Astrophysical Systems Research Articles

The magnetic maze: a system with tunable scale invariance

Random magnetic field configurations are ubiquitous in nature. Such fields lead to a variety of dynamical phenomena, including localization and glassy physics in some condensed matter systems and novel transport processes in astrophysical systems. Here we consider the physics of a charged quantum particle moving in a “magnetic maze”: a high-dimensional space filled with a randomly chosen vector potential and a corresponding magnetic field. We derive a path integral description of the model by introducing appropriate collective variables and integrating out the random vector potential, and we solve for the dynamics in the limit of large dimensionality. We derive and analyze the equations of motion for Euclidean and real-time dynamics, and we calculate out-of-time-order correlators. We show that a special choice of vector potential correlations gives rise, in the low temperature limit, to a novel scale-invariant quantum theory with a tunable dynamical exponent. Moreover, we show that the theory is chaotic with a tunable chaos exponent which approaches the chaos bound at low temperature and strong coupling.

Probing the Morphology of Polarized Emission Induced by Fluctuation Dynamo Using Minkowski Functionals

The morphology and the characteristic scale of polarized structures provide crucial insights into the mechanisms that drive turbulence and maintain magnetic fields in magneto-ionic plasma. We aim to establish the efficacy of Minkowski functionals as quantitative statistical probes of filamentary morphology of polarized synchrotron emission resulting from fluctuation dynamo action. Using synthetic observations generated from magnetohydrodynamic simulations of fluctuation dynamos with varying driving scales (ℓ f) of turbulence in isothermal, incompressible, and subsonic media, we study the relation between different morphological measures and their connection to fractional polarization (p f). We find that Faraday depolarization at low frequencies gives rise to small-scale polarized structures that have higher filamentarity as compared to the intrinsic structures that are comparable to ℓ f. Above ∼3 GHz, the number of connected polarized structures per unit area (N CC,peak) is related to the mean p f (〈p f〉) of the emitting region as 〈pf〉∝NCC,peak−1/4 , provided the scale of the detectable emitting region is larger than ℓ f. This implies that N CC,peak represents the number of turbulent cells projected on the plane of the sky and can be directly used to infer ℓ f via the relation ℓf∝NCC,peak−1/2 . An estimate of ℓ f thus directly allows for pinning down the turbulence-driving mechanism in astrophysical systems. While the simulated conditions are mostly prevalent in the intracluster medium of galaxy clusters, the qualitative morphological features are also applicable in the context of interstellar medium in galaxies.

Suprathermal corrections on galactic cosmic rays driven magnetohydrodynamic waves and gravitational instability in astrophysical plasmas

The interaction of two populations of highly energetic cosmic rays (CRs) and suprathermal kappa gas in the astrophysical systems manifests exciting features of low-frequency magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves and instabilities. Contrary to the previous works on waves and instability analysis in Maxwellian gas, this paper investigates the effects of suprathermal corrections on the CR driven MHD waves and gravitational (Jeans) instability using the kappa distribution function. The equation of state for a kappa gas, including spectral κ− index, is considered in the CR-plasma interactions using the hydrodynamic fluid–fluid approach. The modified dispersion properties of fast, slow, and pure Alfvén waves and Jeans instability have been discussed in a suprathermal gas in astrophysical environments. The suprathermal corrections enhance the phase speed of the fast mode of MHD waves which is found to be greater in the suprathermal gas (κ>3/2) and smaller in the Maxwellian gas (κ→∞). In the absence of CR diffusion, the Jeans instability criterion is modified due to the simultaneous presence of CR pressure and suprathermal corrections. However, in the presence of CR diffusion, only suprathermal corrections modify the Jeans instability criterion. The suprathermal gases with higher degrees of freedom require large values of the Jeans wavenumber to produce gravitational instability and make the system more unstable. The suprathermal corrections along with modified thermal speed stabilize the growth rate of Jean instability, supporting the gravitational collapse of non-thermal gas in astrophysical systems.

