Black Hole Equatorial Plane Research Articles

Dual effect of string cloud and dark matter halos on particle motions, shadows and epicyclic oscillations around Schwarzschild black holes

In this work, we study the particle dynamics, shadows and quasi-periodic oscillations around the Schwarzschild black hole with three different dark matter halos and string cloud parameters. The motion of particles is considered with the string cloud parameter α and investigated for massive and massless particles. The photon orbits and inner stable circular orbits of these black holes are obtained from the effective potential. The black hole shadows are calculated using three different dark matter halos. The shadow radius of these black holes increases compared to a pure Schwarzschild black hole for different values of the string cloud parameter. Further, quasi-periodic oscillations are also discussed in the current analysis. Our study examines how the radial profiles of orbital and radial harmonic oscillation frequencies change with the string cloud parameter. This study examines the major properties of test particle's quasi-periodic oscillations near stable circular orbits in the black hole equatorial plane. Our findings indicate that observational tests for black holes influenced by dark matter halos and cloud strings are also feasible and viable.

Current Sheet Alignment in Oblique Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Black Hole Pulsar?

We study the magnetospheric evolution of a nonaccreting spinning black hole (BH) with an initially inclined split monopole magnetic field by means of 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations. This serves as a model for a neutron star (NS) collapse or a BH–NS merger remnant after the inherited magnetosphere has settled into a split monopole field creating a striped wind. We show that the initially inclined split monopolar current sheet aligns over time with the BH equatorial plane. The inclination angle evolves exponentially toward alignment, with an alignment timescale that is inversely proportional to the square of the BH angular velocity, where higher spin results in faster alignment. Furthermore, magnetic reconnection in the current sheet leads to exponential decay of event-horizon-penetrating magnetic flux with nearly the same timescale for all considered BH spins. In addition, we present relations for the BH mass and spin in terms of the period and alignment timescale of the striped wind. The explored scenario of a rotating, aligning, and reconnecting current sheet can potentially lead to multimessenger electromagnetic counterparts to a gravitational-wave event due to the acceleration of particles powering high-energy radiation, plasmoid mergers resulting in coherent radio signals, and pulsating emission due to the initial misalignment of the BH magnetosphere.

Strong gravitational lensing, quasi-periodic oscillations and constraints from EHT observations for quantum-improved charged black hole

We investigate strong gravitational lensing by quantum-improved charged black holes characterized by an additional parameter denoted as ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega $$\\end{document}, in addition to the mass M and charge Q. Our findings reveal that when both the parameters Q/2M and ω/4M2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega /4M^2$$\\end{document} increase simultaneously, various astrophysical consequences, such as the deflection angle αD(u)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\alpha _D(u)$$\\end{document} and angular image separation increase. Concurrently, the angular position θ∞\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ heta _{\\infty }$$\\end{document}, relative magnification rmag\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$r_{mag}$$\\end{document}, and the time delay ΔT2,1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\Delta T_{2,1}$$\\end{document} between the first and second relativistic images also decrease with the growing values of the parameters Q/2M and ω/4M2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega /4M^2$$\\end{document}. It is also observed that the Einstein ring θ1E\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ heta _1^E$$\\end{document} for the quantum-improved charged black hole is more significant than those for Schwarzschild, quantum-improved Schwarzschild, and Reisner–Nordström black holes. As with supermassive black holes such as M87∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$M87^*$$\\end{document} and SgrA∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$SgrA^*$$\\end{document}, it is observed that to be a viable astrophysical black hole, the EHT results constrain the parameter space (ω/4M2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega /4M^2$$\\end{document}, Q/2M). Remarkably, the EHT results for SgrA∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$SgrA^*$$\\end{document} impose more stringent limits on the parameter space of quantum-improved charged black holes compared to those established by the EHT results forM87∗\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$M87^*$$\\end{document}. We investigate the radial profiles of orbital and radial harmonic oscillation frequencies as a function of the dimensionless coupling constants and black hole mass. The main characteristics of test particle quasi-periodic oscillations close to stable circular orbits in the black hole equatorial plane are also examined. We study the positioning of resonant radii in the background of quantum-improved charged black holes for high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations models: warped disc (WD) models, relativistic precession (RP) and its types, and epicyclic resonance (ER) and its variants.

