Luminous Disk Research Articles

Rapid Black Hole Spin-down by Thick Magnetically Arrested Disks

Black hole (BH) spin can play an important role in galaxy evolution by controlling the amount of energy and momentum ejected from near the BH into the surroundings. We focus on radiatively inefficient and geometrically thick magnetically arrested disks (MADs) that can launch strong BH-powered jets. With an appropriately chosen adiabatic index, these systems can describe either the low-luminosity or highly super-Eddington BH accretion regimes. Using a suite of 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we find that for any initial spin, an MAD rapidly spins down the BH to the equilibrium spin of 0 < a eq ≲ 0.1, very low compared to a eq = 1 for the standard thin luminous (Novikov–Thorne) disks. This implies that rapidly accreting (super-Eddington) BHs fed by MADs tend to lose most of their rotational energy to magnetized relativistic outflows. In an MAD, a BH only needs to accrete 20% of its own mass to spin down from a = 1–0.2. We construct a semi-analytic model of BH spin evolution in MADs by taking into account the torques on the BH due to both the hydrodynamic disk and electromagnetic jet components, and find that the low value of a eq is due to both the jets slowing down the BH rotation and the disk losing a large fraction of its angular momentum to outflows. Our results have crucial implications for how BH spins evolve in active galaxies and other systems such as collapsars, where the BH spin-down timescale can be short enough to significantly affect the evolution of gamma-ray emitting BH-powered jets.

Galaxies decomposition with spiral arms – I: 29 galaxies from S4G

ABSTRACT Spiral structure can occupy a significant part of the galaxy, but properly accounting for it in photometric decomposition is rarely done. This may lead to significant errors in the parameters determined. To estimate how exactly neglecting the presence of spiral arms affects the estimation of galaxy decomposition parameters, we perform fitting of 29 galaxies considering spiral arms as a separate component. In this study, we utilize 3.6 μm-band images from the S4G survey and use a new 2D photometric model where each spiral arm is modelled independently. In our model, the light distribution both along and across the arm and its overall shape can be varied significantly. We analyse the differences between models with and without spiral arms, and show that neglecting spiral arms in decomposition causes errors in estimating the parameters of the disc, the bulge, and the bar. We retrieve different parameters of the spiral arms themselves, including their pitch angles, widths, and spiral-to-total luminosity ratio, and examine various relations between them and other galaxy parameters. In particular, we find that the spiral-to-total ratio is higher for galaxies with more luminous discs and with higher bulge-to-total ratios. We report that the pitch angle of spiral arms decreases with increasing bulge or bar fraction. We measure the width of the spiral arms to be 53 per cent of the disc scale length, on average. We examine the contribution of the spiral arms to the azimuthally averaged brightness profile and find that spiral arms produce a ‘bump’ on this profile with a typical height of 0.3–0.7 mag.

Halfway to the Peak: Spatially Resolved Star Formation and Kinematics in a z = 0.54 Dusty Galaxy with JWST/MIRI

We present JWST Mid-InfraRed Instrument/Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI/MRS) observations of an infrared luminous disk galaxy, FLS1, at z ∼ 0.54. With a lookback time of 5 Gyr, FLS1 is chronologically at the midpoint between the peak epoch of star formation and the present day. The MRS data provide maps of the atomic fine structure lines [Ar ii]6.99, [Ar iii]8.99, [Ne ii]12.81, and [Ne iii]15.55 μm, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features at 3.3, 6.2, and 11.3 μm, and the warm molecular gas indicators H2S(5) and H2S(3); all these emission features are spatially resolved. We find that the PAH emission is more extended along the northern side of the galaxy when compared to the well-studied star formation tracer [Ne ii]. The H2 rotational lines, which are shock indicators, are strongest and most extended on the southern side of the galaxy. [Ar ii] is the second brightest fine structure line detected in FLS1 and we show that it is a useful kinematic probe that can be detected with JWST out to z ∼ 3. Velocity maps of [Ar ii] show a rotating disk with signs of turbulence. Our results provide an example of how spatially resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy can allow us to better understand the star formation and interstellar medium conditions in a galaxy halfway back to the peak epoch of galaxy evolution.