Applying the Adomian Method to Solve the Fokker–Planck Equation: A Case Study in Astrophysics

The objective of this study is to model astrophysical systems using the nonlinear Fokker–Planck equation, with the Adomian method chosen for its iterative and precise solutions in this context, applying boundary conditions relevant to data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The results include analysis of 156 X-ray intensity distributions from X-ray binaries (XRBs), exhibiting long-tail profiles consistent with Tsallis q-Gaussian distributions. The corresponding q-values align with the principles of Tsallis thermostatistics. Various diffusion hypotheses—classical, linear, nonlinear, and anomalous—are examined, with q-values further supporting Tsallis thermostatistics. Adjustments in the parameter α (related to the order of fractional temporal derivation) reveal the extent of the memory effect, strongly correlating with fractal properties in the diffusive process. Extending this research to other XRBs is both possible and recommended to generalize the characteristics of X-ray scattering and electromagnetic waves at different frequencies originating from similar astronomical objects.

Direct observation of ion cyclotron damping of turbulence in Earth’s magnetosheath plasma

Plasma turbulence plays a key role in space and astrophysical plasma systems, enabling the energy of magnetic fields and plasma flows to be transported to particle kinetic scales at which the turbulence dissipates and heats the plasma. Identifying the physical mechanisms responsible for the dissipation of the turbulent energy is a critical step in developing the predictive capability for the turbulent heating needed by global models. In this work, spacecraft measurements of the electromagnetic fields and ion velocity distributions by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission are used to generate velocity-space signatures that identify ion cyclotron damping in Earth’s turbulent magnetosheath, in agreement with analytical modeling. Furthermore, the rate of ion energization is directly quantified and combined with a previous analysis of the electron energization to identify the dominant channels of turbulent dissipation and determine the partitioning of energy among species in this interval.

Discovery of persistent quasi-periodic oscillations in accreting white dwarfs: a new link to X-ray binaries

ABSTRACT Almost all accreting black hole and neutron star (NS) X-ray binary systems (XRBs) exhibit prominent brightness variations on a few characteristic time-scales and their harmonics. These quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) are thought to be associated with the precession of a warped accretion disc, but the physical mechanism that generates the precessing warp remains uncertain. Relativistic frame dragging (Lense–Thirring precession) is one promising candidate, but a misaligned magnetic field is an alternative, especially for NS XRBs. Here, we report the discovery of five accreting white dwarf systems (AWDs) that display strong optical QPOs with characteristic frequencies and harmonic structures that suggest they are the counterpart of the QPOs seen in XRBs. Since AWDs are firmly in the classical (non-relativistic) regime, Lense–Thirring precession cannot account for these QPOs. By contrast, a weak magnetic field associated with the white dwarf can drive disc warping and precession in these systems, similar to what has been proposed for NS XRBs. Our observations confirm that magnetically driven warping is a viable mechanism for generating QPOs in disc-accreting astrophysical systems, certainly in AWDs and possibly also in NS XRBs. Additionally, they establish a new way to estimate magnetic field strengths, even in relatively weak-field systems where other methods are not available.

Shock-induced Partial Alignment in Geometrically Thick Tilted Accretion Disks Around Black Holes

We carry out idealized three-dimensional general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of prograde, weakly magnetized, and geometrically thick accretion flows where the gas distribution is misaligned from the black hole (BH) spin axis. We evolve the disk for three BH spins: a = 0.5, 0.75, and 0.9375, and we contrast them with a standard aligned disk simulation with a = 0.9375. The tilted disks achieve a warped and twisted steady-state structure, with the outer disk misaligning further away from the BH and surpassing the initial 24° misalignment. However, closer to the BH, there is evidence of partial alignment, as the inclination angle decreases with radius in this regime. Standing shocks also emerged in proximity to the BH, roughly at ∼6 gravitational radii. We show that these shocks act to partially align the inner disk with the BH spin. The rate of alignment increases with increasing BH spin magnitude, but in all cases is insufficient to fully align the gas before it accretes. Additionally, we present a toy model of orbit crowding that can predict the location of the shocks in moderate-to-fast rotating BHs, illustrating a potential physical origin for the behavior seen in simulations—with possible applications in determining the positions of shocks in real misaligned astrophysical systems.

Shadowgraph Measurements of Rotating Convective Planetary Core‐Style Flows

AbstractThe local scale of rotating convection, ℓ, is a fundamental parameter in many turbulent geophysical and astrophysical fluid systems, yet it is often poorly constrained. Here we conduct rotating convection laboratory experiments analogous to convecting flows in planetary cores and subsurface oceans to obtain measurements of the local scales of motion. Utilizing silicone oil as the working fluid, we employ shadowgraph imagery to visualize the flow, from which we extract values of the characteristic cross‐axial scale of convective columns and plumes. These measurements are compared to the theoretical values of the critical onset length scale, ℓcrit, and the turbulent length scale, ℓturb. Our experimentally obtained length scale measurements simultaneously agree with both the onset and turbulent scale predictions across three orders of magnitude in convective supercriticality , a correlation that is consistent with inferences made in prior studies. We further explore the nature of this correlation and its implications for geophysical and astrophysical systems.

