Magnetic connection and current distribution in black hole accretion discs

We discuss one of the possible origins of large-scale magnetic fields based on a continuous distribution of toroidal electric current flowing in the inner region of the disc around a Kerr black hole (BH) in the framework of general relativity. It turns out that four types of configuration of the magnetic connection (MC) are generated, i.e. MC of the BH with the remote astrophysical load (MCHL), MC of the BH with the disc (MCHD), MC of the plunging region with the disc (MCPD) and MC of the inner and outer disc regions (MCDD). It turns out that the Blandford–Znajek process can be regarded as one type of MC, i.e. MCHL. In addition, we propose a scenario for fitting the quasi-periodic oscillations in BH binaries based on MCDD associated with the magnetic reconnection.     

Iron Kα line profiles and the inner boundary condition of accretion flows

Recent X-ray observations have shown evidence for exceptionally broad and skewed iron Kα emission lines from several accreting black hole systems. The lines are assumed to be due to fluorescence of the accretion disc illuminated by a surrounding corona and require a steep emissivity profile increasing into the innermost radius. This appears to question both standard accretion disc theory and the zero-torque assumption for the inner boundary condition, both of which predict a much less extreme profile. Instead it argues that a torque may be present due to magnetic coupling with matter in the plunging region or even to the spinning black hole itself. Discussion so far has centred on the torque acting on the disc. However, the crucial determinant of the iron line profile is the radial variation of the power radiated in the corona. Here we study the effects of different inner boundary conditions on the coronal emissivity and on the profiles of the observable Fe Kα lines. We argue that in the extreme case where a prominent highly redshifted component of the iron line is detected, requiring a steep emissivity profile in the innermost part and a flatter one outside, energy from the gas plunging into the black hole is being fed directly to the corona.     

A model of magnetically induced disc–corona for black hole binaries

We propose a model of magnetic connection (MC) of a black hole with its surrounding accretion disc based on large-scale magnetic field. The MC gives rise to transport of energy and angular momentum between the black hole and the disc, and the closed field lines pipe the hot matter evaporated from the disc, and shape it in the corona above the disc to form a magnetically induced disc–corona system, in which the corona has the same configuration as the large-scale magnetic field. We numerically solve the dynamic equations in the context of the Kerr metric, in which the large-scale magnetic field is determined by dynamo process and equipartition between magnetic pressure and gas pressure. Thus we can obtain a global solution rather than assuming the distribution of large-scale magnetic field beforehand. The main MC effects lie in three aspects. (1) The rotational energy of a fast-spinning black hole can be extracted, enhancing the dissipation in the accretion disc, (2) the closed field lines provide a natural channel for corona matter escaping from disc and finally falling into black hole and (3) the scope of the corona can be bounded by the conservation of magnetic flux. We simulate the high-energy spectra of this system by using Monte Carlo method, and find that the relative hardness of the spectra decreases as accretion rate or black hole spin a _* increases. We fit the typical X-ray spectra of three black hole binaries  (GRO J1655−40, XTE 1118+480 and GX 339−4)  in the low/hard or very high state.     

Self-consistent computation of γ-ray spectra due to proton–proton interactions in black hole systems

In the inner regions of an accretion disc around a black hole, relativistic protons can interact with ambient matter to produce electrons, positrons and γ-rays. The resultant steady-state electron and positron particle distributions are self-consistently computed taking into account Coulomb and Compton cooling,  e⁻ e⁺  pair production (due to γ–γ annihilation) and pair annihilation. While earlier works used the diffusion approximation to obtain the particle distributions, here we solve a more general integro-differential equation that correctly takes into account the large change in particle energy that occurs when the leptons Compton scatter off hard X-rays. Thus this formalism can also be applied to the hard state of black hole systems, where the dominant ambient photons are hard X-rays. The corresponding photon energy spectrum is calculated and compared with broad-band data of black hole binaries in different spectral states. The results indicate that the γ-ray spectra  ( E > 0.8 MeV)  of both the soft and hard spectral states and the entire hard X-ray/γ-ray spectrum of the ultrasoft state could be due to p–p interactions. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that there always exists in these systems a γ-ray spectral component due to p–p interactions that can contribute between 0.5 and 10 per cent of the total bolometric luminosity. The model predicts that GLAST would be able to detect black hole binaries and provide evidence for the presence of non-thermal protons, which in turn would give insight into the energy dissipation process and jet formation in these systems.     

