Disk Wind Research Articles

Magnetic field transport in geometrically thick discs: multidimensional effects on the field strength and inclination angle

ABSTRACT We theoretically investigate the magnetic flux transport in geometrically thick accretion discs which may form around black holes. We utilize a two-dimensional (2D) kinematic mean-field model for poloidal field transport which is governed by both inward advection and outward diffusion of the field. Assuming a steady state, we analytically show that the multidimensional effects prevent the field accumulation towards the centre and reduce the field inclination angle. We also numerically investigate the radial profile of the field strength and the inclination angle for two geometrically thick discs for which (quasi-)analytical solutions exist: radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs) and super-Eddington accretion flows. We develop a 2D kinematic mean-field code and perform simulations of flux transport to study the multidimensional effects. The numerical simulations are consistent with our analytical prediction. We also discuss a condition for the external field strength that RIAF can be a magnetically arrested disc. This study could be important for understanding the origin of a large-scale magnetic field that drives jets and disc winds around black holes.

Outflows Driven from a Magnetic Pseudodisk

Outflows play a pivotal role in star formation as one of its most visible markers and a means of transporting mass, momentum, and angular momentum from the infalling gas into the surrounding molecular cloud. Their wide reach (at least thousands of astrnomical units) is a contrast to typical disk sizes (∼10–100 au). We employ high-resolution three-dimensional nested-grid nonideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to study outflow properties in the Class 0 phase. We find that no disk wind is driven from the extended centrifugal disk that has weak magnetic coupling. The low-velocity winds emerge instead from the infalling magnetic pseudodisk. Much of the disk actually experiences an infall of matter rather than outflowing gas. Some of the pseudodisk wind (PD-wind) moves inward to regions above the disk and either falls onto the disk or proceeds upward. The upward flow gives the impression of a disk wind above a certain height even if the gas is originally emerging from the pseudodisk. The PD-wind has the strongest flow coming from a disk interaction zone that lies just outside the disk and is an interface between the inwardly advected magnetic field of the pseudodisk and the outwardly diffusing magnetic field of the disk. The low-velocity wind exhibits the features of a flow driven by the magnetic pressure gradient force in some regions and those of a magnetocentrifugal wind in other regions. We interpret the structure and dynamics of the outflow zone in terms of the basic physics of gravity, angular momentum, magnetic fields, and nonideal MHD.

Magnetic Field Strength Effects on Nucleosynthesis from Neutron Star Merger Outflows

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence drives the central engine of post-merger remnants, potentially powering both a nucleosynthetically active disk wind and the relativistic jet behind a short gamma-ray burst. We explore the impact of the magnetic field on this engine by simulating three post-merger black hole accretion disks using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics with Monte Carlo neutrino transport, in each case varying the initial magnetic field strength. We find increasing ejecta masses associated with increasing magnetic field strength. We find that a fairly robust main r-process pattern is produced in all three cases, scaled by the ejected mass. Changing the initial magnetic field strength has a considerable effect on the geometry of the outflow and hints at complex central engine dynamics influencing lanthanide outflows. We find that actinide production is especially sensitive to magnetic field strength, with the overall actinide mass fraction calculated at 1 Gyr post-merger increasing by more than a factor of 6 with a tenfold increase in magnetic field strength. This hints at a possible connection to the variability in actinide enhancements exhibited by metal-poor, r-process-enhanced stars.

The Long-term Activity of the Postnovae Q Cygni and BK Lyncis

We show the postnova activity of Q Cyg (Nova Cyg 1876) and BK Lyn (probable Nova Lyn 101). We use both CCD and photographic photometric observations. We show that both systems lie close to the upper limit of the luminosity in which dwarf nova (DN) outbursts occur. Q Cyg shows a novalike high-state activity. Random fluctuations (typically 0.6 mag) from a well-defined curve of the moving averages of brightness often occur on the timescale of weeks. The random fluctuations were suppressed during one fainter interval lasting several months but increased during another. In the author’s interpretation, clumps in the disk wind are likely to play a role in these fluctuations, especially when the luminosity of Q Cyg is near the upper limit of the range in which DN outbursts occur. BK Lyn was observed to spend about 100 yr in a very long state of a high luminosity on the upper limit of the region of DN outbursts before undergoing a time segment in which DN outbursts were present. We find that the individual DN outbursts in BK Lyn all show similar decay rates and fade more gradually than those of DNe that do not also show classical nova eruptions. We attribute it, along with the low amplitude of DN outbursts and the high quiescent luminosity, to the role of extra light. These outburst peaks, higher than the surrounding segments of the flat light curve, speak in favor of the ER UMa-type with superoutburst cycles and standstills rather than the high state in a novalike variable.

