Production Of Relativistic Jets Research Articles

Correlation Between Radio Loudness and the Eddington Ratio in Quasars

ABSTRACTQuasars can be categorized into radio‐loud and radio‐quiet populations based on radio properties. The physical mechanisms underlying this dichotomy have long been an active area of investigation. In this work, we analyze multi‐wavelength data from 851 quasars matched between the SDSS DR14 and FIRST catalogs, requiring emission line measurements with signal‐to‐noise ratios > 3, we fit quasar optical continuum spectra and compute the radio loudness, luminosities, and Eddington ratios. We classify quasars as radio‐loud or radio‐quiet using a dividing line of . We find that the distribution of the Eddington ratio and radio luminosity is different between the radio‐loud and radio‐quiet quasars, and the correlation between the Eddington ratio and radio loudness is disparate as well. The Eddington ratio shows a weakly positive correlation with radio loudness in both the whole sample and radio‐loud quasars, which imply that the Eddington ratio contributes to the radio loudness but it is not the dominant factor and that additional factors influence relativistic jet production in radio‐loud quasars. However, the Eddington ratio is anti‐correlated with radio loudness in radio‐quiet quasars, potentially related to the properties of the accretion disk.

Jet efficiencies and black hole spins in jetted quasars

ABSTRACT The mechanisms responsible for the production of relativistic jets from supermassive black holes (SMBHs) accreting at near-Eddington rates are not well understood. Simple theoretical expectations indicate that SMBHs in quasars accrete via thin discs which should produce at most very weak jets. This is contradicted by observations of powerful jets in flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). We use gamma-ray luminosities observed with the Fermi Large Area Telescope as a proxy of the jet power for a population of 154 FSRQs. Assuming typical quasar accretion rates and using black hole (BH) mass measurements from a variety of methods, we find a mean jet production efficiency of about 10 per cent for FSRQs, with values as high as 222 per cent. We find that this is consistent with FSRQs hosting moderately thin, magnetically arrested accretion discs around rapidly spinning BHs. Modelling our observations using general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations of jets from thin discs, we find an average lower limit of a* = 0.59 for the SMBH spins of FSRQs, with tendency for the spins to decrease as the BH mass increases. Our results are consistent with the merger-driven evolution of SMBHs. 3 per cent of the sample cannot be explained by current GRMHD models of jet production from Kerr BHs due to the high efficiencies. Along the way, we find a correlation between BH masses and Lγ which may be an useful mass estimator in blazar gamma-ray studies.

Observing black holes spin

The spin of a black hole retains the memory of how the black hole grew, and can be a potent source of energy for powering relativistic jets. To understand the diagnostic power and astrophysical significance of black hole spin, however, we must first devise observational methods for measuring spin. Here, I describe the current state of black hole spin measurements, highlighting the progress made by X-ray astronomers, as well as the current excitement of gravitational wave- and radio astronomy-based techniques. Today’s spin measurements are already constraining models for the growth of supermassive black holes and giving new insights into the dynamics of stellar core collapse, as well as hinting at the physics of relativistic jet production. Future X-ray, radio and gravitational wave observatories will transform black hole spin into a precision tool for astrophysics and test fundamental theories of gravity. Current black hole spin measurements, in X-rays, radio and gravitational waves, are already constraining models for the growth of black holes, the dynamics of stellar core-collapse and the physics of relativistic jet production.

A connection between accretion states and the formation of ultrarelativistic outflows in a neutron star X-ray binary

The nearby accreting neutron star binary Sco X-1 is the closest example of ongoing relativistic jet production at high Eddington ratios. Previous radio studies have revealed that alongside mildly relativistic, radio-emitting ejecta, there is at times a much faster transfer of energy from the region of the accretion flow along the jet. The nature of this ultrarelativistic flow remains unclear and while there is some evidence for a similar phenomenon in other systems which might contain neutron stars, it has never been observed in a confirmed black hole system. We have compared these previous radio observations with a new analysis of simultaneous X-ray observations which were performed with the RXTE mission. We find that the ejection of the ultra-relativistic flow seems to be associated with the simultaneous appearance of two particular types of quasi-periodic oscillations in the X-ray power spectrum. In contrast, the mildly relativistic, radio-emitting outflows may be associated with flat-topped broad band noise in the X-ray power spectrum. This is the first time a link, albeit tentative, has been found between these mysterious unseen flows and the accretion flow from which they are launched.