Relative light sensitivities of four retinal hemi-fields for suppressing the synthesis of melatonin at night

The magnitude of the stimulus to the biological clock will depend upon the distribution of circadian phototransduction circuits across the retinae and the spatial distribution of luminous stimuli in the environment. The present study compared nocturnal melatonin suppression for light exposures to the superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal retina in one eye independent of shading from the brow and the nose. The stimulus was a 40° diameter luminous disc, half of which was blue light (LED, λpeak = 470 nm) and the other amber light (LED, λpeak = 590 nm). Experimentally, the orientation of the bipartite disc was rotated to each of the four cardinal points of the visual field. A full, 40° blue disc was also employed by replacing the amber half-disc with another blue half-disc. The blue full- and half-discs always produced 100 photopic lx at the cornea. As hypothesized, nocturnal melatonin suppression was statistically greatest when the blue half-disc was delivered to the nasal hemi-field (35%); the other three hemi-fields were equally affected by the blue half-disc (≈20%). Melatonin suppression for the full-disc was 24%, which was not statistically different than the average suppression for the four hemi-fields of 27%.

Extended versus point light source: where does the difference in the illuminance exist?

In this paper we derive and analyse the expressions to find the illuminance from luminous ball, disc and line in the case of general position of the light receiver. We show that one can always replace a luminous ball with a point light source located at its center and having the appropriate luminous intensity. Any luminous disc or line can be considered, with reasonable accuracy (the relative error in the determination of the illuminance is less than $5 \%$), as the point light source with anisotropic (cosine) luminous intensity and placed at their center, if the distance to the observation point is approximately four times larger than their characteristic sizes. The issues outlined in this article will be useful for undergraduate students, who study the basics of photometry.

Photoelectric heating effects on the evolution of luminous disc galaxies

ABSTRACT Photoelectric heating (PEH) influences the temperature and density of the interstellar medium (ISM), potentially also affecting star formation. PEH is expected to have a stronger effect on massive galaxies, as they host larger dust reservoirs compared to dwarf systems. Accordingly, in this paper, we study PEH effects in Milky Way-like galaxies using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, which self-consistently implements the evolution of the gas, dust, and interstellar radiation field. Dust evolution includes dust formation by stars, destruction by SNe, and growth in dense media. We find that PEH suppresses star formation due to the excess heating that reduces the ISM density. This suppression is seen across the entire range of gas fractions, star-formation recipes, dust models, and PEH efficiencies investigated by our code. The suppression ranges from negligible values to approximately a factor of five depending on the specific implementation. Galaxy models having higher gas fractions experience higher star-formation suppression. The adopted dust model also alters the extent of star-formation suppression. Moreover, when PEH is switched on, galaxy models show higher gas outflow rates and have higher loading factors, indicative of enhanced SNe feedback. In gas-rich models (i.e. a gas fraction of 0.5), we also find that PEH suppresses the formation of disc clumps via violent disc instabilities, and thus suppresses bulge formation via clump migration to the central regions.

Radiation driving and heating of general relativistic jets under a Compton-scattering regime

Interaction of intense radiation from the underlying accretion disc with steady, general-relativistic jet is studied. The radiation field imparts momentum as well as energy on to the outflowing jet under Compton scattering. As a result, the jet gains momentum and is simultaneously heated up. Jets can be classified as types A, B and C according to their base properties. We found that A type jets can undergo shock transition. It is also shown that, in the Compton scattering regime, radiation can drive jets starting with very small thermal energy at the base (B and C type jets). Such that, radiation can even} accelerate bound matter (generalized Bernoulli parameter $E<1$) {in the form of relativistic transonic jets. This is in stark contrast to radiatively driven jets in the Thomson scattering regime, where transonic jets were obtained only for $E>1$. We also show that for a given disc luminosity, jets in the Compton scattering regime exhibit a minimum terminal speed, unlike in the Thomson scattering domain. Further, the impact of accretion disc luminosity and jet plasma composition is studied. The ${{\rm e}^--{\rm p}^+}$ jets are accelerated up to Lorentz factors of about a few, while for lepton dominated jets the minimum Lorentz factor exceeds $10$ for moderate disc luminosities and can go up to few tens for highly luminous discs.

