Accretion Energy Research Articles

Effects of ultrafast outflows on X-ray time lags in active galactic nuclei

The time lag between soft (e.g., $0.3 1$\,keV) and hard (e.g., $1 4$\,keV) X-ray photons has been observed in many active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and can reveal the accretion process and geometry around supermassive black holes. High-frequency Fe K and soft lags are considered to originate from the light-travel distances between the corona and the accretion disk, while the propagation of the inward mass accretion fluctuation usually explains the low-frequency hard lags. Ultrafast outflows (UFOs) with a velocity range of $ 0.3$c have also been discovered in numerous AGNs and are believed to be launched from the inner accretion disk. However, it remains unclear whether UFOs can affect the X-ray time lags. As a pilot work, we aim to investigate the potential influence of UFOs on X-ray time lags of AGNs in a small sample. By performing the UFO-resolved Fourier spectral timing analysis of archival XMM-Newton observations of three AGNs with transient UFOs -- PG 1448+273, IRAS 13224-3809, and PG 1211+143 -- we compare the X-ray timing products, such as lag-frequency and lag-energy spectra, of observations with and without UFO obscuration. Our results find that in each AGN, low-frequency hard lags become weak or even disappear when they are accompanied by UFOs. This change is confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations at a confidence level of at least $2.7 In the high-frequency domain, soft lags remain unchanged, while the Fe K reverberation lags tentatively disappear. The comparison between timing products of low- and high-flux observations on another three AGNs without UFOs (Ark 564, NGC 7469, and Mrk 335) suggests that the disappearance of low-frequency hard lags is likely related to the emergence of UFOs, not necessarily related to the source flux. The presence of UFOs can affect X-ray time lags of AGNs by suppressing the low-frequency hard lags, which can be explained by an additional time delay introduced by UFOs or disk accretion energy, which should transferred to heat the corona, carried away by UFOs.

QSOFEED: Relationship between star formation and active galactic nuclei feedback

Context. Large-scale cosmological simulations suggest that feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) plays a crucial role in galaxy evolution. More specifically, outflows are one of the mechanisms by which the accretion energy of the AGN is transferred to the interstellar medium (ISM), heating and driving out gas and impacting star formation (SF). Aims. The purpose of this study is to directly test this hypothesis utilising SDSS spectra of a well-defined sample of 48 low-redshift (z < 0.14) type 2 quasars (QSO2s). Methods. By exploiting these data, we were able to characterise the kinematics of the warm ionised gas by performing a non-parametric analysis of the [OIII]λ5007 emission line. We also constrained the properties of the young stellar populations (YSP; tysp < 100 Myr) of their host galaxies via spectral synthesis modelling. Results. These analyses revealed that 85% of the QSO2s display velocity dispersions in the warm ionised gas phase greater than that of the stellar component of their host galaxies, indicating the presence of AGN-driven outflows. We compared the gas kinematics with the intrinsic properties of the AGN and found that there is a positive correlation between gas velocity dispersion and 1.4 GHz radio luminosity – but not with the AGN bolometric luminosity or Eddington ratio. This either suggests that the radio luminosity is the key factor driving outflows or that the outflows themselves are shocking the ISM and producing synchrotron emission. We found that 98% of the sample host YSPs to varying degrees, with star formation rates (SFRs) of 0 ≤ SFR ≤ 92 M⊙ yr−1, averaged over 100 Myr. We compared the gas kinematics and outflow properties to the SFRs to establish possible correlations that could suggest that the presence of the outflowing gas could be impacting SF, but we found that no such correlation exists. This leads us to the conclusion that on the scales probed by the SDSS fibre (between 2 and 7 kpc diameters), AGN-driven outflows do not impact SF on the timescales probed in this study. However, we find a positive correlation between the light-weighted stellar ages of the QSO2s and the black hole mass, which might indicate that successive AGN episodes lead to the suppression of SF over the course of galaxy evolution.