Estimating the mass-to-distance ratio for a set of megamaser AGN black holes by employing a general relativistic method

Context. Motivated by the recent achievements of a full general relativistic method in determining black hole (BH) parameters, we continue to estimate the mass-to-distance ratio of the supermassive BHs hosted at the core of the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) of the megamaser galaxies NGC 1320, NGC 1194, NGC 5495, and Mrk 1029. Aims. Our aim is to study the properties of super massive BHs at the centers of the selected AGNs by using a full general relativistic method that allows us to address the potential detection of relativistic effects within such astrophysical systems. Methods. In order to perform statistical estimations with publicly available observational data, we used a general relativistic model that describes BH rotation curves and further employed a Bayesian fitting method. Results. We estimated the mass-to-distance ratio of the aforementioned BHs, their position and the recessional redshifts of the host galaxies produced by both peculiar motion and cosmological expansion of the Universe. Finally, we calculated the gravitational redshift of the closest maser to the BH for each AGN. This gravitational redshift is a general relativistic effect produced by the gravitational field of the BH properly included in the modelling.

Constraining Post-Newtonian Parameters with the Cosmic Microwave Background

The Parameterised Post-Newtonian (PPN) approach is the default framework for performing precision tests of gravity in nearby astrophysical systems. In recent works we have extended this approach for cosmological applications, and in this paper we use observations of the anisotropies in the Cosmic Microwave Background to constrain the time variation of the PPN parameters α and γ between last scattering and the present day. We find their time-averages over cosmological history should be within ∼ 20% of their values in GR, with α̅= 0.89+0.08 -0.09 and γ̅ = 0.90+0.07 -0.08 at the 68% confidence level. We also constrain the time derivatives of these parameters, and find that their present-day values should be within a factor of two of the best Solar System constraints. Many of these results have no counter-part from Solar System observations, and are entirely new constraints on the gravitational interaction. In all cases, we find that the data strongly prefer α̅ ≃ γ̅, meaning that observers would typically find local gravitational physics to be compatible with GR, despite considerable variation of α and γ being allowed over cosmic history. This study lays the groundwork for future precision tests of gravity that combine observations made over all cosmological and astrophysical scales of length and time.

TRACE: a code for time-reversible astrophysical close encounters

Abstract We present TRACE, an almost time-reversible hybrid integrator for the planetary N-body problem. Like hybrid symplectic integrators, TRACE can resolve close encounters between particles while retaining many of the accuracy and speed advantages of a fixed timestep symplectic method such the Wisdom–Holman map. TRACE switches methods time-reversibly during close encounters following the prescription of Hernandez & Dehnen. In this paper we describe the derivation and implementation of TRACE and study its performance for a variety of astrophysical systems. In all our test cases TRACE is at least as accurate and fast as the hybrid symplectic integrator MERCURIUS. In many cases TRACE’s performance is vastly superior to that of MERCURIUS. In test cases with planet-planet close encounters, TRACE is as accurate as MECURIUS with a 12x speedup. If close encounters with the central star are considered, TRACE achieves good error performance while MERCURIUS fails to give qualitatively correct results. In ensemble tests of violent scattering systems, TRACE matches the high-accuracy IAS15 while providing a 15x speed-up. In large N systems simulating lunar accretion, TRACE qualitatively gives the same results as IAS15 but at a 41x speedup. We also discuss some cases such as von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai cycles where hybrid integrators perform poorly and provide some guidance on which integrator to use for which system. TRACE is freely available within the REBOUND package.

QUANTIZER: A new collisionless N-body code optimized for small-scale devices

Abstract We present QUANTIZER, a new collisionless N-body code tailored for cosmological and galaxy-scale simulations. The code uses the particle-mesh method, combined with a novel Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) technique. The design of the AMR method of QUANTIZER maximizes the efficient use of refinement zones by combining a cell-by-cell scheme with parallelization-friendly regular patches. We test the code using three astrophysical systems: a binary system of two particles without AMR to test orbital accuracy; an isolated elliptical galaxy modeled as a Plummer sphere; and a merger of two disk galaxies. Comparisons are made with the well-known particle-mesh AMR code RAMSES, and with our own direct particle-particle solver. The results show that the accuracy of QUANTIZER is equal to or better than RAMSES, and the runtime is approximately 2.5 to 10 times faster than that code, depending on the problem.