Isotopic evolution of the inner solar system revealed by size-dependent oxygen isotopic variations in chondrules

The systematic isotopic difference between refractory inclusions and chondrules, particularly for oxygen, has long indicated an isotopic evolution of the solar protoplanetary disk. However, it remains underconstrained whether such evolution continued during chondrule formation. Intrigued by past reports of the size-dependent oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrules in ordinary chondrites (OC), we analyzed type I olivine-rich chondrules of various sizes in two LL3 chondrites. Although most chondrules show positive Δ17O values comparable to bulk ordinary chondrites, a population of smaller (less than about 0.1 mm2 in cross-section), including many isolated olivine grains (sensu lato), are 16O-enriched (with Δ17O values down to −13.2 ‰). Literature data allow the same observation for R chondrites. All sub-TFL type I chondrules (i.e., Δ17O < 0) chondrules have Mg# > 97 mol% while the supra-TFL type I chondrule olivines extend to the formal boundary with type II chondrules (i.e., Mg# = 90 mol%). The sub-TFL chondrules are likely genetically related to isotopically similar aluminum-rich chondrules described in the literature. They therefore must have formed earlier than most OC and R chondrules when the inner disk was still sub-TFL. This interpretation is supported by the presence of similarly 16O-rich relict grains in supra-TFL OC and R chondrules that must be remains of this incompletely recycled precursor material. The non-carbonaceous reservoir was thus still evolving isotopically towards 16O-poorer composition when chondrule formation began, whether by mixing with outer disk material, late accretion streamers and/or an increase in the solid/gas ratio due to magnetothermal disk winds.

Ejection Patterns in the DG Tau Jet over the Last 40 yr: Insights into Mass Accretion Variability* * Based on observations obtained at the international Gemini Observatory, a program of NSF's NOIRLab, which is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation on behalf of the Gemini Observatory

We aim to clarify the link between mass accretion and ejection by analyzing DG Tau’s jet observations from optical and near-infrared data spanning 1984–2019, alongside photometric variations between 1983 and 2015. We classified 12 moving knot groups among 17 total knot groups based on their constant proper motions and comparable radial velocities. A strong correlation emerges between the deprojected flow velocities of the knots and the photometric magnitudes of DG Tau. From 1983 to 1995, as the deprojected ejection velocities surged from ∼273 ± 15 to ∼427 ± 16 km s−1, the photometric magnitudes (V) concurrently brightened from 12.3 to 11.4. Notably, when DG Tau became brighter than 12.2 in the V band, its (B − V) color shifted bluer than its intrinsic color range of K5–M0. During this period, the launching point of the jet in the protoplanetary disk moved closer to 0.06 au from the star in 1995. Following a V magnitude drop from 11.7 to 13.4 in 1998, the star may have experienced significant extinction due to a dust wall created by the disk wind during the ejection of the high-velocity knot in 1999. Since then, the magnitude became fainter than 12.2, the (B − V) and (V − R) colors became redder, and the deprojected velocities consistently remained below 200 km s−1. The launching point of the jet then moved away to ∼0.45 au by 2008. The prevailing factor influencing photometric magnitude appears to be the active mass accretion causing the variable mass ejection velocities.

GIARPS High-resolution Observations of T Tauri stars (GHOsT)

