No Arabic abstract
We present magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a resistive accretion disk continuously launching transmagnetosonic, collimated jets. We time-evolve the full set of magnetohydrodynamic equations, but neglect radiative losses in the energetics (radiatively inefficient). Our calculations demonstrate that a jet is self-consistently produced by the interaction of an accretion disk with an open, initially bent large-scale magnetic field. A constant fraction of heated disk material is launched in the inner equipartition disk regions, leading to the formation of a hot corona and a bright collimated, super-fastmagnetosonic jet. We illustrate the complete dynamics of the ``hot near steady-state outflow (where thermal pressure $simeq$ magnetic pressure) by showing force balance, energy budget and current circuits. The evolution to this near stationary state is analyzed in terms of the temporal variation of energy fluxes controlling the energetics of the accretion disk. We find that unlike advection-dominated accretion flow, the energy released by accretion is mainly sent into the jet rather than transformed into disk enthalpy. These magnetized, radiatively inefficient accretion-ejection structures can account for under-luminous thin disks supporting bright fast collimated jets as seen in many systems displaying jets (for instance M87).
We explore the MRI driven dynamo in a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) using the mean field dynamo paradigm. Using singular value decomposition (SVD) we obtain the least squares fitting dynamo coefficients $alpha$ and $gamma$ by comparing the time series of the turbulent electromotive force and the mean magnetic field. Our study is the first one to show the poloidal distribution of these dynamo coefficients in global accretion flow simulations. Surprisingly, we obtain a high value of the turbulent pumping coefficient $gamma$ which transports the mean magnetic flux radially outward. This would have implications for the launching of magnetised jets which are produced efficiently in presence a large-scale poloidal magnetic field close to the compact object. We present a scenario of a truncated disc beyond the RIAF where a large scale dynamo-generated poloidal magnetic field can aid jet-launching close to the black hole. Magnitude of all the calculated coefficients decreases with radius. Meridional variations of $alpha_{phi phi}$, responsible for toroidal to poloidal field conversion, is very similar to that found in shearing box simulations using the `test field (TF) method. By estimating the relative importance of $alpha$-effect and shear, we conclude that the MRI driven large-scale dynamo, which operates at high latitudes beyond a disc scale height, is essentially of the $alpha-Omega$ type.
We study low-density axisymmetric accretion flows onto black holes (BHs) with two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations, adopting the $alpha$-viscosity prescription. When the gas angular momentum is low enough to form a rotationally supported disk within the Bondi radius ($R_{rm B}$), we find a global steady accretion solution. The solution consists of a rotational equilibrium distribution at $rsim R_{rm B}$, where the density follows $rho propto (1+R_{rm B}/r)^{3/2}$, surrounding a geometrically thick and optically thin accretion disk at the centrifugal radius, where thermal energy generated by viscosity is transported via strong convection. Physical properties of the inner solution agree with those expected in convection-dominated accretion flows (CDAF; $rho propto r^{-1/2}$). In the inner CDAF solution, the gas inflow rate decreases towards the center due to convection ($dot{M}propto r$), and the net accretion rate (including both inflows and outflows) is strongly suppressed by several orders of magnitude from the Bondi accretion rate $dot{M}_{rm B}$ The net accretion rate depends on the viscous strength, following $dot{M}/dot{M}_{rm B}propto (alpha/0.01)^{0.6}$. This solution holds for low accretion rates of $dot{M}_{rm B}/dot{M}_{rm Edd}< 10^{-3}$ having minimal radiation cooling, where $dot{M}_{rm Edd}$ is the Eddington rate. In a hot plasma at the bottom ($r<10^{-3}~R_{rm B}$), thermal conduction would dominate the convective energy flux. Since suppression of the accretion by convection ceases, the final BH feeding rate is found to be $dot{M}/dot{M}_{rm B} sim 10^{-3}-10^{-2}$. This rate is as low as $dot{M}/dot{M}_{rm Edd} sim 10^{-7}-10^{-6}$ inferred for SgrA$^*$ and the nuclear BHs in M31 and M87, and can explain the low luminosities in these sources, without invoking any feedback mechanism.
We present Subaru/FOCAS spectropolarimetry of two active galaxies in the Cosmic Evolution Survey. These objects were selected to be optically dull, with the bright X-ray emission of an AGN but missing optical emission lines in our previous spectroscopy. Our new observations show that one target has very weak emission lines consistent with an optically dull AGN, while the other object has strong emission lines typical of a host-diluted Type 2 Seyfert galaxy. In neither source do we observe polarized emission lines, with 3-sigma upper limits of P_BLR < 2%. This means that the missing broad emission lines (and weaker narrow emission lines) are not due to simple anisotropic obscuration, e.g., by the canonical AGN torus. The weak-lined optically dull AGN exhibits a blue polarized continuum with P = 0.78 +/- 0.07% at 4400 A < lambda_rest < 7200 A (P = 1.37 +/- 0.16% at 4400 A < lambda_rest < 5050 A). The wavelength dependence of this polarized flux is similar to that of an unobscured AGN continuum and represents the intrinsic AGN emission, either as synchrotron emission or the outer part of an accretion disk reflected by a clumpy dust scatterer. Because this intrinsic AGN emission lacks emission lines, this source is likely to have a radiatively inefficient accretion flow.
I present results from numerical simulations of gas dynamics outside luminous accretion disks in active galactic nuclei. The gas, gravitationally captured by a super massive black hole, can be driven away by the energy and momentum of the radiation emitted during black hole accretion. Assuming axisymmetry, I study how the mass accretion and outflow rates, and the flow dynamics respond to changes in radiation heating relative to radiation pressure. I find that for a 10^8 MSUN black hole with the accretion luminosity of 0.6 of the Eddington luminosity the flow settles into a steady state and has two components: (1) an equatorial inflow and (2) a bipolar inflow/outflow with the outflow leaving the system along the disk rotational axis. The inflow is a realization of a Bondi-like accretion flow. The second component is an example of a non-radial accretion flow which becomes an outflow once it is pushed close to the rotational axis where thermal expansion and radiation pressure accelerate it outward. The main result of this preliminary work is that although the above two-component solution is robust, its properties are sensitive to the geometry and spectral energy distribution of the radiation field.
We review recent axisymmetric and three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulations of magnetospheric accretion, plasma-field interaction and outflows from the disk-magnetosphere boundary.