The IXPE Science of Pulsars and Their Nebulae

Pulsars (PSRs) and Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) form some of the most interesting high-energy astrophysical systems. Their prominent synchrotron emission makes them ideal candidates for polarimetry. Here, after briefly summarizing the scientific rationale underpinning the importance of their polarimetric studies, we review the current status and achievements obtained by the IXPE mission. For the first time, we have space- and phase-resolved X-ray data that allow us to set constraints on the geometry and level of turbulence of the magnetic field which, in turn, can help us to better understand which acceleration and radiation model(s) might be at work in these systems. Interestingly, PWNe show a large variety in terms of polarization degree that might indicate key physical differences, still to be further investigated.

Constraining dark matter-proton scattering from molecular cloud ionization

Optically dense clouds in the interstellar medium composed predominantly of molecular hydrogen, known as molecular clouds, are sensitive to energy injection in the form of photon absorption, cosmic-ray scattering, and dark matter (DM) scattering. The ionization rates in dense molecular clouds are heavily constrained by observations of abundances of various molecular tracers. Recent studies have set constraints on the DM-electron scattering cross section using measurements of ionization rates in dense molecular clouds. Here we calculate the analogous bounds on the DM-proton cross section using the molecular Migdal effect, recently adapted from the neutron scattering literature to the DM context. These bounds may be the strongest limits on a strongly coupled DM subfraction, and represent the first application of the Migdal effect to astrophysical systems. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Numerical study of granulation in anelastic thermal convection in spherical shells

The present work investigates granulation or convective flow patterns in density-stratified (or anelastic) convection in spherical shells. The density-stratified thermal convection is typically present in astrophysical systems (such as solar convection); motivated by this, we performed a series of three-dimensional anelastic convection simulations in a spherical shell geometry using an in-house developed hybrid solver. We explored the effect of Rayleigh number and density scale height on the convective flow patterns. The granulation (or cell-like structures) are more prominent at higher density scale height and Rayleigh number. The granulation is further characterized by kinetic energy and helicity spectra. Our results support the argument that the convective flow patterns (or granulation) emerge due to inverse cascade owing to the presence of density stratification. Convective patterns (or granulation) are identified based on length scales, time scales, and flow velocity. The length scale of granules is further verified using a solar granulation model. Our analysis suggests the existence of inverse cascade and supergranulation on the spherical surface due to density-stratified thermal convection in spherical shells.

The Dynamics of Debris Disk Creation in Neutron Star Mergers

The detection of GW170817/AT2017gfo inaugurated an era of multimessenger astrophysics, in which gravitational-wave and multiwavelength photon observations complement one another to provide unique insight into astrophysical systems. A broad theoretical consensus exists, in which the photon phenomenology of neutron star mergers largely rests upon the evolution of the small amount of matter left on bound orbits around the black hole or massive neutron star remaining after the merger. Because this accretion disk is far from inflow equilibrium, its subsequent evolution depends very strongly on its initial state, yet very little is known about how this state is determined. Using both snapshot and tracer particle data from a numerical relativity/MHD simulation of an equal-mass neutron star merger that collapses to a black hole, we show how gravitational forces arising in a nonaxisymmetric, dynamical spacetime supplement hydrodynamical effects in shaping the initial structure of the bound debris disk. The work done by hydrodynamical forces is ∼10 times greater than that due to time-dependent gravity. Although gravitational torques prior to remnant relaxation are an order of magnitude larger than hydrodynamical torques, their intrinsic sign symmetry leads to strong cancellation; as a result, hydrodynamical and gravitational torques have a comparable effect. We also show that the debris disk’s initial specific angular momentum distribution is sharply peaked at roughly the specific angular momentum of the merged neutron star’s outer layers, a few r g c, and identify the regulating mechanism.