Accretion to magnetized stars through the Rayleigh–Taylor instability: global 3D simulations

We present results of 3D simulations of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) instabilities at the accretion disc–magnetosphere boundary. The instability is Rayleigh–Taylor, and develops for a fairly broad range of accretion rates and stellar rotation rates and magnetic fields. It manifests itself in the form of tall, thin tongues of plasma that penetrate the magnetosphere in the equatorial plane. The shape and number of the tongues changes with time on the inner disc dynamical time-scale. In contrast with funnel flows, which deposit matter mainly in the polar region, the tongues deposit matter much closer to the stellar equator. The instability appears for relatively small misalignment angles, Θ≲ 30°, between the star's rotation and magnetic axes, and is associated with higher accretion rates. The hotspots and light curves during accretion through instability are generally much more chaotic than during stable accretion. The unstable state of accretion has possible implications for quasi-periodic oscillations and intermittent pulsations from accreting systems, as well as planet migration.     

Equilibrium configurations of strongly magnetized neutron stars with realistic equations of state

We investigate equilibrium sequences of magnetized rotating stars with four kinds of realistic equations of state (EOSs) of SLy, FPS, Shen and LS, employing the Tomimura–Eriguchi scheme to construct the equilibrium configurations. We study the basic physical properties of the sequences in the framework of Newtonian gravity. In addition, we take a new step by taking into account a general relativistic effect to the magnetized rotating configurations. With these computations, we find that the properties of the Newtonian magnetized stars, e.g. structure of magnetic field, highly depends on the EOSs. The toroidal magnetic fields concentrate rather near the surface for Shen and LS EOSs than those for SLy and FPS EOSs. The poloidal fields are also affected by the toroidal configurations. Paying attention to the stiffness of the EOSs, we analyse this tendency in detail. In the general relativistic stars, we find that the difference due to the EOSs becomes small because all the employed EOSs become sufficiently stiff for the large maximum density, typically greater than  10¹⁵ g cm⁻³  . The maximum baryon mass of the magnetized stars with axis ratio   q ∼ 0.7  increases about up to 20 per cent for that of spherical stars. We furthermore compute equilibrium sequences at finite temperature, which should serve as an initial condition for the hydrodynamic study of newly born magnetars. Our results suggest that we may obtain information about the EOSs from the observation of the masses of magnetars.     

On the effect of coronal outflow on spectra formation in galactic black hole systems

We present the results of both analytical and numerical calculations of the amplitude of the reflection component in X-ray spectra of galactic black hole systems. We take into account the anisotropy of Compton scattering and the systematic relativistic bulk motion of the hot plasma. In the case of the single scattering approximation, the reflection from the disc surface is significantly enhanced owing to the anisotropy of Compton scattering. On the other hand, the calculations of multiple scattering obtained using the Monte Carlo method show that the anisotropy effect is much weaker in that case. Therefore, the enhanced back-scattered flux may affect the observed spectra only if the disc surface is highly ionized, which reduces the absorption in the energy band corresponding to the first Compton scattering.     

Effects of the Blandford–Znajek process on the evolution of the central black holes of accretion discs

The effects of the Blandford–Znajek (BZ) process on the evolution of the central black holes of accretion discs are investigated by an analytical method and numerical calculations in this paper. It is shown that the BZ process reduces the rates of change of some parameters of the black hole, such as mass, angular momentum, dimensionless angular momentum and temperature, and the evolution of the central black hole towards the extreme Kerr black hole is depressed effectively. However, the rate of change of entropy of the central black hole is augmented in the BZ process. In addition, the consistency of the BZ process with the three laws of black hole thermodynamics is discussed.     

Optical spectroscopy of GX 339−4 during the high–soft and low–hard states – I

We carried out spectroscopic observations of the candidate black hole binary GX 339−4 during its low–hard and high–soft X-ray states. We have found that the spectrum is dominated by emission lines of neutral elements with asymmetric, round-topped profiles in the low–hard state. In the high–soft state, however, the emission lines from both neutral and ionized elements have unambiguously resolved double-peaked profiles. The detection of double-peaked emission lines in the high–soft state, with a larger peak separation for higher ionization lines, indicates the presence of an irradiatively heated accretion disc. The round-topped lines in the low–hard state are probably caused by a dense matter outflow from an inflated non-Keplerian accretion disc. Our data do not show velocity modulations of the line centres caused by the orbital motion of the compact object, neither do the line basewidths show substantial variations in each observational epoch. There are no detectable absorption lines from the companion star. All these features are consistent with those of a system with a low-mass companion star and low orbital inclination.