A mass-velocity anisotropy relation in galactic stellar disks

The ellipsoid of stellar random motions is a fundamental ingredient of galaxy dynamics. Yet it has long been difficult to constrain this component in disks others than the Milky Way. This article presents the modeling of the azimuthal-to-radial axis ratio of the velocity ellipsoid of galactic disks from stellar dispersion maps using integral field spectroscopy data of the CALIFA survey. The measured azimuthal anisotropy is shown to be not strongly dependent on the assumed vertical-to-radial dispersion ratio of the ellipsoid. The anisotropy distribution shows a large diversity in the orbital structure of disk galaxies from tangential to radial stellar orbits. Globally, the orbits are isotropic in inner disk regions and become more radial as a function of radius, although this picture tends to depend on galaxy morphology and luminosity. The Milky Way orbital anisotropy profile measured from the Second Gaia Data Release is consistent with those of CALIFA galaxies. A new correlation is evidenced, linking the absolute magnitude or stellar mass of the disks to the azimuthal anisotropy. More luminous disks have more radial orbits and less luminous disks have isotropic and somewhat tangential orbits. This correlation is consistent with the picture in galaxy evolution in which orbits become more radial as the mass grows and is redistributed as a function of time. With the help of circular velocity curves, it is also shown that the epicycle theory fails to reproduce the diversity of the azimuthal anisotropy of stellar random motions, as it predicts only nearly radial orbits in the presence of flat curves. The origin of this conflict is yet to be identified. It also questions the validity of the vertical-to-radial axis ratio of the velocity ellipsoid derived by many studies in the framework of the epicyclic approximation.

Dark Matter in Galaxies: Evidences and Challenges

The evidence of the phenomenon for which, in galaxies, the gravitating mass is distributed differently than the luminous mass, increases as new data become available. Furthermore, this discrepancy is well structured and it depends on the magnitude and the compactness of the galaxy and on the radius, in units of its luminous size $R_{opt}$, where the measurement is performed. For the disk systems with $-13\geq M_I\geq -24$ all this leads to an amazing scenario, revealed by the investigation of individual and coadded rotation curves, according to which, the circular velocity follows, from their centers out to their virial radii, an universal profile $V_{URC} (r/R_{opt}, M_I)$ function only of the properties of the luminous mass component. Moreover, from the Universal Rotation Curve, so as from many individual high-quality RCs, we discover that, in the innermost regions of galaxies, the DM halo density profiles are very shallow. Finally, the disk mass, the central halo density and its core radius, come out all related to each other and to two properties of the distribution of light in galaxies: the luminosity and the compactness. This phenomenology, being absent in the simplest $\Lambda CDM$ Cosmology scenario, poses serious challenges to the latter or, alternatively, it requires a substantial and tuned involvement of baryons in the formation of the galactic halos. On the other side, the URC helps to explain the two-accelerations relationship found by McGaugh et al 2016, in terms of only well known astrophysical processes, acting in a standard DM halos + luminous disks scenario

Radiatively driven relativistic jets in Schwarzschild space-time

Context. Aims. We carry out a general relativistic study of radiatively driven conical fluid jets around non-rotating black holes and investigate the effects and significance of radiative acceleration, as well as radiation drag. Methods. We apply relativistic equations of motion in curved space-time around a Schwarzschild black hole for axis-symmetric one-dimensional jet in steady state, plying through the radiation field of the accretion disc. Radiative moments are computed using information of curved space-time. Slopes of physical variables at the sonic points are found using L’Hôpital’s rule and employing Runge-Kutta’s fourth order method to solve equations of motion. The analysis is carried out using the relativistic equation of state of the jet fluid. Results. The terminal speed of the jet depends on how much thermal energy is converted into jet momentum and how much radiation momentum is deposited onto the jet. Many classes of jet solutions with single sonic points, multiple sonic points, as well as those having radiation driven internal shocks are obtained. Variation of all flow variables along the jet-axis has been studied. Highly energetic electron-proton jets can be accelerated by intense radiation to terminal Lorentz factors γT ~ 3. Moderate terminal speed vT ~ 0.5 is obtained for moderately luminous discs. Lepton dominated jets may achieve γT ~ 10. Conclusions. Thermal driving of the jet itself and radiation driving by accretion disc photons produce a wide-ranging jet solutions starting from moderately strong jets to the relativistic ones. Interplay of intensity, the nature of the radiation field, and the energetics of the jet result in a variety of jet solutions. We show that radiation field is able to induce steady shocks in jets, one of the criteria to explain high-energy power-law emission observed in spectra of some of the astrophysical objects.