Lense–Thirring effect on accretion flow from counter-rotating tori

ABSTRACT We study the accretion flow from a counter-rotating torus orbiting a central Kerr black hole (BH). We characterize the flow properties at the turning point of the accreting matter flow from the orbiting torus, defined by the condition uϕ = 0 on the flow toroidal velocity. The counter-rotating accretion flow and jet-like flow turning point location along BH rotational axis is given. Some properties of the counter-rotating flow thickness and counter-rotating tori energetics are studied. The maximum amount of matter swallowed by the BH from the counter-rotating tori is determined by the background properties. The fast spinning BH energetics depends mostly on BH spin rather than on the properties of the counter-rotating fluids or the tori masses. The turning point is located in a narrow orbital corona (spherical shell), for photons and matter flow constituents, surrounding the BH stationary limit (outer ergosurface), depending on the BH spin–mass ratio and the fluid initial momentum only. The turning corona for jet-like flow has larger thickness, it is separated from the torus flow turning corona and it is closer to the BH stationary limit. Turning points of matter accreting from torus and from jets are independent explicitly of the details of the accretion and tori model. The turning corona could be observable due to an increase of flow luminosity and temperature. The corona is larger on the BH equatorial plane, where it is the farthest from the central attractor, and narrower on the BH poles.

Event horizon silhouette: implications to supermassive black holes in the galaxies M87 and Milky Way

We demonstrate that a dark silhouette of the black hole illuminated by a thin accretion disk and seen by a distant observer is, in fact, a silhouette of the event horizon hemisphere. The boundary of this silhouette is a contour of the event horizon equatorial circle if a thin accretion disk is placed in the black hole equatorial plane. A luminous matter plunging into black hole from different directions provides the observational opportunity for recovering a total silhouette of the invisible event horizon globe. The event horizon silhouette is projected on the celestial sphere within a position of the black hole shadow. A relative position of brightest point in the accretion disk with respect to the position of event horizon silhouette in the image of black hole in the galaxy M87, observed by the Event Horizon Telescope, corresponds to a rather high value of the black hole spin, $a\simeq0.75$.

Gravitational floating orbits around hairy black holes

We show that gravitational floating orbits may exist for black holes with rotating hairs. These black hole hairs could originate from the superradiant growth of a light axion field around the rotating black holes. If a test particle rotates around the black hole, its tidal field may resonantly trigger the dynamical transition between a co-rotating state and a dissipative state of the axion cloud. A tidal bulge is generated by the beating of modes, which feeds angular momentum back to the test particle. Following this mechanism, an extreme-mass-ratio-inspiral (EMRI) system, as a source for LISA, may face delayed merger as the EMRI orbit stalls by the tidal response of the cloud, until the cloud being almost fully dissipated. If the cloud depletes slower than the average time separation between EMRI mergers, it may lead to interesting interaction between multiple EMRI objects at comparable radii. Inclined EMRIs are also expected to migrate towards the black hole equatorial plane due to the tidal coupling and gravitational-wave dissipation. Floating stellar-mass back holes or stars around the nearby intermediate-mass black holes may generate strong gravitational-wave emission detectable by LISA.

Geodesic motion around a distorted static black hole

In this paper we study geodesic motion around a distorted Schwarzschild black hole. We consider both timelike and null geodesics which are confined to the black hole's equatorial plane. Such geodesics generically exist if the distortion field has only even interior multipole moments, and so the field is symmetric with respect to the equatorial plane. We specialize to the case of distortions defined by a quadrupole Weyl moment. An analysis of the effective potential for equatorial timelike geodesics shows that finite stable orbits outside the black hole are possible only for $q\ensuremath{\in}({q}_{\mathrm{min}},{q}_{\mathrm{max}}]$, where ${q}_{\mathrm{min}}\ensuremath{\approx}\ensuremath{-}0.0210$ and ${q}_{\mathrm{max}}\ensuremath{\approx}2.7086\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$, while for null equatorial geodesics a finite stable orbit outside the black hole is possible only for $q\ensuremath{\in}[{q}_{\mathrm{min}},0)$. Moreover, the innermost stable circular orbits are closer to the distorted black hole horizon than those of an undistorted Schwarzschild black hole for $q\ensuremath{\in}({q}_{\mathrm{min}},0)$, and a null innermost stable circular orbit exists for $q={q}_{\mathrm{min}}$. These results show that an external distortion of a negative and sufficiently small quadrupole moment tends to stabilize the motion of massive particles and light.