Unveiling energy pathways in AGN accretion flows with the warm corona model for the soft excess

ABSTRACT The soft excess in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) may arise through a combination of relativistic reflection and the effects of a warm corona at the surface of the accretion disc. Detailed examination of the soft excess can therefore constrain models of the transport and dissipation of accretion energy. Here, we analyse 34 XMM–Newton observations from 14 type 1 AGNs with the reXcor spectral model that self-consistently combines emission from a warm corona with relativistic reflection assuming a lamppost corona. The model divides accretion energy between the disc, the warm corona, and the lamppost. The XMM–Newton observations span a factor of 188 in Eddington ratio (λobs) and 350 in black hole mass, and we find that a warm corona is a significant contributor to the soft excess for 13 of the 14 AGNs with a mean warm corona heating fraction of 0.51. The reXcor fits reveal that the fraction of accretion energy dissipated in the lamppost is anticorrelated with λobs. In contrast, the relationship between λobs and both the optical depth and the heating fraction of the warm corona appears to transition from an anticorrelation to a correlation at λobs,t ≈ 0.15. Therefore, at least one other physical process in addition to the accretion rate is needed to explain the evolution of the warm corona. Overall, we find that a warm corona appears to be a crucial depository of accretion energy in AGNs across a broad range of λobs and black hole mass.

Model of a “Warm Corona” as the origin of the soft X-ray excess of active galactic nuclei

Abstract The soft X-ray excess in the spectra of active galactic nuclei is characterized by similar electron temperatures of 0.1–0.3 keV and similar photon indices around 2.2–3, if fitted with inverse Comptonization. It remains a puzzle why both values are not sensitive to the black hole mass nor the accretion rate. Supposing that the scattering-dominated surface layer of an accretion disk can act as a warm corona, we construct a vertical one-zone model to understand what determines its temperature. By solving the equations of (1) the condition for the effective optical depth, (2) the energy balance, and (3) the dominance of the Compton cooling over the bound–free cooling, we could reproduce the basic observational features of the soft excess, provided that anomalous heating (excess heating other than what is expected by local energy dissipation) takes place in the warm corona in agreement with similar studies done so far. The similar temperatures can be understood, since both the anomalous heating and Compton cooling rates are proportional to the dissipation rate of the accretion energy, while similar photon indices are a natural consequence of the fact that observed photons are finally emitted from the layer of Compton y ∼ 1. The soft excess is not observed in black hole binaries, since disk temperatures are too high for the Compton scattering to work as cooling. The derived temperatures are somewhat of an underestimation, however. This may indicate a necessity of multi-zone corona structure. The stability of the warm corona and its consequences are briefly discussed.

Radiation properties of the accretion disk around a black hole in Einstein-Maxwell-scalar theory* *Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11675143, 11975203) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFC2201503)

In this study, we explore the properties of a non-rotating black hole in the Einstein-Maxwell-scalar (EMS) theory and investigate the luminosity of the accretion disk surrounding it. We determine all the orbital parameters of particles in the accretion disk, including the radius of the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) with angular velocity, angular momentum, and energy. Further, we study the radiative efficiency for different values of black hole parameters. Finally, we analyze the flux, differential luminosity, and temperature of the accretion disk.

A systematic study of the high-frequency bump in the black-hole low-mass X-ray binary GX 339 − 4

ABSTRACT The high-frequency bump, characterized by a frequency exceeding ∼30 Hz, represents a seldom-explored time-variability feature in the power density spectrum (PDS) of black-hole X-ray binaries. In the 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2010 outbursts of GX 339 − 4, the bump has been occasionally observed in conjunction with type-C quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). We systematically study the properties of the bump during these four outbursts observed by Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in the 2–60 keV bands and detect the bump in 39 observations. While the frequencies of the type-C QPOs are in the range of ∼0.1–9 Hz, the root-mean-square (rms) amplitude of the bump shows an evolution in the hardness ratio versus the type-C QPO frequency plot. By comparing the rms amplitude of the bump with the corona temperature and simultaneous radio jet flux of the source, as previously studied in GRS 1915 + 105, we establish that in the hard state of GX 339 − 4, the bump is always strong, with the measurements of the rms amplitude in the range of 4–10 per cent. At the same time, the corona temperature is high and the radio flux is low. These findings indicate that, using the bump as a proxy, the majority of the accretion energy is directed towards the hot corona rather than being channeled into the radio jet. We discuss this phenomenon in terms of an inefficient energy transfer mechanism between the corona and jet in GX 339 − 4.

