Modeling Polarized Emission from Black Hole Jets: Application to M87 Core Jet

Monika Mościbrodzka

doi:10.3390/galaxies5030054

Abstract

We combine three-dimensional general-relativistic numerical models of hot, magnetized Advection Dominated Accretion Flows around a supermassive black hole and the corresponding outflows from them with a general relativistic polarized radiative transfer model to produce synthetic radio images and spectra of jet outflows. We apply the model to the underluminous core of M87 galaxy. The assumptions and results of the calculations are discussed in context of millimeter observations of the M87 jet launching zone. Our ab initio polarized emission and rotation measure models allow us to address the constrains on the mass accretion rate onto the M87 supermassive black hole.

Highlights

AGN jets are believed to be powered by the accretion of material from their host galaxy onto a supermassive black hole [1]
We investigate the physical conditions in the jet launching zone in global three-dimensional, general relativistic magnetohydrodynamical (3-D GRMHD) simulations
Contrary to many previous rotation measure (RM) modelings, in the current RM model all relativistic effects will be included; the observer viewing angle effects and the magnetic field geometry are naturally taken into account; the mass accretion rate onto the black hole is self-consistently calculated within the GRMHD simulation

Summary

Introduction

AGN jets are believed to be powered by the accretion of material from their host galaxy onto a supermassive black hole [1]. The long standing question is: What are the roles of the accretion disk, magnetic fields and the black hole spin in the formation of these relativistic flows?. The numerical models follow the dynamics of fully ionized plasma and magnetic fields down to the black hole event horizon. A recent breakthrough in GRMHD models of black hole accretion and jets comes from modeling the radiation from plasma near the black hole [10,11,12]. The least understood part of these models was a proper treatment of radiating electrons. This issue has been addressed [13,14,15,16,17,18,19]. With new and more detailed observations, we are beginning to directly compare the numerical simulations of accretion flows to real astronomical systems such as Galactic center Sgr A* and the core of M87 galaxy [20]

GRMHD Models of Jets

Electron Treatment and Modeling Polarized Emission from GRMHD Jets

Simulated Emission from M87 Core Jet

Discussion