Doppler tomography of the Double periodic variable HD 170582 at low and high stage

HD170582 is an interacting binary of the Double Periodic Variable (DPV) type, showing ellipsoidal variability with a period of 16.87 days along with a long photometric cycle of 587 days. It was recently studied by Mennickent et al. (2015), who found a slightly evolved B-type star surrounded by a luminous accretion disc fed by a Roche-lobe overflowing A-type giant. Here we extend their analysis presenting new spectroscopic data and studying the Balmer emission lines. We find orbitally modulated double-peak Halpha and Hbeta emissions whose strength also vary in the long-term. In addition, Doppler maps of the emission lines reveal sites of enhanced line emission in the 1st and 4th velocity quadrants, the first one consistent with the position of one of the bright zones detected by the light curve analysis. We find a difference between Doppler maps at high and low stage of the long cycle; evidence that the emission is optically thicker at high state in the stream-disc impact region, possibly reflecting a larger mass transfer rate. We compare the system parameters with a grid of synthetic binary evolutionary tracks and find the best fitting model. The system is found to be semi-detached, in a conservative Case-B mass transfer stage, with age 7.68E7 yr and mass transfer rate 1.6E-6 Msun/yr. For 5 well-studied DPVs, the disc luminosity scales with the primary mass and is much larger than the theoretical accretion luminosity.

Equilibrium configuration and stability of a stratus floating above accretion disks

Abstract We examine the equilibrium configurations of a stratus floating above an accretion disk, using the radiative force from the luminous disk just below the stratus. For various disk luminosities and optical depths of the stratus, the stratus can stably float on the outer disk, while a stable configuration does not exist on the inner disk. When the disk luminosity normalized by the Eddington luminosity is unity, and the stratus optical depth is around unity, the stable configuration disappears at r ≲ 50rg, rg being the Schwarzschild radius, and the stratus would be blown off as a cloudy wind, which consists of many strati with appropriate conditions. In the outer region of r ≳ 50rg, on the other hand, we find that the stable floating height is z ∼ 20rg, which is approximately two times larger than in the case of the particle. This difference is due to the anisotropic scattering effect; the stratus can get twice the momentum from radiation than it can in the particle case. The present results, that the radiation-driven cloudy wind can be easily blown off from the luminous disk, can explain observed outflows in broad absorption line quasars and ultra-fast outflow objects.

VARIABLE ACCRETION PROCESSES IN THE YOUNG BINARY-STAR SYSTEM UY AUR

We present new K-band spectroscopy of the UY Aur binary star system. Our data are the first to show H$_{2}$ emission in the spectrum of UY Aur A and the first to spectrally resolve the Br{\gamma} line in the spectrum of UY Aur B. We see an increase in the strength of the Br{\gamma} line in UY Aur A and a decrease in Br{\gamma} and H$_{2}$ line luminosity for UY Aur B compared to previous studies. Converting Br{\gamma} line luminosity to accretion rate, we infer that the accretion rate onto UY Aur A has increased by $2 \times 10^{-9}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ per year since a rate of zero was observed in 1994. The Br{\gamma} line strength for UY Aur B has decreased by a factor of 0.54 since 1994, but the K-band flux has increased by 0.9 mags since 1998. The veiling of UY Aur B has also increased significantly. These data evince a much more luminous disk around UY Aur B. If the lower Br{\gamma} luminosity observed in the spectrum of UY Aur B indicates an intrinsically smaller accretion rate onto the star, then UY Aur A now accretes at a higher rate than UY Aur B. However, extinction at small radii or mass pile-up in the circumstellar disk could explain decreased Br{\gamma} emission around UY Aur B even when the disk luminosity implies an increased accretion rate. In addition to our scientific results for the UY Aur system, we discuss a dedicated pipeline we have developed for the reduction of echelle-mode data from the ARIES spectrograph.

