Spectral properties of the accretion discs around rotating black holes

We study the radiation properties of an accretion disc around a rotating black hole. We solve the hydrodynamic equations and calculate the transonic solutions of accretion disc in the presence of shocks. Then we use these solutions to generate the radiation spectrum in the presence of radiative heating and cooling processes. We present the effect of spin parameter of the black hole on the emitted radiation spectrum. In addition, attention has also been paid to the variation in energy spectral index with Kerr parameter and accretion rate. We find that spectral index becomes harder as the spin parameter changes from negative (accretion disc is counter-rotating with respect to the black hole spin) to a positive value. Finally, we compute and compare the spectral characteristics due to a free-fall flow and a transonic flow. We notice significant differences in high energy contributions from these two solutions.     

Physical properties of charged Kaluza-Klein black holes

In this paper, we consider an exact vacuum solution of the Kaluza-Klein (KK) theory, which describes nonrotating KK black holes. We investigate general properties of geodesic motion in the space-time and calculate the effective potential for null geodesics. The thermodynamical quantities as well as the gravitational lensing of the solution is calculated. We illustrate that the Carter-Penrose diagram for different parameter values resembles the Schwarzschild-like, naked and charged solutions.     

Mechanical Heating in Disk-Driven Winds – Thermal Structure & Observational Predictions

Following the work of Garcia et al. (2001a) (GFCB), we compute the thermal properties and ionization structure of magnetically-driven disk winds. The original model's dominant heating function along the jet, ambipolar diffusion, is augmented by a mechanical heating term supposed to arise from weak shocks, as used by (Shang et al., 2002). We add this mechanical heating function to a cold disk wind model and calculate its effect on the jet as a whole. The temperature and ionization of the flow are calculated in the case of cold jet solutions consistent with the underlying accretion disk (Ferreira, 1997). These solutions are compared to those of (GFCB) in order to quantitatively determine the effect of the mechanical heating on the flow. We then use the computed thermal and ionization structures to calculate jet synthetic observations. We find that the addition of mechanical heating leads to higher electron fractions, in turn leading to increased line fluxes and line ratios approaching observed values.     

Some general relativistic effects on the dynamics of fluid disks rotating around a Schwarzschild black hole

In this paper we present various classes of solutions for perfect fluid disks rotating around Schwarzschild black holes. We study the profiles of pressure, density and specific angular momentum and the formation of cusp-like structures at the inner edge of the disks. Using the trial function method, we calculate the frequency of the global axi-symmetric oscillations. We compare the results with those of the corresponding Newtonian calculations to find the general relativistic effects.     

Stationary axisymmetric solutions and their energy contents in?teleparallel equivalent of Einstein theory

We apply the energy-momentum tensor which is coordinate independent to calculate the energy content of the axisymmetric solutions. Our results are compared with what have been obtained before within the framework of Einstein general relativity and M?ller’s tetrad theory of gravitation.     

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.     

The Coulomb Interaction Energy of Plasmas with Superconducting Particles

We derive a partial differential equation for the determination of the electric potential in a fully ionized plasma. Using the time independent solutions for electrostatic potential we calculate the Coulomb interaction energy of the particles in a superconducting plasma. We show that, when electrons become superconducting, the energy change corresponding to the Coulomb interaction part is positive, while the correlation part is negative. The same phenomenon occurs in the core of the neutron stars when protons become super-conducting.__________Published in Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 431–437 (August 2005).     

Modified Chaplygin gas and solvable F-essence cosmologies

The Modified Chaplygin Gas (MCG) model belongs to the class of a unified models of dark energy and dark matter. In this paper, we have modeled MCG in the framework of f-essence cosmology. By constructing an equation connecting the MCG and the f-essence, we solve it to obtain explicitly the pressure and energy density of MCG. As special cases, we obtain both positive and negative pressure solutions for suitable choices of free parameters. We also calculate the state parameter which describes the phantom crossing.     