Aims. This paper aims to revisit the kinematical and physical properties of the warm (T ~ 5000–10 000 K) atomic gas in the inner disk (&lt;5 au) region of classical T Tauri stars (CTTs) and relate them to the properties of the outer dusty disk resolved with ALMA. We also want to define constraints for the mass-loss in the inner atomic winds and jets to assess their role in the evolution and dispersal of planet-forming disks. Methods. We used the high resolution (R = 115 000, ~2.6 km s−1) spectra of 36 CTTs observed as part of the GIARPS High-resolution Observations of T Tauri stars (GHOsT) project and analysed the profile and luminosity of the brightest optical forbidden lines, namely [O I] 630 nm, [O I] 557 nm, [S II] 406 nm, [S II] 673 nm, and [N II] 658 nm. Results. We decomposed the line profiles into different velocity components, and concentrated our analysis mostly on the so-called narrow low-velocity component (NLVC). We find that about 40% of sources display a NLVC peak velocity (Vp) compatible with the stellar velocity. These include the transitional disks (TD) and typically show a single low velocity component (LVC), lower mass accretion rates, and the absence of a jet. They therefore might represent later evolutionary stages where the emission from the disk is dominant with respect to the wind contribution. No difference in kinematical properties was instead found between sources with full disks and disks with substructures as resolved by ALMA. The [O I] 630 nm profiles peaking at the stellar velocity are well fitted by a simple Keplerian disk model, where the emission line region extends from ~0.01 au up to several tens of au in some cases. The [O I] emission is detected inside the sub-millimetre dust cavities of all the TDs. No correlation is found between Rkep, derived from the line half width at half maximum (HWHM), and the size of the dust cavity. We see an anti-correlation between the [O I] 557/630 nm ratio and Rkep, which suggests that the [O I] emitting region expands as the gas dominating the emission cools and becomes less dense. We confirmed previous findings that the line ratios observed in the LVC, if compared with a thermal single temperature and density model, imply ne ~ 106–108 cm−3 and Te ~ 5000–10 000 K, and additionally constrained the ionisation fraction in the NLVC to be xe &lt; 0.1. We however discuss the limits of applying this diagnostic to winds that are not spatially resolved. Conclusions. The emission from the disk should be considered as an important contribution to the forbidden line emission in CTTs. Also, the clearing of warm atomic gas from the upper disk layers does not seem to follow the dispersal of the bulk of molecular gas and dust during late disk evolution. For the outflow component, we estimated the mass-loss for both the disk winds and jets. We conclude that without better knowledge of the wind geometry and spatial extent, and given the limitation of the diagnostics, the mass-loss rates in the wind traced by the blue shifted LVC cannot be constrained better than a factor of 100, with a Ṁwind/Ṁacc spanning between ~0.01 and more than 1. When compared with synthetic [O I] 630 nm images of X-ray photoevaporation models, the estimated Ṁwind represents a lower limit to the total mass-loss rate of the model, indicating that [O I] 630 nm is likely not the best tracer to probe mass-loss in low-velocity winds.

JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind

Understanding when and how circumstellar disks disperse is crucial to constrain planet formation and migration. Thermal winds powered by high-energy stellar photons have long been theorized to drive disk dispersal. However, evidence for these winds is currently based only on small (∼3–6 km s−1) blueshifts in [Ne ii] 12.81 μm lines, which does not exclude MHD winds. We report JWST MIRI MRS spectro-imaging of T Cha, a disk with a large dust gap (∼30 au in radius) and blueshifted [Ne ii] emission. We detect four forbidden noble gas lines, [Ar ii], [Ar iii], [Ne ii], and [Ne iii], of which [Ar iii] is the first detection in any protoplanetary disk. We use line flux ratios to constrain the energy of the ionizing photons and find that argon is ionized by extreme ultraviolet, whereas neon is most likely ionized by X-rays. After performing continuum and point-spread function subtraction on the integral field unit cube, we discover a spatial extension in the [Ne ii] emission off the disk continuum emission. This is the first spatially resolved [Ne ii] disk wind emission. The mostly ionic spectrum of T Cha, in combination with the extended [Ne ii] emission, points to an evolved stage for any inner MHD wind and is consistent with the existence of an outer thermal wind ionized and driven by high-energy stellar photons. This work acts as a pathfinder for future observations aiming at investigating disk dispersal using JWST.

JOYS: MIRI/MRS spectroscopy of gas-phase molecules from the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 23385+6053