UV surface brightness of galaxies from the local universe to z ~ 5

The Tolman test for surface brightness (SB) dimming was originally proposed as a test for the expansion of the universe. The test, which is independent of the details of the assumed cosmology, is based on comparisons of the SB of identical objects at different cosmological distances. Claims have been made that the Tolman test provides compelling evidence against a static model for the universe. In this paper we reconsider this subject by adopting a static Euclidean universe (SEU) with a linear Hubble relation at all z (which is not the standard Einstein–de Sitter model), resulting in a relation between flux and luminosity that is virtually indistinguishable from the one used for ΛCDM models. Based on the analysis of the UV SB of luminous disk galaxies from HUDF and GALEX datasets, reaching from the local universe to z ~ 5, we show that the SB remains constant as expected in a static universe. A re-analysis of previously published data used for the Tolman test at lower redshift, when treated within the same framework, confirms the results of the present analysis by extending our claim to elliptical galaxies. We conclude that available observations of galactic SB are consistent with a SEU model. We do not claim that the consistency of the adopted model with SB data is sufficient by itself to confirm what would be a radical transformation in our understanding of the cosmos. However, we believe this result is more than sufficient reason to examine this combination of hypotheses further.

RELATIVE ORIENTATION OF PAIRS OF SPIRAL GALAXIES IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY

We find, from our study of binary spiral galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 6, that the relative orientation of disks in binary spiral galaxies is consistent with their being drawn from a random distribution of orientations. For 747 isolated pairs of luminous disk galaxies, the distribution of phi, the angle between the major axes of the galaxy images, is consistent with a uniform distribution on the interval [0 degrees, 90 degrees]. With the assumption that the disk galaxies are oblate spheroids, we can compute cos(beta), where beta is the angle between the rotation axes of the disks. In the case that one galaxy in the binary is face-on or edge-on, the tilt ambiguity is resolved, and cos(beta) can be computed unambiguously. For 94 isolated pairs with at least one face-on member, and for 171 isolated pairs with at least one edge-on member, the distribution of cos(beta) is statistically consistent with the distribution of cos(i) for isolated disk galaxies. This result is consistent with random orientations of the disks within pairs.

Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Three Long-Period Novalike Variables

ABSTRACTWe have selected three novalike variables at the long-period extreme of novalike orbital periods: V363 Aur, RZ Gru, and AC Cnc, all with IUE archival far-ultraviolet spectra. All are UX UMa-type novalike variables and all have Porb > 7 hr. V363 Aur is a bona fide SW Sex star, and AC Cnc is a probable one, while RZ Gru has not proven to be a member of the SW Sex subclass. We have carried out the first synthetic spectral analysis of far-ultraviolet spectra of the three systems using state-of-the-art models of both accretion disks and white dwarf photospheres. We find that the FUV spectral energy distribution of both V363 Aur and RZ Gru are in agreement with optically thick steady-state accretion disk models in which the luminous disk accounts for 100% of the FUV light. We present accretion rates and model-derived distances for V363 Aur and RZ Gru. For AC Cnc, we find that a hot accreting white dwarf accounts for ∼60% of the FUV light, with an accretion disk providing the rest. We compare our accretion rates and model-derived distances with estimates in the literature.

Post-main-sequence evolution of A star debris discs

While the population of main sequence debris discs is well constrained, little is known about debris discs around evolved stars. This paper provides a theoretical framework considering the effects of stellar evolution on debris discs, particularly the production and loss of dust within them. Here we repeat a steady state model fit to disc evolution statistics for main sequence A stars, this time using realistic grain optical properties, then evolve that population to consider its detectability at later epochs. Our model predicts that debris discs around giant stars are harder to detect than on the main sequence because radiation pressure is more effective at removing small dust around higher luminosity stars. Just 12% of first ascent giants within 100pc are predicted to have discs detectable with Herschel at 160um. However this is subject to the uncertain effect of sublimation on the disc, which we propose can thus be constrained with such observations. Our model also finds that the rapid decline in stellar luminosity results in only very young white dwarfs having luminous discs. As such systems are on average at larger distances they are hard to detect, but we predict that the stellar parameters most likely to yield a disc detection are a white dwarf at 200pc with cooling age of 0.1Myr, in line with observations of the Helix Nebula. Our model does not predict close-in (<0.01AU) dust, as observed for some white dwarfs, however we find that stellar wind drag leaves significant mass (~10^{-2}Msolar), in bodies up to ~10m in diameter, inside the disc at the end of the AGB phase which may replenish these discs.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE ACCRETION DISK IN THE ACCRETION DISK CORONA X-RAY BINARY 4U 1822–371 AT OPTICAL AND ULTRAVIOLET WAVELENGTHS