Twenty-five Years of Accretion onto the Classical T Tauri Star TW Hya

Accretion plays a central role in the physics that governs the evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary disks. The primary goal of this paper is to analyze the stability over time of the mass accretion rate onto TW Hya, the nearest accreting solar-mass young star. We measure veiling across the optical spectrum in 1169 archival high-resolution spectra of TW Hya, obtained from 1998–2022. The veiling is then converted to accretion rate using 26 flux-calibrated spectra that cover the Balmer jump. The accretion rate measured from the excess continuum has an average of 2.51 × 10−9 M ⊙ yr−1 and a Gaussian distribution with an FWHM of 0.22 dex. This accretion rate may be underestimated by a factor of up to 1.5 because of uncertainty in the bolometric correction and another factor of 1.7 because of excluding the fraction of accretion energy that escapes in lines, especially Lyα. The accretion luminosities are well correlated with He line luminosities but poorly correlated with Hα and Hβ luminosity. The accretion rate is always flickering over hours but on longer timescales has been stable over 25 years. This level of variability is consistent with previous measurements for most, but not all, accreting young stars.

GRB 171205A: Hypernova and Newborn Neutron Star

GRB 171205A is a low-luminosity, long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) associated with SN 2017iuk, a broad-line type Ic supernova (SN). It is consistent with having been formed in the core collapse of a widely separated binary, which we have called the binary-driven hypernova of type III. The core collapse of the CO star forms a newborn NS (νNS) and the SN explosion. Fallback accretion transfers mass and angular momentum to the νNS, here assumed to be born non-rotating. The accretion energy injected into the expanding stellar layers powers the prompt emission. The multiwavelength power-law afterglow is explained by the synchrotron radiation of electrons in the SN ejecta, powered by energy injected by the spinning νNS. We calculate the amount of mass and angular momentum gained by the νNS, as well as the νNS rotational evolution. The νNS spins up to a period of 47 ms, then releases its rotational energy powering the synchrotron emission of the afterglow. The paucity of the νNS spin explains the low-luminosity characteristic and that the optical emission of the SN from the nickel radioactive decay outshines the optical emission from the synchrotron radiation. From the νNS evolution, we infer that the SN explosion had to occur at most 7.36 h before the GRB trigger. Therefore, for the first time, the analysis of the GRB data leads to the time of occurrence of the CO core collapse leading to the SN explosion and the electromagnetic emission of the GRB event.

Hydrodynamical evolution of black-hole binaries embedded in AGN discs

ABSTRACT Stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) embedded in active galactic nucleus (AGN) discs are possible progenitors of black hole mergers detected in gravitational waves by LIGO/VIRGO. To better understand the hydrodynamical evolution of BBHs interacting with the disc gas, we perform a suite of high-resolution 2D simulations of binaries in local disc (shearing-box) models, considering various binary mass ratios, eccentricities and background disc properties. We use the γ-law equation of state and adopt a robust post-processing treatment to evaluate the mass accretion rate, torque and energy transfer rate on the binary to determine its long-term orbital evolution. We find that circular comparable-mass binaries contract, with an orbital decay rate of a few times the mass doubling rate. Eccentric binaries always experience eccentricity damping. Prograde binaries with higher eccentricities or smaller mass ratios generally have slower orbital decay rates, with some extreme cases exhibiting orbital expansion. The averaged binary mass accretion rate depends on the physical size of the accretor. The accretion flows are highly variable, and the dominant variability frequency is the apparent binary orbital frequency (in the rotating frame around the central massive BH) for circular binaries but gradually shifts to the radial epicyclic frequency as the binary eccentricity increases. Our findings demonstrate that the dynamics of BBHs embedded in AGN discs is quite different from that of isolated binaries in their own circumbinary discs. Furthermore, our results suggest that the hardening time-scales of the binaries are much shorter than their migration time-scales in the disc, for all reasonable binary and disc parameters.