Testing black hole superradiance with pulsar companions

We show that the magnetic dipole and gravitational radiation emitted by a pulsar can undergo superradiant scattering off a spinning black hole companion. We find that the relative amount of superradiant modes in the radiation depends on the pulsar's angular position relative to the black hole's equatorial plane. In particular, when the pulsar and black hole spins are aligned, superradiant modes are dominant at large angles, leading to an amplification of the pulsar's luminosity, whereas for small angles the radiation is dominantly composed of non-superradiant modes and the signal is attenuated. This results in a characteristic orbital modulation of the pulsar's luminosity, up to the percent level within our approximations, which may potentially yield a signature of superradiant scattering in astrophysical black holes and hence an important test of general relativity.

Marginally bound (critical) geodesics of rapidly rotating black holes

One of the most important geodesics in a black hole spacetime is the marginally bound spherical orbit. This critical geodesic represents the innermost spherical orbit which is bound to the central black hole. The radii ${r}_{\mathrm{mb}}(\overline{a})$ of the marginally bound equatorial circular geodesics of rotating Kerr black holes were found analytically by Bardeen et al. more than four decades ago (here $\overline{a}\ensuremath{\equiv}J/{M}^{2}$ is the dimensionless angular momentum of the black hole). On the other hand, no closed-form formula exists in the literature for the radii of generic (nonequatorial) marginally bound geodesics of the rotating Kerr spacetime. In the present study, we analyze the critical (marginally bound) orbits of rapidly rotating Kerr black holes. In particular, we derive a simple analytical formula for the radii ${r}_{\mathrm{mb}}(\overline{a}\ensuremath{\simeq}1;\mathrm{cos}i)$ of the marginally bound spherical orbits, where $\mathrm{cos}i$ is an effective inclination angle (with respect to the black hole equatorial plane) of the geodesic. We find that the marginally bound spherical orbits of rapidly rotating black holes are characterized by a critical inclination angle, $\mathrm{cos}i=\sqrt{2/3}$, above which the coordinate radii of the geodesics approach the black hole radius in the extremal $\overline{a}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$ limit. It is shown that this critical inclination angle signals a transition in the physical properties of the orbits: in particular, it separates marginally bound spherical geodesics which lie a finite proper distance from the black hole horizon from marginally bound geodesics which lie an infinite proper distance from the horizon.

Resolving the inner structure of QSO discs through fold-caustic-crossing events

Though the bulk of the observed optical flux from the discs of intermediate-redshift lensed quasars is formed well outside the region of strong relativistic boosting and light-bending, relativistic effects have important influence on microlensing curves. The reason is in the divergent nature of amplification factors near fold caustics increasingly sensitive to small spatial size details. Higher-order disc images produced by strong light bending around the black hole may affect the amplification curves, making a contribution of up to several percent near maximum amplification. In accordance with theoretical predictions, some of the observed high-amplification events possess fine structure. Here we consider three putative caustic crossing events, one by SBS1520+530 and two events for individual images of the Einstein's cross (QSO J2237+0305). Using relativistic disc models allows to improve the fits, but the required inclinations are high, about 70deg or larger. Such high inclinations apparently contradict the absence of any strong absorption that is likely to arise if a disc is observed edge-on through a dust torus. Still, the high inclinations are required only for the central parts of the disc, that allows the disc itself to be initially tilted by 60-90deg with respect to the black hole and aligned toward the black hole equatorial plane near the last stable orbit radius. For SBS1520+530, an alternative explanation for the observed amplification curve is a superposition of two subsequent fold caustic crossings. While relativistic disc models favour black hole masses ~10^10 solar (several times higher than the virial estimates) or small Eddington ratios, this model is consistent with the observed distribution of galaxies over peculiar velocities only if the black hole mass is about 3 10^8 solar.

Precise analytic treatment of Kerr and Kerr-(anti) de Sitter black holes as gravitational lenses

The null geodesic equations that describe the motion of photons in Kerr spacetime are solved exactly in the presence of the cosmological constant Λ. The exact solution for the deflection angle for generic light orbits (i.e. non-polar, non-equatorial) is calculated in terms of the generalized hypergeometric functions of Appell and Lauricella. We then consider the more involved issue in which the black hole acts as a ‘gravitational lens’. The constructed Kerr black hole gravitational lens geometry consists of an observer and a source located far away and placed at arbitrary inclination with respect to the black hole's equatorial plane. The resulting lens equations are solved elegantly in terms of Appell–Lauricella hypergeometric functions and the Weierstraß elliptic function. We then, systematically, apply our closed form solutions for calculating the image and source positions of generic photon orbits that solve the lens equations and reach an observer located at various values of the polar angle for various values of the Kerr parameter and the first integrals of motion. In this framework, the magnification factors for generic orbits are calculated in closed analytic form for the first time. The exercise is repeated with the appropriate modifications for the case of a non-zero cosmological constant.