Context. Space-based mid-infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the characterization of important star formation tracers of warm gas which are unobservable from the ground. The previous mid-IR spectra of bright high-mass protostars with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) in the hot-core phase typically show strong absorption features from molecules such as CO2, C2H2, and HCN. However, little is known about their fainter counterparts at earlier stages. Aims. We aim to characterize the gas-phase molecular features in James Webb Space Telescope Mid-Infrared Instrument Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI/MRS) spectra of the young and clustered high-mass star-forming region IRAS 23385+6053. Methods. Spectra were extracted from several locations in the MIRI/MRS field of view, targeting two mid-IR sources tracing embedded massive protostars as well as three H2 bright outflow knots at distances of &gt;8000 au from the multiple. Molecular features in the spectra were fit with local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) slab models, with their caveats discussed in detail. Results. Rich molecular spectra with emission from CO, H2, HD, H2O, C2H2, HCN, CO2, and OH are detected towards the two mid-IR sources. However, only CO and OH are seen towards the brightest H2 knot positions, suggesting that the majority of the observed species are associated with disks or hot core regions rather than outflows or shocks. The LTE model fits to 12CO2, C2H2, HCN emission suggest warm 120–200 K emission arising from a disk surface around one or both protostars. The abundances of CO2 and C2H2 of ~10−7 are consistent with previous observations of high-mass protostars. Weak ~500 K H2O emission at ~6–7 µm is detected towards one mid-IR source, whereas 250–1050 K H2O absorption is found in the other. The H2O absorption may occur in the disk atmosphere due to strong accretion-heating of the midplane, or in a disk wind viewed at an ideal angle for absorption. CO emission may originate in the hot inner disk or outflow shocks, but NIRSpec data covering the 4.6 µm band head are required to determine the physical conditions of the CO gas, as the high temperatures seen in the MIRI data may be due to optical depth. OH emission is detected towards both mid-IR source positions and one of the shocks, and is likely excited by water photodissociation or chemical formation pumping in a highly non-LTE manner. Conclusions. The observed molecular spectra are consistent with disks having already formed around two protostars in the young IRAS 23385+6054 system. Molecular features mostly appear in emission from a variety of species, in contrast to the more evolved hot core phase protostars which typically show only absorption; however, further observations of young high-mass protostars are needed to disentangle geometry and viewing angle effects from evolution.

Delayed X-Ray Brightening Accompanied by Variable Ionized Absorption Following a Tidal Disruption Event

Supermassive black holes can experience super-Eddington peak mass fallback rates following the tidal disruption of a star. The theoretical expectation is that part of the infalling material is expelled by means of an accretion disk wind, whose observational signature includes blueshifted absorption lines of highly ionized species in X-ray spectra. To date, however, only one such ultrafast outflow (UFO) has been reported in the tidal disruption event (TDE) ASASSN–14li. Here we report on the discovery of a transient absorption-like signature in X-ray spectra of the TDE AT2020ksf/Gaia20cjk (at a redshift of z = 0.092), following an X-ray brightening ∼230 days after UV/optical peak. We find that while no statistically significant absorption features are present initially, they appear on a timescale of several days and remain detected up to 770 days after peak. Simple thermal continuum models, combined with a power-law or neutral absorber, do not describe these features well. Adding a partial-covering, low-velocity ionized absorber improves the fit at early times but fails at late times. A high-velocity (v w ∼ 42,000 km s−1), ionized absorber (UFO) provides a good fit to all data. The few-day timescale of variability is consistent with expectations for a clumpy wind. We discuss several scenarios that could explain the X-ray delay, as well as the potential for larger-scale wind feedback. The serendipitous nature of the discovery could suggest a high incidence of UFOs in TDEs, alleviating some of the tension with theoretical expectations.

How to Turn Jets into Cylinders near Supermassive Black Holes in 3D General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations

Accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) produce highly magnetized relativistic jets that tend to collimate gradually as they propagate outward. However, recent radio interferometric observations of the 3C 84 galaxy reveal a stunning, cylindrical jet already at several hundred SMBH gravitational radii, r ≳ 350r g. We explore how such extreme collimation emerges via a suite of 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations. We consider an SMBH surrounded by a magnetized torus immersed in a constant-density ambient medium that starts at the edge of the SMBH sphere of influence, chosen to be much larger than the SMBH gravitational radius, r B = 103 r g. We find that radiatively inefficient accretion flows (e.g., M87) produce winds that collimate the jets into parabolas near the black hole. After the disk winds stop collimating the jets at r ≲ r B, they turn conical. Once outside r B, the jets run into the ambient medium and form backflows that collimate the jets into cylinders some distance beyond r B. Interestingly, for radiatively efficient accretion, as in 3C 84, the radiative cooling saps the energy out of the disk winds; at early times, they cannot efficiently collimate the jets, which skip the initial parabolic collimation stage, start out conical near the SMBH, and turn into cylinders already at r ≃ 300r g, as observed in 3C 84. Over time, the jet power remains approximately constant, whereas the mass accretion rate increases; the winds grow in strength and start to collimate the jets, which become quasi-parabolic near the base, and the transition point to a nearly cylindrical jet profile moves outward while remaining inside r B.