X-ray emission by a shocked fast wind from the central stars of planetary nebulae

We calculate the X-ray emission from the shocked fast wind blown by the central stars of planetary nebulae (PNe) and compare with observations. Using spherically symmetric self-similar solutions, we calculate the flow structure and X-ray temperature for a fast wind slamming into a previously ejected slow wind. We find that the observed X-ray emission of six PNe can be accounted for by shocked wind segments that were expelled during the early-PN phase, if the fast wind speed is moderate,   v ₂∼ 400–600 km s⁻¹  , and the mass-loss rate is a few times  10⁻⁷ M_⊙ yr⁻¹  . We find, as proposed previously, that the morphology of the X-ray emission is in the form of a narrow ring inner to the optical bright part of the nebula. The bipolar X-ray morphology of several observed PNe, which indicates an important role of jets, rather than a spherical fast wind, cannot be explained by the flow studied here.     

Approximate solutions for isothermal flows behind strong spherical shocks with variable energy

Self-similar unsteady flows with zero temperature gradient behind strong spherical shocks propagating in non-uniform perfect gas at rest are investigated. The total energy of the flow is assumed to be varying with the shock radius obeying a power law. Approximate solutions in a closed analytical form are obtained using the integral method. Also these solutions are shown to be useful to calculate easily and quickly the shock temperature, X-ray surface brightness and luminosity which are important in astrophysical problems. It is found that these approximate solutions are in close agreement with numerical solutions.     

Spin Axis Direction of Comet 19p/Borrelly Based on Observations from 2000 and 2001

We calculate the direction of the rotational angular momentum vector,M, of comet 19P/Borrelly based on rotational lightcurve data from 2000, groundbased imaging of the coma during the Deep Space 1encounter, and the basic near-nucleus coma morphology as revealed by the Deep Space 1 spacecraft. For the most likely direction, we derivea family of solutions (with center at RA = 221°, Dec = -7°) if the direction of M is towards the sunward hemisphere during the Deep Space 1 encounter, whereas if the rotation is of opposite sense, the diametrically opposite family of solutions (with center at RA = 41°, Dec = 7°) would result. We argue that the coma morphology in September 2001 is consistent with the nucleus being a principal axis rotator or one observationally indistinguishable from it. Therefore, for all practical purposes, the direction of the rotational angular momentum vector coincides with the spin axis. We also discuss why the determination of the spin axis direction based on observations from the last apparition is in disagreement with the current result.     

Impact orbits of the asteroid 2009 FJ with the Earth

We show how to calculate the impact orbits of dangerous asteroids using the freely available the OrbFit software, and compare our results with impact orbits calculated using Sitarski??s independent software (Sitarski, 1999; 2000; 2006). The new method is tested on asteroid 2009 FJ. Using the OrbFit package to integrate alternate orbits along the line of variation (Milani et al., 2002; 2005a; 2005b), we identify impact orbits and can plot paths of risk for the Earth or any other body in the Solar System. We present the orbital elements of asteroid 2009 FJ and its ephemerides, along with uncertainties, for the next 100 years. This paper continues a long-term research program on impact solutions for asteroids (Wlodarczyk, 2007; 2008; 2009).     

Correspondence between DBI-essence and modified Chaplygin gas and the generalized second law of thermodynamics

In this work, we have considered the DBI-essence dark energy model in FRW Universe. We have found the exact solutions of potential, warped brane tension and DBI scalar field. We also calculate the statefinder parameters for our model that make it distinguishable among numerous dark energy models. Moreover, we establish correspondence between DBI-essence and modified Chaplygin gas (MCG) and hence reconstruct the potential and warped brane tension. By this reconstruction, we observe that DBI scalar field and potential increase and warped brane tension decreases during evolution of the Universe. Finally, we investigate the validity of the generalized second law (GSL) of thermodynamics in the presence of DBI-essence and modified Chaplygin gas. It is observed that the GSL breaks down for DBI-essence model but GSL always satisfied for MCG model.     

The concentration of the large-scale solar magnetic field by a meridional surface flow

We calculate analytical and numerical solutions to the magnetic flux transport equation in the absence of new bipolar sources of flux, for several meridional flow profiles and a range of peak flow speeds. We find that a poleward flow with a broad profile and a nominal 10 m s^–1 maximum speed concentrates the large-scale field into very small caps of less than 15° half-angle, with average field strengths of several tens of gauss, contrary to observations. A flow which reaches its peak speed at a relatively low latitude and then decreases rapidly to zero at higher latitudes leads to a large-scale field pattern which is consistent with observations. For such a flow, only lower latitude sunspot groups can contribute to interhemispheric flux annihilation and the resulting decay and reversal of the polar magnetic fields.     