Temperature-reducing shocks in optically thin radiative MHD—Analytical and numerical results

Shocks are often invoked as heating mechanisms in astrophysical systems, with both adiabatic compression and dissipative heating that leading to the increase in temperature. While shocks are reasonably well understood for ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) systems, in many astrophysical plasmas, radiation is an important phenomena, which can allow energy to leave the system. As such, energy becomes non-conservative, which can fundamentally change the behavior of shocks. The energy emitted through optically thin radiation post-shock can exceed the thermal energy increase, resulting in shocks that reduce the temperature of the medium, i.e., cooling shocks that have a net decrease in temperature across the interface. In this paper, semi-analytical solutions for radiative shocks are derived to demonstrate that both cooling (temperature decreasing) and heating (temperature increasing) shock solutions are possible across the whole temperature range in optically thin radiative MHD. Numerical simulations of magnetic reconnection for solar-like temperatures and plasma-β with optically thin radiative losses also yield both heating and cooling shocks in roughly equal abundances. The detected cooling shocks feature a significantly lower pressure jump across the shock than their heating counterparts. The compression at the shock front leads to locally enhanced radiative losses, resulting in significant cooling within a few grid cells in the upstream and downstream directions. The presence of temperature-reducing (cooling) shocks is critical in determining the thermal evolution, and heating or cooling, across a wealth of radiative astrophysical plasmas including magnetic reconnection in the solar corona.

Statistics of Energy in Isothermal Supersonic Turbulence

Supersonic isothermal turbulence is a common process in astrophysical systems. In this work, we explore the energy in such systems. We show that the conserved energy is the sum of the kinetic energy (K) and Helmholtz free energy (F). We develop analytic predictions for the probability distributions, P(F) and P(K), as well as their nontrivial joint distribution, P(F, K). We verify these predictions with a suite of driven turbulence simulations, finding excellent agreement. The turbulence simulations were performed at Mach numbers ranging from 1 to 8, and three modes of driving: purely solenoidal, purely compressive, and mixed. We find that P(F) is discontinuous at F = 0, with the discontinuity increasing with Mach number and compressive driving. P(K) resembles a lognormal with a negative skew. The joint distribution, P(F, K), shows a bimodal distribution, with gas either existing at high F and high K or at low F and low K.

Geometry, Dissipation, Cooling, and the Dynamical Evolution of Wind-blown Bubbles

Bubbles driven by energy and mass injection from small scales are ubiquitous in astrophysical fluid systems and essential to feedback across multiple scales. In particular, O stars in young clusters produce high-velocity winds that create hot bubbles in the surrounding gas. We demonstrate that the dynamical evolution of these bubbles is critically dependent upon the geometry of their interfaces with their surroundings and the nature of heat transport across these interfaces. These factors together determine the amount of energy that can be lost from the interior through cooling at the interface, which in turn determines the ability of the bubble to do work on its surroundings. We further demonstrate that the scales relevant to physical dissipation across this interface are extremely difficult to resolve in global numerical simulations of bubbles for parameter values of interest. This means the dissipation driving evolution of these bubbles in numerical simulations is often of a numerical nature. We describe the physical and numerical principles that determine the level of dissipation in these simulations; we use this, along with a fractal model for the geometry of the interfaces, to explain differences in convergence behavior between hydrodynamical and magnetohydrodynamical simulations presented here. We additionally derive an expression for momentum as a function of bubble radius expected when the relevant dissipative scales are resolved and show that it still results in efficiently cooled solutions, as postulated in previous work.

Acceleration of Electrons and Ions by an “Almost” Astrophysical Shock in the Heliosphere

Collisionless shock waves, ubiquitous in the Universe, are crucial for particle acceleration in various astrophysical systems. Currently, the heliosphere is the only natural environment available for their in situ study. In this work, we showcase the collective acceleration of electrons and ions by one of the fastest in situ shocks ever recorded, observed by the pioneering Parker Solar Probe at only 34.5 million km from the Sun. Our analysis of this unprecedented, near-parallel shock shows electron acceleration up to 6 MeV amidst intense multiscale electromagnetic wave emissions. We also present evidence of a variable shock structure capable of injecting and accelerating ions from the solar wind to high energies through a self-consistent process. The exceptional capability of the probe’s instruments to measure electromagnetic fields in a shock traveling at 1% the speed of light has enabled us, for the first time, to confirm that the structure of a strong heliospheric shock aligns with theoretical models of strong shocks observed in astrophysical environments. This alignment offers viable avenues for understanding astrophysical shock processes and the self-consistent acceleration of charged particles.