Variety of disc wind-driven explosions in massive rotating stars

ABSTRACT We perform a set of two-dimensional, non-relativistic, hydrodynamics simulations for supernova-like explosions associated with stellar core collapse of rotating massive stars into a system of a black hole and a disc connected by the transfer of matter and angular momentum. Our model of the central engine also includes the contribution of the disc wind. This study is carried out using the open-source hydrodynamic code athena++, for which we implement a method to calculate self-gravity for axially symmetric density distributions. We investigate the explosion properties and the 56Ni production of a star with the zero-age main-sequence mass of $M_\mathrm{ZAMS}=20\, M_\odot$ varying some features of the wind injection. We find a large variety of explosion energy with Eexpl ranging from ∼0.049 × 1051 to ∼34 × 1051 erg and ejecta mass Mej from 0.58 to 6 M⊙, which shows a bimodal distribution in high- and low-energy branches. We demonstrate that the resulting outcome of a highly or sub-energetic explosion for a certain stellar structure is mainly determined by the competition between the ram pressure of the injected matter and that of the infalling envelope. In the nucleosynthesis analysis the 56Ni mass produced in our models goes from &amp;lt;0.2 M⊙ in the sub-energetic explosions to 2.1 M⊙ in the highly energetic ones. These results are consistent with the observational data of stripped-envelope and high-energy SNe such as broad-lined Type Ic SNe.

From Sub-Solar to Super-Solar Chemical Abundances along the Quasar Main Sequence

The 4D (four-dimensional) eigenvector 1 (E1) sequence has proven to be a highly effective tool for organizing observational and physical properties of type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this paper, we present multiple measurements of metallicity for the broad line region gas, from new and previously-published data. We demonstrate a consistent trend along the optical plane of the E1 (also known as the quasar main sequence), defined by the line width of Balmer hydrogen Hβ profile and by a parameter measuring the prominence of singly-ionized iron emission. The trend involves an increase from sub-solar metallicity in correspondence with extreme Population B (weak Feii emission, large Hβ FWHM (full width at half maximum)) to metallicity several tens the solar value in correspondence with extreme Population A (strongest Feii optical emission, narrower Hβ profiles). The data establish the metallicity as a correlate of the 4DE1/main sequence. If the considerably high metallicity (Z≳10Z⊙, solar metallicity) gas is expelled from the sphere of influence of the central black hole, as indicated by the widespread evidence of nuclear outflows and disk wind in the case of sources radiating at a high Eddington ratio, then it is possible that the outflows from quasars played a role in chemically enriching the host galaxy.

Spectroastrometric Survey of Protoplanetary Disks with Inner Dust Cavities

We present high-resolution spectra and spectroastrometric (SA) measurements of fundamental rovibrational CO emission from nine nearby (≲300 pc) protoplanetary disks where large inner dust cavities have been observed. The emission-line profiles and SA signals are fit with a slab disk model that allows the eccentricity of the disk and intensity of the emission to vary as power laws. Six of the sources are well fit with our model, and three of these sources show asymmetric line profiles that can be fit by adopting a nonzero eccentricity. The three other sources have components in either their line profile or SA signal that are not captured by our disk model. Two of these sources (V892 Tau and CQ Tau) have multi-epoch observations that reveal significant variability. CQ Tau and AB Aur have CO line profiles with centrally peaked components that are similar to line profiles which have been interpreted as evidence of molecular gas arising from a wide-angle disk wind. Alternatively, emission from a circumplanetary disk could also account for this component. The interpretations of these results can be clarified in the future with additional epochs that will test the variability timescale of these SA signals. We discuss the utility of using high-resolution spectroscopy for probing the dynamics of gas in the disk and the scenarios that can give rise to profiles that are not fit with a simple disk model.

