Radiative Particle-in-Cell Simulations of Turbulent Comptonization in Magnetized Black-Hole Coronae.

Abstract

We report results from the first radiative particle-in-cell simulations of strong Alfvénic turbulence in plasmas of moderate optical depth. The simulations are performed in a local 3D periodic box and self-consistently follow the evolution of radiation as it interacts with a turbulent electron-positron plasma via Compton scattering. We focus on the conditions expected in magnetized coronae of accreting black holes and obtain an emission spectrum consistent with the observed hard state of Cyg X-1. Most of the turbulence power is transferred directly to the photons via bulk Comptonization, shaping the peak of the emission around 100keV. The rest is released into nonthermal particles, which generate the MeV spectral tail. The method presented here shows promising potential for abinitio modeling of various astrophysical sources and opens a window into a new regime of kinetic plasma turbulence.