results are that the self-gravity enhances the instability of the magneto-acoustic mode in the outer disk strongly, and also affects the instability in the inner disk, but stabilized the viscous mode. The effect of self-gravity is much greater than that of magnetic field in the outer disk, while the effect of magnetic field on the instability is weaker than that in the previous work's (Wuet al., 1995; Yanget al., 1995), in which the self-gravity has not been considered. Finally, we discuss our results.     

An accretion disc surrounding a component of epsilon aurigae

The low-mass model of Epsilon Aurigae consisting of an F supergiant star a Main-Sequence B star which is surrounded by a cool accretion disc has been investigated. The disc requires a high accretion rate if we assume the disc to be completely heated up by friction alone. On the other hand, discs with low accretion rates are possible when the disc are heated up from the radiation of both stars. A swollen crescent portion produced by the radiation of the F star may form a bulky body sufficient to obscure the radiation of the F star.Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.     

Hydrostatic equilibrium in a magnetized, warped Galactic disc

Hydrostatic equilibrium of the multiphase interstellar medium in the solar vicinity is reconsidered, with the regular and turbulent magnetic fields treated separately. The regular magnetic field strength required to support the gas is consistent with independent estimates, provided that energy equipartition is maintained between turbulence and random magnetic fields. Our results indicate that a mid-plane value of B ₀=4 μG for the regular magnetic field near the Sun leads to more attractive models than B ₀=2 μG . The vertical profiles of both the regular and random magnetic fields contain disc and halo components, the parameters of which we have determined. The layer at 1≲| z |≲4 kpc can be overpressured and an outflow at a speed of about 50 km s⁻¹ may occur there, presumably associated with a Galactic fountain flow, if B ₀≃2 μG .
We show that hydrostatic equilibrium in a warped disc must produce asymmetric density distributions in z , in rough agreement with H  i observations in the outer Galaxy. This asymmetry may be a useful diagnostic of the details of the warping mechanism in the Milky Way and other galaxies. We find indications that gas and magnetic field pressures are different above and below the warped midplane in the outer Galaxy, and quantify the difference in terms of turbulent velocity and/or magnetic field strength.