ReXcor: a model of the X-ray spectrum of active galactic nuclei that combines ionized reflection and a warm corona

ABSTRACT The X-ray spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) often exhibit an excess of emission above the primary power law at energies ≲2 keV. Two models for the origin of this ‘soft excess’ are ionized relativistic reflection from the inner accretion disc and Comptonization of thermal emission in a warm corona. Here, we introduce reXcor, a new AGN X-ray (0.3–100 keV) spectral fitting model that self-consistently combines the effects of both ionized relativistic reflection and the emission from a warm corona. In this model, the accretion energy liberated in the inner disc is distributed between a warm corona, a lamppost X-ray source, and the accretion disc. The emission and ionized reflection spectrum from the inner 400 rg of the disc is computed, incorporating the effects of relativistic light-bending and blurring. The resulting spectra predict a variety of soft excess shapes and sizes that depend on the fraction of energy dissipated in the warm corona and lamppost. We illustrate the use of reXcor by fitting to the joint XMM–Newton and NuSTAR observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxies HE 1143-1820 and NGC 4593, and find that both objects require a warm corona contribution to the soft excess. Eight reXcor table models, covering different values of accretion rate, lamppost height, and black hole spin, are publicly available through the xspec website. Systematic use of reXcor will provide insight into the distribution of energy in AGN accretion flows.

On the origin of core radio emissions from black hole sources in the realm of relativistic shocked accretion flow

ABSTRACT We study the relativistic, inviscid, advective accretion flow around the black holes and investigate a key feature of the accretion flow, namely the shock waves. We observe that the shock-induced accretion solutions are prevalent and such solutions are commonly obtained for a wide range of the flow parameters, such as energy (${\cal E}$) and angular momentum (λ), around the black holes of spin value 0 ≤ ak < 1. When the shock is dissipative in nature, a part of the accretion energy is released through the upper and lower surfaces of the disc at the location of the shock transition. We find that the maximum accretion energies that can be extracted at the dissipative shock ($\Delta {\cal E}^{\rm max}$) are $\sim 1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $\sim 4.4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for Schwarzschild black holes (ak → 0) and Kerr black holes (ak → 1), respectively. Using $\Delta {\cal E}^{\rm max}$, we compute the loss of kinetic power (equivalently shock luminosity, Lshock) that is enabled to comply with the energy budget for generating jets/outflows from the jet base (i.e. post-shock flow). We compare Lshock with the observed core radio luminosity (LR) of black hole sources for a wide mass range spanning 10 orders of magnitude with sub-Eddington accretion rate and perceive that the present formalism seems to be potentially viable to account LR of 16 Galactic black hole X-ray binaries (BH-XRBs) and 2176 active galactic nuclei. We further aim to address the core radio luminosity of intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) sources and indicate that the present model formalism perhaps adequate to explain core radio emission of IMBH sources in the sub-Eddington accretion limit.

Physical model for the broadband energy spectrum of X-ray illuminated accretion discs: Fitting the spectral energy distribution of NGC 5548

Aims. We develop a new physical model for the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of X-ray illuminated accretion discs that takes into account the mutual interaction of the accretion disc and the X-ray corona, including all the relativistic effects induced by the strong gravity of the central black hole (BH) on light propagation and on the transformation of the photon energy, from the disc to or from the corona rest-frames, and to the observer. Methods. We assumed a Keplerian optically thick and geometrically thin accretion disc and an X-ray source in the lamp-post geometry. The X-ray corona emits an isotropic, power-law-like X-ray spectrum, with a high-energy cut-off. We also assumed that all the energy that would be released by thermal radiation in the standard disc model in its innermost part is transported to the corona, effectively cooling the disc in this region. In addition, we include the disc heating due to thermalisation of the absorbed part of the disc illumination by the X-ray source. X-ray reflection due to the disc illumination is also included. The X-ray luminosity is given by the energy extracted from the accretion disc (or an external source) and the energy brought by the scattered photons themselves, thus energy balance is preserved. We computed the low-energy X-ray cut-off through an iterative process, taking full account of the interplay between the X-ray illumination of the disc and the resulting accretion disc spectrum that enters the corona. We also computed the corona radius, taking the conservation of the photon number during Comptonisation into account. Results. We discuss in detail the model SEDs and their dependence on the parameters of the system. We show that the disc-corona interaction has profound effects on the resultant SED, it constrains the X-ray luminosity and changes the shape and normalisation of the UV blue bump. We also compare the model SEDs with those predicted from similar models currently available. We use the new code to fit the broadband SED of NGC 5548, which is a typical Seyfert 1 galaxy. When combined with the results from previous model fits to the optical and UV time-lags of the same source, we infer a high black-hole spin, an intermediate system inclination, and an accretion rate below 10% of Eddington. The X-ray luminosity in this source could be supported by 45–70% of the accretion energy dissipated in the disc. The new model, named KYNSED, is publicly available to be used for fitting AGN SEDs inside the XSPEC spectral analysis tool. Conclusions. X-ray illumination of the accretion disc in AGN can explain both the observed UV and optical time-lags and the broadband SED of at least one AGN, namely NGC 5548. A simultaneous study of the optical, UV, and X-ray spectral and timing properties of these AGN with multiwavelength, long monitoring observations in the past few years will allow us to investigate the X-ray and disc geometry in these systems, and to constrain their physical parameters.