Multiple Shells Driven by Disk Winds: ALMA Observations in the HH 30 Outflow

We present archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array band 6 observations of the 13CO (J = 2–1) and 12CO (J = 2–1) molecular line emission of the protostellar system associated with HH 30. The 13CO molecular line shows the accretion disk while the molecular outflow is traced by the emission of the 12CO molecular line. We estimated a dynamical mass for the central object of 0.45 ± 0.14 M ⊙, and a mass for the molecular outflow of (1.83 ± 0.19) × 10−4 M ⊙. The molecular outflow presents an internal cavity as well as multiple outflowing shell structures. We distinguish three different shells with constant expansion (∼4–6 km s−1) and possible rotation signatures (≤0.5 km s−1). We find that the shells can be explained by magnetocentrifugal disk winds with launching radii R launch ≲ 4 au and a small magnetic lever arm λ ∼ 1.6–1.9. The multiple shell structure may be the result of episodic ejections of the material from the accretion disk associated with three different epochs with dynamical ages of 497 ± 15 yr, 310 ± 9 yr, and 262 ± 11 yr for the first, second, and third shells, respectively. The outermost shell was ejected 187 ± 17 yr before the middle shell, while the middle shell was launched 48 ± 14 yr before the innermost shell. Our estimations of the linear and angular momentum rates of the outflow as well as the accretion luminosity are consistent with the values expected if the outflow of HH 30 is produced by a wide-angle disk wind.

Constraining the gas mass of Herbig disks using CO isotopologues

Context. The total disk mass sets the formation potential for exoplanets. Obtaining the disk mass is however not an easy feat, as one needs to consider the optical thickness, temperature, photodissociation, and freeze-out of potential mass tracers. Carbon-monoxide (CO) has been used as a gas mass tracer in T Tauri disks, but was found to be less abundant than expected due to the freeze-out and chemical conversion of CO on the surfaces of cold dust grains. The disks around more massive intermediate mass pre-main sequence stars called Herbig disks are likely to be warmer, allowing for the possibility of using CO as a more effective total gas mass tracer. Aims. This work aims to obtain the gas mass and size of Herbig disks observed with ALMA and compare these to previous works on T Tauri disks and debris disks. Methods. Using ALMA archival data and new NOEMA data of 12CO, 13CO, and C 18O transitions of 35 Herbig disks within 450 pc, the masses were determined using the thermo-chemical code Dust And Lines (DALI). A grid of models was run spanning five orders of magnitude in disk mass, for which the model CO line luminosities could be linked to the observed luminosities. Survival analysis was used to obtain cumulative distributions of the resulting disk masses. These were compared with dust masses from previous work to obtain gas-to-dust ratios for each disk. In addition, radii for all three isotopologues were obtained. Results. The majority of Herbig disks for which 13CO and C18O were detected are optically thick in both. For these disks, the line flux essentially only traces the disk size and only lower limits to the mass can be obtained. Computing the gas mass using a simple optically thin relation between line flux and column density results in an underestimate of the gas mass of at least an order of magnitude compared to the masses obtained with DALI. The inferred gas masses with DALI are consistent with a gas-to-dust ratio of at least 100. These gas-to-dust ratios are two orders of magnitude higher compared to those found for T Tauri disks using similar techniques, even over multiple orders of magnitude in dust mass, illustrating the importance of the chemical conversion of CO in colder T Tauri disks. Similar high gas-to-dust ratios are found for Herbig group I and II disks. Since group II disks have dust masses comparable to T Tauri disks, their higher CO gas masses illustrate the determining role of temperature. Compared to debris disks, Herbig disks have gas masses higher by four orders of magnitude. At least one Herbig disk, HD 163296, has a detected molecular disk wind, but our investigation has not turned up other detections of the CO disk wind in spite of similar sensitivities. Conclusions. Herbig disks are consistent with a gas-to-dust ratio of at least 100 over multiple orders of magnitude in dust mass. This indicates a fundamental difference between CO emission from Herbig disks and T Tauri disks, which is likely linked to the warmer temperature of the Herbig disks.

Fierce Feedback in an Obscured, Sub-Eddington State of the Seyfert 1.2 Markarian 817

Mrk 817 is a bright and variable Seyfert 1.2 active galactic nucleus (AGN). X-ray monitoring of Mrk 817 with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in 2022 revealed that the source flux had declined to a lower level than recorded at any prior point in the then 19 yr mission. We present an analysis of deep XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations obtained in this low flux state. The spectra reveal a complex X-ray wind consisting of neutral and ionized absorption zones. Three separate velocity components are detected as part of a structured ultrafast outflow (UFO), with v/c=0.043−0.003+0.007 , v/c=0.079−0.0008+0.003 , and v/c=0.074−0.005+0.004 . These projected velocities suggest that the wind likely arises at radii that are much smaller than the optical broad-line region. In order for each component of the outflow to contribute significant feedback, the volume filling factors must be greater than f ≃ 0.009, f ≃ 0.003, and f ≃ 0.3, respectively. For plausible, data-driven volume filling factors, these limits are passed, and the total outflow likely delivers the fierce feedback required to reshape its host environment, despite a modest radiative Eddington fraction of λ ≃ 0.008–0.016 (this range reflects plausible masses). UFOs are often detected at or above the Eddington limit; this result signals that black hole accretion has the potential to shape host galaxies even at modest Eddington fractions and over a larger fraction of a typical AGN lifetime. We discuss our findings in terms of models for disk winds and black hole feedback in this and other AGN.