Statistical multifrequency study of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

High-energy {\gamma}-rays, which are produced by powerful relativistic jets, are usually associated with blazars and radio galaxies. In the current active galactic nuclei (AGN) paradigm, such jets are almost exclusively launched from massive elliptical galaxies. Recently, however, Fermi/LAT detected {\gamma}-rays from a few narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies and thus confirmed the presence of relativistic jets in them. Since NLS1 galaxies are assumed to be young evolving AGN, they offer a unique opportunity to study the production of relativistic jets in late-type galaxies. Our aim is to estimate by which processes the emission of various kinds is produced in NLS1 galaxies and to study how emission properties are connected to other intrinsic AGN properties. We have compiled the so far largest multiwavelength database of NLS1 sources. This allowed us to explore correlations between different wavebands and source properties using, for example, Pearson and Spearman correlations and principal component analysis. We did this separately for radio-loud and radio-quiet sources. Multiwavelength correlations suggest that radio-loud sources host relativistic jets that are the predominant sources of radio, optical, and X-ray emission. The origin of infrared emission remains unclear. Radio-quiet sources do not host a jet, or the jet is very weak. In them, radio and infrared emission is more likely generated via star formation processes, and the optical and X-ray emission originate in the inner parts of the AGN. We also find that the black hole mass correlates significantly with radio loudness, which suggests that NLS1 galaxies with more massive black holes are more likely to be able to launch powerful relativistic jets.

The power of relativistic jets is larger than the luminosity of their accretion disks.

Theoretical models for the production of relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei predict that jet power arises from the spin and mass of the central supermassive black hole, as well as from the magnetic field near the event horizon. The physical mechanism underlying the contribution from the magnetic field is the torque exerted on the rotating black hole by the field amplified by the accreting material. If the squared magnetic field is proportional to the accretion rate, then there will be a correlation between jet power and accretion luminosity. There is evidence for such a correlation, but inadequate knowledge of the accretion luminosity of the limited and inhomogeneous samples used prevented a firm conclusion. Here we report an analysis of archival observations of a sample of blazars (quasars whose jets point towards Earth) that overcomes previous limitations. We find a clear correlation between jet power, as measured through the γ-ray luminosity, and accretion luminosity, as measured by the broad emission lines, with the jet power dominating the disk luminosity, in agreement with numerical simulations. This implies that the magnetic field threading the black hole horizon reaches the maximum value sustainable by the accreting matter.

EFFECTS OF HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLES ON ACCRETION FLOWS ONTO A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE

We study effects of high-energy particles on the accretion flows onto a supermassive black hole and luminosities of escaping particles such as protons, neutrons, gamma-rays, and neutrinos. We formulate a one-dimensional model of the two-component accretion flow consisting of thermal particles and high-energy particles, supposing that some fraction of the released energy is converted to the acceleration of the high-energy particles. The thermal component is governed by fluid dynamics while the high-energy particles obey the moment equations of the diffusion-convection equation. By solving the time evolution of these equations, we obtain advection dominated flows as the steady state solutions. Effects of the high-energy particles on the flow structures turn out to be small even if the pressure of the high-energy particles dominates over the thermal pressure. For a model in which the escaping protons take away almost all the released energy, the high-energy particles have large influence enough to make the flow have the Keplerian angular velocity at the inner region. We calculate the luminosities of the escaping particles for these steady solutions. The escaping particles can extract the energy from about $10^{-4}\dot M c^2$ to $10^{-2}\dot M c^2$, where $\dot M$ is the mass accretion rates. The luminosities of the escaping particles depend on the parameters such as the injection Lorentz factors, the mass accretion rates, and the diffusion coefficients. We also discuss some implications on the relativistic jet production by the escaping particles.