Mixing of Condensable Constituents with H–He during the Formation and Evolution of Jupiter

Abstract Simulations of Jupiter's formation are presented that incorporate mixing of H–He with denser material entering the planet as solids. Heavy compounds and gas mix substantially when the planet becomes roughly as massive as Earth, because incoming planetesimals can fully vaporize. Supersaturation of vaporized silicates causes the excess to sink as droplets, but water remains at higher altitudes. Because the mean molecular weight decreases rapidly outward, some of the compositional inhomogeneities produced during formation can survive for billions of years. After 4.57 Gyr, our Jupiter model retains compositional gradients; proceeding outward, one finds (i) an inner heavy-element core, the outer part derived from hot supersaturated rain-out; (ii) a composition-gradient region, containing most of the heavy elements, where H–He abundance increases outward, reaching about 0.9 mass fraction at 0.3 of the radius, with silicates enhanced relative to water in the lower parts and depleted in the upper parts; (iii) a uniform-composition region (neglecting He immiscibility) that is enriched over protosolar and contains most of the planet’s mass; and (iv) an outer region where cloud formation (condensation) of heavy constituents occurs. This radial compositional profile has heavy elements more broadly distributed than predicted by classical formation models but less diluted than suggested by Juno-constrained gravity models. The compositional gradients in the region containing the bulk of the heavy elements prevent convection, in both our models and those fitting current gravity, resulting in a hot interior where much of the accretion energy remains trapped.

Pulsational instability of pre-main-sequence models from accreting protostars

Context. The picture of pre-main-sequence evolution is often simplified by the application of classical initial models. Such models have large initial radii and sufficient uniform contraction to make them fully convective, however, real stars are born as small protostellar seeds in collapsing molecular clouds and obtain their final mass by means of accretion. Aims. We aim to constrain the input physics of accretion on protostellar seeds with the observed spectroscopic parameters and stellar pulsations of young stellar objects and pre-main-sequence stars. Methods. We conducted a literature search for spectroscopic samples of young stellar objects and pre-main-sequence stars, including all previously known pulsators. The sample size of pulsating pre-main-sequence stars was increased by analysing TESS observations and presenting additional discoveries in the CoRoT data. We employed Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics and GYRE to calculate evolutionary tracks of accreting protostellar seeds in a constant accretion scenario, the subsequent pre-main-sequence evolution, and their pulsation properties. We then compared the results with the observations to constrain the input physics. Results. We discuss 16 formerly unknown pulsating pre-main-sequence stars and candidates that are of any of the following type: slowly pulsating B-stars, δ Scuti, γ Doradus, or a δ Scuti - γ Doradus hybrid type. We find that evolutionary tracks with a mass accretion rate of 5 × 10−6 M⊙ yr−1 and a fraction of injected accretion energy of β = 0.1 provide the best results for enveloping the spectroscopic parameters of pre-main-sequence stars in the constant accretion scenario. The calculated instability regions constrain the atmospheric boundary conditions to Eddington Gray atmospheres. Here, we discuss the future potential for additional constraints by instability regions that are dependent on radial order. Finally, we present a possible candidate star for pulsations in M-type young stellar objects. Conclusions. We show that evolutionary calculations of accreting protostellar seeds match the observed spectroscopic parameters of pre-main-sequence stars. Future observations that will allow for the identification of radial orders in particular will present opportunities for additional constraints.