Twisting of light around rotating black holes

Kerr black holes are among the most intriguing predictions of Einstein's general relativity theory. These rotating massive astrophysical objects drag and intermix their surrounding space and time, deflecting and phase-modifying light emitted nearby them. We have found that this leads to a new relativistic effect that imposes orbital angular momentum onto such light. Numerical experiments, based on the integration of the null geodesic equations of light from orbiting point-like sources in the Kerr black hole equatorial plane to an asymptotic observer, indeed identify the phase change and wavefront warping and predict the associated light-beam orbital angular momentum spectra. Setting up the best existing telescopes properly, it should be possible to detect and measure this twisted light, thus allowing a direct observational demonstration of the existence of rotating black holes. Since non-rotating objects are more an exception than a rule in the Universe, our findings are of fundamental importance.

Motion of charged particles near a weakly magnetized Schwarzschild black hole

We study motion of a charged particle in the vicinity of a weakly magnetized Schwarzschild black hole and focus on its bounded trajectories lying in the black hole equatorial plane. If the Lorentz force, acting on the particle, is directed outward from the black hole, there exist two qualitatively different types of trajectories; one is a curly motion and another one is a trajectory without curls. We calculated the critical value of the magnetic field for the transition between these two types. If the magnetic field is greater than the critical one, for fixed values of the particle energy and angular momentum, the bounded trajectory has curls. The curls appear as a result of the gravitational drift. The greater the value of the magnetic field, the larger is the number of curls. We constructed an approximate analytical solution for a bounded trajectory and found the gravitational drift velocity of its guiding center.

Relativistic cross sections of mass stripping and tidal disruption of a star by a super-massive rotating black hole

[abbreviated] We consider the problem of tidal disruption of a star by a super-massive Kerr black hole. Using a numerically fast Lagrangian model of the tidally disrupted star we survey the parameter space of the problem and find the regions in the parameter space where the total disruption of the star or a partial mass loss take place as a result of fly-by around the black hole. Our treatment is based on General Relativity, and we consider the range of the black hole masses where the tidal disruption competes with the relativistic effect of direct capture of the star by the black hole. We find that our results can be represented on the plane of specific orbital angular momenta of the star $(j_{\theta}, j_{\phi})$. We calculate the contours of a given mass loss of the star on this plane, referred to as the tidal cross sections, for a given black hole mass $M$, rotational parameter $a$ and inclination of the trajectory of the star with respect to the black hole equatorial plane. It is shown that the tidal cross sections can be approximated as circles symmetric above the axis $j_{\phi}=0$, and shifted with respect to the origin of the coordinates in direction of negative $j_{\theta}$. The radii and shifts of these circles are obtained numerically for the black hole masses in the range $5\cdot 10^{5}M_{\odot}-10^{9}M_{\odot}$ and different values of $a$. It is shown that when $a=0$ the tidal disruption takes place for $M < 5\cdot 10^{7}M_{\odot}$ and when $a\approx 1$ the tidal disruption is possible for $M < 10^{9}M_{\odot}$.

Kerr black holes as retro-MACHOs

Gravitational lensing is a well known phenomenon predicted by the General Theory of Relativity. It is now a well-developed observational technique in astronomy and is considered to be a fundamental tool for acquiring information about the nature and distribution of dark matter. In particular, gravitational lensing experiments may be used to search for black holes. It has been proposed that a Schwarzschild black hole may act as a retro-lens (Holz & Wheeler \cite{hw}) which, if illuminated by a powerful light source (e.g. the Sun), deflects light ray paths to large bending angles so that the light may reach the observer. Here, by considering the strong field limit in the deflection angle and confining our analysis to the black hole equatorial plane, we extend the Holz-Wheeler results to slowly spinning Kerr black holes. By considering the Holz-Wheeler geometrical configuration for the lens, source and observer we find that the inclusion of rotation does not substantially change the brightness of the retro-lensing images with respect to the Schwarzschild case. We also discuss the possibility that the next generation space-based telescopes may detect such retro-images and eventually put limits on the rotational parameter of the black hole.