Evidence for inflows and outflows in the nearby black hole transient Swift J1727.8−162

We present 20 epochs of optical spectroscopy obtained with the GTC-10.4m telescope across the bright discovery outburst of the black hole candidate Swift J1727.8−162. The spectra cover the main accretion states and are characterised by the presence of hydrogen and helium emission lines, commonly observed in these objects. They show complex profiles, including double peaks, but also blue-shifted absorptions (with blue-edge velocities of 1150 km s−1), broad emission wings, and flat-top profiles, which are the usual signatures of accretion disc winds. Moreover, red-shifted absorptions accompanied by blue emission excesses suggest the presence of inflows in at least two epochs, although a disc origin cannot be ruled out. Using pre-outburst imaging from Pan-STARRS, we identify a candidate quiescent optical counterpart with a magnitude of g ∼ 20.8. This implies an outburst optical amplitude of ΔV ∼ 7.7, supporting an estimated orbital period of ∼7.6 h, which favours an early K-type companion star. Employing various empirical methods, we derive a distance to the source of d = 2.7 ± 0.3 kpc, corresponding to a Galactic plane elevation of z = 0.48 ± 0.05 kpc. Based on these findings, we propose that Swift J1727.8−162 is a nearby black hole X-ray transient that exhibited complex signatures of optical inflows and outflows throughout its discovery outburst.

JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. I. Fully Vertically Mixed 10 μm Grains in the Outer Regions of a 1000 au Disk

Scattered light imaging of protoplanetary disks provides key insights on the geometry and dust properties in the disk surface. Here, we present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) 2–21 μm images of a 1000 au radius edge-on protoplanetary disk surrounding an 0.4 M ⊙ young star in Taurus, Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) J04202144 + 2813491. These observations represent the longest wavelengths at which a protoplanetary disk is spatially resolved in scattered light. We combine these observations with Hubble Space Telescope optical images and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array continuum and CO mapping. We find that the changes in the scattered light disk morphology are remarkably small across a factor of 30 in wavelength, indicating that dust in the disk surface layers is characterized by an almost gray opacity law. Using radiative transfer models, we conclude that grains up to ≳10 μm in size are fully coupled to the gas in this system, whereas grains ≳100 μm are strongly settled toward the midplane. Further analyses of these observations, and similar ones of other edge-on disks, will provide strong empirical constraints on disk dynamics and evolution and grain growth models. In addition, the 7.7 and 12. μm JWST images reveal an X-shaped feature located above the warm molecular layer traced by CO line emission. The highest elevations at which this feature is detectable roughly match the maximal extent of the disk in visible wavelength scattered light as well as of an unusual kinematic signature in CO. We propose that these phenomena could be related to a disk wind entraining small dust grains.

The Effect of the Velocity Distribution on Kilonova Emission

The electromagnetic emission from the nonrelativistic ejecta launched in neutron star mergers (either dynamically or through a disk wind) has the potential to probe both the total mass and composition of this ejecta. These observations are crucial in understanding the role of these mergers in the production of r-process elements in the Universe. However, many properties of the ejecta can alter the light curves and we must both identify which properties play a role in shaping this emission and understand the effects these properties have on the emission before we can use observations to place strong constraints on the amount of r-process elements produced in the merger. This paper focuses on understanding the effect of the velocity distribution (amount of mass moving at different velocities) for lanthanide-rich ejecta on the light curves and spectra. The simulations use distributions guided by recent calculations of disk outflows and compare the velocity-distribution effects to those of ejecta mass, velocity, and composition. Our comparisons show that uncertainties in the velocity distribution can lead to a factor of 2–4 uncertainties in the inferred ejecta mass based on peak infrared luminosities. We also show that early-time UV or optical observations may be able to constrain the velocity distribution, reducing the uncertainty in the ejecta mass.