Neutral CGM as damped Ly α absorbers at high redshift

ABSTRACT Recent searches for the hosts of z ∼ 4 damped Ly α absorbers (DLAs) have detected bright galaxies at distances of tens of kpc from the DLA. Using the FIRE-2 cosmological zoom simulations, we argue that these relatively large distances are due to a predominantly cool and neutral inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding high-redshift galaxies. The inner CGM is cool because of the short cooling time of hot gas in ${\lesssim}10^{12}\, {\rm M_{\odot }}$ haloes, which implies that accretion and feedback energy are radiated quickly, while it is neutral due to high volume densities and column densities at high redshift that shield cool gas from photoionization. Our analysis predicts large DLA covering factors (${\gtrsim}50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) out to impact parameters ∼0.3[(1 + z)/5]3/2Rvir from the central galaxies at z ≳ 1, equivalent to a proper distance of ${\sim}21\, M_{12}^{1/3} \left(\left(1+z\right)/5\right)^{1/2}\, {\rm kpc}$ (Rvir and M12 are the halo virial radius and mass in units of $10^{12}\, {\rm M_{\odot }}$, respectively). This implies that DLA covering factors at z ∼ 4 may be comparable to unity out to a distance ∼10 times larger than stellar half-mass radii. A predominantly neutral inner CGM in the early universe suggests that its mass and metallicity can be directly constrained by absorption surveys, without resorting to the large ionization corrections as required for ionized CGM.

Pulsational instability of pre-main sequence models from accretingprotostars I. Constraining the input physics for accretion with spectroscopic parameters and stellar pulsations

Context: The pre-main sequence evolution is often simplified by choosing classical initial models. These have large initial radii and sufficient uniform contraction to make them fully convective. Contrary to that, real stars are born as small protostellar seeds in collapsing molecular clouds and obtain their final mass by means of accretion. Aims: We aim to constrain the input physics of accretion on protostellar seeds with observed spectroscopic parameters and stellar pulsations of young stellar objects and pre-main sequence stars. Methods: We conducted a literature search for spectroscopic samples of young stellar objects and pre-main sequence stars including all previously known pulsators. The sample size of pulsating pre-main sequence stars is increased by analysing TESS observations and presenting discoveries in CoRoT data. We employ MESA and GYRE to calculate evolutionary tracks of accreting protostellar seeds in a constant accretion scenario, the subsequent pre-main sequence evolution, and their pulsation properties. The results are then compared with observations to constrain the input physics. Results: We discuss 16 formerly unknown pulsating pre-main sequence stars and candidates that are either of SPB, $\delta$ Scuti,$\gamma$ Doradus or $\delta$ Scuti - $\gamma$ Doradus hybrid type. We find that evolutionary tracks with a mass accretion rate of $5\times10^{-6} M_\odot/{\rm yr}$ and fraction of injected accretion energy of $\beta=0.1$ provide the best results in enveloping the spectroscopic parameters of pre-main sequence stars in a constant accretion scenario. The calculated instability regions constrain the atmospheric boundary conditions to Eddington Gray atmospheres; we discuss the future potential for additional constraints by instability regions that are dependent on radial order. We present a possible candidate for pulsations in M-type young stellar objects.