The eclipsing low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1822-371 is the prototypical accretion disk corona (ADC) system. We have obtained new time-resolved UV spectroscopy of 4U 1822-371 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys/Solar Blind Channel (ACS/SBC) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and new V- and J-band photometry with the 1.3-m SMARTS telescope at CTIO. We use the new data to construct its UV/optical spectral energy distribution and its orbital light curve in the UV, V, and J bands. We derive an improved ephemeris for the optical eclipses and confirm that the orbital period is changing rapidly, indicating extremely high rates of mass flow in the system; and we show that the accretion disk in the system has a strong wind with projected velocities up to 4000 km/s. We show that the disk has a vertically-extended, optically-thick component at optical wavelengths.This component extends almost to the edge of the disk and has a height equal to ~0.5 of the disk radius. As it has a low brightness temperature, we identify it as the optically-thick base of a disk wind, not as the optical counterpart of the ADC. Like previous models of 4U 1822-371, ours needs a tall obscuring wall near the edge of the accretion disk, but we interpret the wall as a layer of cooler material at the base of the disk wind, not as a tall, luminous disk rim.

X-RAY ISOPHOTES IN A RAPIDLY ROTATING ELLIPTICAL GALAXY: EVIDENCE OF INFLOWING GAS

We describe two-dimensional gasdynamical computations of the X-ray emitting gas in the rotating elliptical galaxy NGC 4649 that indicate an inflow of about one solar mass per year at every radius. Such a large instantaneous inflow cannot have persisted over a Hubble time. The central constant-entropy temperature peak recently observed in the innermost 150 parsecs is explained by compressive heating as gas flows toward the central massive black hole. Since the cooling time of this gas is only a few million years, NGC 4649 provides the most acutely concentrated known example of the cooling flow problem in which the time-integrated apparent mass that has flowed into the galactic core exceeds the total mass observed there. This paradox can be resolved by intermittent outflows of energy or mass driven by accretion energy released near the black hole. Inflowing gas is also required at intermediate kpc radii to explain the ellipticity of X-ray isophotes due to spin-up by mass ejected by stars that rotate with the galaxy and to explain local density and temperature profiles. We provide evidence that many luminous elliptical galaxies undergo similar inflow spin-up. A small turbulent viscosity is required in NGC 4649 to avoid forming large X-ray luminous disks that are not observed, but the turbulent pressure is small and does not interfere with mass determinations that assume hydrostatic equilibrium.

Global Radiation-Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Black-Hole Accretion Flow and Outflow: Unified Model of Three States

Abstract Black-hole accretion systems are known to possess several distinct modes (or spectral states), such as low/hard state and high/soft state. Since the dynamics of the corresponding flows is distinct, theoretical models were separately considered for each state. We here propose a unified model based on our new, global, two-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations. By controlling a density normalization we could for the first time reproduce three distinct modes of accretion flow and outflow with one numerical code. When the density is large (model A), a geometrically thick, very luminous disk forms, in which photon trapping takes place. When the density is moderate (model B), the accreting gas can effectively be cooled by emitting radiation, thus generating a thin disk, i.e., a soft-state disk. When the density is too low for radiative cooling to be important (model C), a disk becomes hot, thick, and faint; i.e., a hard-state disk. The magnetic energy is amplified within the disk up to about twice, 30%, and 20% of the gas energy in models A, B, and C, respectively. Notably, the disk outflows with helical magnetic fields, which are driven either by radiation-pressure force or magnetic-pressure force, are ubiquitous in any accretion modes. Finally, our simulations are consistent with the phenomenological $\alpha$-viscosity prescription; that is, the disk viscosity is proportional to the pressure.