A model for the multiwavelength radiation from tidal disruption event Swift J1644+57

Gamma-ray observations of a stellar tidal disruption event (TDE) detected by the Swift satellite and follow up observations in radio, mm, infrared and x-ray bands have provided a rich data set to study accretion onto massive blackholes, production of relativistic jets and their interaction with the surrounding medium. The radio and x-ray data for TDE Swift J1644+57 provide a conflicting picture regarding the energy in relativistic jet produced in this event: x-ray data suggest jet energy declining with time as t^{-5/3} whereas the nearly flat lightcurves in radio and mm bands lasting for about 100 days have been interpreted as evidence for the total energy output increasing with time. We show in this work that flat lightcurves do not require addition of energy to decelerating external shock (which produced radio and mm emission via synchrotron process), instead the flat behavior is due to inverse-Compton cooling of electrons by x-ray photons streaming through the external shock; the higher x-ray flux at earlier times cools electrons more rapidly thereby reducing the emergent synchrotron flux, and this effect weakens as the x-ray flux declines with time.

Relativistic jets in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. New discoveries and open questions

Before the launch of the Fermi satellite only two classes of AGNs were known to produce relativistic jets and thus emit up to the gamma-ray energy range: blazars and radio galaxies, both hosted in giant elliptical galaxies. The first four years of observations by the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi confirmed that these two are the most numerous classes of identified sources in the extragalactic gamma-ray sky, but the discovery of gamma-ray emission from 5 radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies revealed the presence of a possible emerging third class of AGNs with relativistic jets. Considering that narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies seem to be typically hosted in spiral galaxy, this finding poses intriguing questions about the nature of these objects, the onset of production of relativistic jets, and the cosmological evolution of radio-loud AGN. Here, we discuss the radio-to-gamma-rays properties of the gamma-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies, also in comparison with the blazar scenario.

ON THE ROLE OF THE ACCRETION DISK IN BLACK HOLE DISK-JET CONNECTIONS

Models of jet production in black hole systems suggest that the properties of the accretion disk - such as its mass accretion rate, inner radius, and emergent magnetic field - should drive and modulate the production of relativistic jets. Stellar-mass black holes in the "low/hard" state are an excellent laboratory in which to study disk-jet connections, but few coordinated observations are made using spectrometers that can incisively probe the inner disk. We report on a series of 20 Suzaku observations of Cygnus X-1 made in the jet-producing low/hard state. Contemporaneous radio monitoring was done using the Arcminute MicroKelvin Array radio telescope. Two important and simple results are obtained: (1) the jet (as traced by radio flux) does not appear to be modulated by changes in the inner radius of the accretion disk; and (2) the jet is sensitive to disk properties, including its flux, temperature, and ionization. Some more complex results may reveal aspects of a coupled disk-corona-jet system. A positive correlation between the reflected X-ray flux and radio flux may represent specific support for a plasma ejection model of the corona, wherein the base of a jet produces hard X-ray emission. Within the framework of the plasma ejection model, the spectra suggest a jet base with v/c ~ 0.3, or the escape velocity for a vertical height of z ~ 20 GM/c^2 above the black hole. The detailed results of X-ray disk continuum and reflection modeling also suggest a height of z ~ 20 GM/c^2 for hard X-ray production above a black hole, with a spin in the range 0.6 < a < 0.99. This height agrees with X-ray time lags recently found in Cygnus X-1. The overall picture that emerges from this study is broadly consistent with some jet-focused models for black hole spectral energy distributions in which a relativistic plasma is accelerated at z = 10-100 GM/c^2.