The spatial power spectrum and derived turbulent properties of isolated galaxies

ABSTRACT The turbulent dynamics of nearby and extragalactic gas structures can be studied with the column density power spectrum that is often described by a broken power law. In an extragalactic context, the breaks in the power spectra have been interpreted to constrain the disc scale height, which marks a transition from 2D disc-like to 3D motion. However, this interpretation has recently been questioned when accounting for instrumental effects. We use numerical simulations to study the spatial power spectra of isolated galaxies and investigate the origins of the break scale. We split the gas into various phases and analyse the time evolution of the power spectrum characteristics, such as the slope(s) and the break scale. We find that the break scale is phase dependent. The physics traced by the break scale also differ: in the warm gas it marks the transition from 2D (disc-like) to 3D (isotropic) turbulence. In the cold gas, the break scale traces the typical size of molecular clouds. We further show that the break scale almost never traces the disc scale height. We study turbulent properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) to show that, in the case where the break scale traces a transition to isotropic turbulence, the fraction of required accretion energy to sustain turbulent motions in the ISM increases significantly. Lastly, we demonstrate through simulated observations that it is crucial to account for observational effects, such as the beam and instrumental noise, in order to accurately recover the break scale in real observations.

Electromagnetic emission from a binary black hole merger remnant in plasma: Field alignment and plasma temperature

Comparable-mass black-hole mergers generically result in moderate to highly spinning holes, whose spacetime curvature will significantly affect nearby matter in observable ways. We investigate how the moderate spin of a post-merger Kerr black hole immersed in a plasma with initially uniform density and uniform magnetic field affects potentially observable accretion rates and energy fluxes. Varying the initial specific internal energy of the plasma over two decades, we find very little change in steady-state mass accretion rate or Poynting luminosity, except at the lowest internal energies, where fluxes do not exhibit steady-state behavior during the simulation timescale. Fixing the internal energy and varying the initial fixed magnetic-field amplitude and orientation, we find that the steady-state Poynting luminosity depends strongly on the initial field angle with respect to the black hole spin axis, while the matter accretion rate is more stable until the field angle exceeds $\sim 45\degree$. The proto-jet formed along the black hole spin-axis conforms to a thin, elongated cylinder near the hole, while aligning with the asymptotic magnetic field at large distances.

How planets grow by pebble accretion

During their formation, planets form large, hot atmospheres due to the ongoing accretion of solids. It has been customary to assume that all solids end up at the center, constituting a “core” of refractory materials, whereas the envelope remains metal-free. However, recent work, as well as observations by the Juno mission, indicate that the distinction may not be so clear cut. Indeed, small silicate, pebble-sized particles will sublimate in the atmosphere when they hit the sublimation temperature (T ~ 2000 K). In this paper we extend previous analytical work to compute the properties of planets within such a pebble accretion scenario. We conduct 1D numerical calculations of the atmosphere of an accreting planet, solving the stellar structure equations, augmented by a nonideal equation of state that describes a hydrogen and helium-silicate vapor mixture. Calculations terminate at the point where the total mass in metal is equal to that of the H+He gas, which we numerically confirm as the onset of runaway gas accretion. When pebbles sublimate before reaching the core, insufficient (accretion) energy is available to mix dense, vapor-rich lower layers with the higher layers of lower metallicity. A gradual structure in which Z decreases with radius is therefore a natural outcome of planet formation by pebble accretion. We highlight, furthermore, that (small) pebbles can act as the dominant source of opacity, preventing rapid cooling and presenting a channel for (mini-)Neptunes to survive in gas-rich disks. Nevertheless, once pebble accretion subsides, the atmosphere rapidly clears followed by runaway gas accretion. We consider atmospheric recycling to be the most probable mechanism to have stalled the growth of the envelopes of these planets.

Melting and density of MgSiO3 determined by shock compression of bridgmanite to 1254GPa

The essential data for interior and thermal evolution models of the Earth and super-Earths are the density and melting of mantle silicate under extreme conditions. Here, we report an unprecedently high melting temperature of MgSiO3 at 500 GPa by direct shockwave loading of pre-synthesized dense MgSiO3 (bridgmanite) using the Z Pulsed Power Facility. We also present the first high-precision density data of crystalline MgSiO3 to 422 GPa and 7200 K and of silicate melt to 1254 GPa. The experimental density measurements support our density functional theory based molecular dynamics calculations, providing benchmarks for theoretical calculations under extreme conditions. The excellent agreement between experiment and theory provides a reliable reference density profile for super-Earth mantles. Furthermore, the observed upper bound of melting temperature, 9430 K at 500 GPa, provides a critical constraint on the accretion energy required to melt the mantle and the prospect of driving a dynamo in massive rocky planets.