Theoretical astrophysics and plasma physics at RPC

Abstract:

In low-mass disks, turbulent torques are probably the most important way of redistributing angular momentum. Here we present the theory of turbulent accretion disks. We show the molecular viscosity is far too small to account for the evolutionary timescale of disks, and we describe how turbulence may result in enhanced transport of (angular) momentum. We then turn to the magnetorotational instability, which thus far is the only mechanism that has been shown to initiate and sustain turbulence in disks. Finally, we present both the basis and the structure of alpha disk models.

Abstract:

We present a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) three-dimensional simulation of a nonradiative accretion flow originating in a pressure-supported torus. The evolution is controlled by the magnetorotational instability, which produces turbulence. The flow forms a nearly Keplerian disk. The total pressure scale height in this disk is comparable to the vertical size of the initial torus. Gas pressure dominates near the equator; magnetic pressure is more important in the surrounding atmosphere. A magnetically dominated bound outflow is driven from the disk. The accretion rate through the disk exceeds the final rate into the hole, and a hot torus forms inside 10rg. Hot gas, pushed up against the centrifugal barrier and confined by magnetic pressure, is ejected in a narrow, unbound, conical outflow. The dynamics are controlled by magnetic turbulence, not thermal convection, and a hydrodynamic α-model is inadequate to describe the flow. The limitations of two-dimensional MHD simulations are also discussed.

Abstract:

We consider long-slit emission-line spectra of galactic nuclei when the slit is wider than the instrumental point spread function, and the target has large velocity gradients. The finite width of the slit generates complex distributions of brightness at a given spatial point in the measured spectrum, which can be misinterpreted as coming from additional physically distinct nuclear components. We illustrate this phenomenon for the case of a thin disc in circular motion around a nuclear black hole (BH). We develop a new method for estimating the mass of the BH that exploits a feature in the spectrum at the outer edge of the BH's sphere of influence, and therefore gives higher sensitivity to BH detection than traditional methods. Moreover, with this method we can determine the BH mass and the inclination of the surrounding disc separately, whereas the traditional approach to BH estimation requires two long-slit spectra to be taken. We show that, with a given spectrograph, the detectability of a BH depends on the sense of rotation of the nuclear disc. We apply our method to estimate the BH mass in M84 from a publicly available spectrum, and recover a value four times lower than that published previously from the same data.