STELLAR-MASS BLACK HOLE SPIN CONSTRAINTS FROM DISK REFLECTION AND CONTINUUM MODELING

Accretion disk reflection spectra, including broad iron emission lines, bear the imprints of the strong Doppler shifts and gravitational red-shifts close to black holes. The extremity of these shifts depends on the proximity of the innermost stable circular orbit to the black hole, and that orbit is determined by the black hole spin parameter. Modeling relativistic spectral features, then, gives a means of estimating black hole spin. We report on the results of fits made to archival X-ray spectra of stellar-mass black holes and black hole candidates, selected for strong disk reflection features. Following recent work, these spectra were fit with reflection models and disk continuum emission models (where required) in which black hole spin is a free parameter. Although our results must be regarded as preliminary, we find evidence for a broad range of black hole spin parameters in our sample. The black holes with the most relativistic radio jets are found to have high spin parameters, though jets are observed in a black hole with a low spin parameter. For those sources with constrained binary system parameters, we examine the distribution of spin parameters versus black hole mass, binary mass ratio, and orbital period. We discuss the results within the context of black hole creation events, relativistic jet production, and efforts to probe the innermost relativistic regime around black holes.

The theory and simulation of relativistic jet formation: towards a unified model for micro- and macroquasars

I review recent progress in the theory of relativistic jet production, with special emphasis on unifying black hole sources of stellar and supermassive size. Observations of both classes of objects, as well as theoretical considerations, indicate that such jets may be launched with a spine/sheath flow structure, having a much higher Lorentz factor (∼50) near the axis and a lower speed ( Γ∼10 or so) away from the axis. It has become clear that one can no longer consider models of accretion flows without also considering the production of a jet by that flow. Furthermore, the rotation rate of the black hole also must be taken into account. It provides a third parameter that should break the mass/accretion rate degeneracy and perhaps explain why some sources are radio-loud and some radio-quiet. Slow jet acceleration and collimation is expected theoretically, and can explain some of the observed features of AGN jet sources. Finally, relativistic jets launched by MHD/ED processes are Poynting flux dominated by nature, and are potentially unstable if there is significant entrainment of thermal material.

Magnetohydrodynamic production of relativistic jets.

A number of astronomical systems have been discovered that generate collimated flows of plasma with velocities close to the speed of light. In all cases, the central object is probably a neutron star or black hole and is either accreting material from other stars or is in the initial violent stages of formation. Supercomputer simulations of the production of relativistic jets have been based on a magnetohydrodynamic model, in which differential rotation in the system creates a magnetic coil that simultaneously expels and pinches some of the infalling material. The model may explain the basic features of observed jets, including their speed and amount of collimation, and some of the details in the behavior and statistics of different jet-producing sources.

RELATIVISTIC JET PRODUCTION AND PROPAGATION IN ACTIVE GALAXIES

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 375, Issue 1 p. 254-286 RELATIVISTIC JET PRODUCTION AND PROPAGATION IN ACTIVE GALAXIES M. J. Rees, M. J. Rees Institute of Astronomy Cambridge University Cambridge, CB3 OHA EnglandSearch for more papers by this authorM. C. Begelman, M. C. Begelman Department of Astronomy University of California. Berkeley Berkeley. California 94720Search for more papers by this authorR. D. Blandford, R. D. Blandford Theoretical Astrophysics California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125Search for more papers by this author M. J. Rees, M. J. Rees Institute of Astronomy Cambridge University Cambridge, CB3 OHA EnglandSearch for more papers by this authorM. C. Begelman, M. C. Begelman Department of Astronomy University of California. Berkeley Berkeley. California 94720Search for more papers by this authorR. D. Blandford, R. D. Blandford Theoretical Astrophysics California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125Search for more papers by this author First published: December 1981 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1981.tb33700.xCitations: 16AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume375, Issue1Tenth Texas Symposium on Relativistic AstrophysicsDecember 1981Pages 254-286 RelatedInformation