Helmet Streamers with Triple Structures: Weakly Two-Dimensional Stationary States

Recent observations of the solar corona with the LASCO coronagraph on board the SOHO spacecraft have revealed the occurrence of triple helmet streamers even during solar minimum, which occasionally go unstable and give rise to particularly huge coronal mass ejections. We present a method to calculate (semi-)analytically self-consistent stationary configurations of triple helmet streamers which can serve as input for stability considerations and dynamical calculations. The method is based on an asymptotic expansion procedure using the elongated structure of the streamers. The method is very flexible and can be used in both Cartesian and spherical geometry. We discuss the effects of magnetic shear, gravity and field-aligned flow on open field lines. Example solutions illustrating the influence of each of these features on the solution structure are presented.     

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.     

Planar Symmetric Periodic Orbits in Four Dipole Problem

We have extend Stormer’s problem considering four magnetic dipoles in motion trying to justify the phenomena of extreme “orderlines” such as the ones observed in the rings of Saturn; the aim is to account the strength of the Lorentz forces estimating that the Lorentz field, co-acting with the gravity field of the planet, will limit the motion of all charged particles and small size grains with surface charges inside a layer of about 200 m thickness as that which is observed in the rings of Saturn. For this purpose our interest feast in the motion of charged particles with neglected mass where only electromagnetic forces accounted in comparison to the weakness of the Newtonian fields. This study is particularly difficult because in the regions we investigate these motions there is enormous three dimensional instability. Following the Poincare’s hypothesis that periodic solutions are ‘dense’ in the set of all solutions in Hamiltonian systems we try to calculate many families of periodic solutions and to study their stability. In this work we prove that in this environment charged particles can trace planar symmetric periodic orbits. We discuss these orbits in details and we give their symplectic relations using the Hamiltonian formulation which is related to the symplectic matrix. We apply numerical procedures to find families of these orbits and to study their stability. Moreover we give the bifurcations of these families with families of planar asymmetric periodic orbits and families of three dimensional symmetric periodic orbits.     

Determination of asteroid masses from their close encounters with Mars

An obstacle to the asteroid mass determination lies in the difficulty in isolating the gravitational perturbation exerted by a single asteroid on the planets, being strongly correlated and mixed up with those of many other asteroids. This hindrance may be avoided by the method of analysis presented here: an asteroid mass is estimated in correspondence with its close encounters with Mars where the acceleration it induces on the planet can be sufficiently disentangled from those generated by the remaining asteroid masses to calculate. We test this technique in the analysis of range observations to Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Express performed from 1999 to 2007. For this purpose, we adopt the dynamical model of the planetary ephemeris INPOP06 (Fienga et al., 2008), which includes the gravitational influences of the 300 most perturbing asteroids of the Martian orbit. We obtain the solutions of 10 asteroid masses that have the largest effects on this orbit over the period examined: they are generally in good agreement with determinations recently published.     

The distance–redshift equation in quintessence cosmology and the estimation of H0 through time delays

We calculate analytically and numerically the distance–redshift equation in perfect fluid quintessence models and give an accurate fit to the numerical solutions for all the values of the density parameter and the quintessence equation of state. Then we apply our solutions to the estimation of H ₀ from multiple image time delays and find that the inclusion of quintessence modifies significantly the likelihood distribution of H ₀, generally reducing the best estimate with respect to a pure cosmological constant. Marginalizing over the other parameters (Ω _m and the quintessence equation of state) we obtain H ₀=71±6 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹ for an empty beam and H ₀=64±4 km s⁻¹ Mpc⁻¹ for a filled beam. These errors, however, do not take into account the uncertainty on the modelling of the lens. We also discuss the future prospects for distinguishing quintessence from a cosmological constant with time delays.     

Global shearing modes of galactic disks

A new scheme has been devised to calculate discrete unstable global shearing spiral modes of gaseous disk models of galaxies. The scheme makes use of the Legendre expansion of eigen functions and the problem of stability analysis is reduced to an eigenvalue problem of an infinite matrix. The spiral patterns of these shearing wave solutions of linearized equations change their form in the course of time due to the differential rotation of the equilibrium disk. These shearing wave solutions are presumed to have intermediate characteristics between so-called density-waves and material arms. Comparison between these shearing modes and the non-shearing normal modes for a series of disk models is presented.