Hyperaccretion after the Blandford-Znajek Process:A New Model for GRBs with X-Ray Flares Observed in Early Afterglows

We propose a three-stage model with Blandford-Znajek （BZ） and hyperaccretion process to interpret the recent observations of early afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts （GRBs）. In the first stage, the prompt GRB is powered by a rotating black hole （BH） invoking the BZ process. The second stage is a quiet stage, in which the BZ process is shut off, and the accretion onto the BH is depressed by the torque exerted by the magnetic coupling （MC） process. Part of the rotational energy transported by the MC process from the BH is stored in the disk as magnetic energy. In the third stage, the MC process is shut off when the magnetic energy in the disk accumulates and triggers magnetic instability. At this moment, the hyperaccretion process may set in, and the jet launched in this restarted central engine generates the observed X-ray flares. This model can account for the energies and timescales of GRBs with X-ray flares observed in early afterglows.

Transition from radiatively inefficient to cooling dominated phase in two temperature accretion disks around black holes

We investigate the transition of a radiatively inefficient phase of a viscous two temperature accreting flow to a cooling dominated phase and vice versa around black holes. Based on a global sub-Keplerian accretion disk model in steady state, including explicit cooling processes self-consistently, we show that general advective accretion flow passes through various phases during its infall towards a black hole. Bremsstrahlung, syn- chrotron and inverse Comptonization of soft photons are considered as possible cooling mechanisms. Hence the flow governs a much lower electron temperature ～10^8 - 10^9.5 K compared to the hot protons of temperature ～10^10.2 - 10^11.8 K in the range of the accretion rate in Eddington units 0.01≤M≤ 100. Therefore, the solutions may potentially explain the hard X-rays and the γ-rays emitted from AGNs and X-ray binaries. We finally compare the solutions for two different regimes of viscosity and conclude that a weakly viscous flow is expected to be cooling dominated compared to its highly viscous counterpart which is radiatively inefficient. The flow is successfully able to reproduce the observed luminosities of the under-fed AGNs and quasars （e.g. Sgr A＊）, ultra-luminous X-ray sources （e.g. SS433）, as well as the highly luminous AGNs and ultra-luminous quasars （e.g. PKS 0743-67） at different combinations of the mass accretion rate and ratio of specific heats.

2.5-dimensional solution of the advective accretion disk:a self-similar approach

We provide a 2.5-dimensional solution to a complete set of viscous hydrodynamical equations describing accretion-induced outflows and plausible jets around black holes/compact objects. We prescribe a self-consistent advective disk-outflow coupling model, which explicitly includes the information of vertical flux. Inter-connecting dynamics of an inflow-outflow system essentially upholds the conservation laws. We provide a set of analytical family of solutions through a self-similar approach. The flow parameters of the disk-outflow system depend strongly on the viscosity parameter α and the cooling factor f.

A 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in black hole systems: a higher order polynomial approximation

The correlated and coupled dynamics of accretion and outflow around black holes （BHs） are essentially governed by the fundamental laws of conservation as outflow extracts matter, momentum and energy from the accretion region. Here we analyze a robust form of 2.5-dimensional viscous, resistive, advective magnetized accretion-outflow coupling in BH systems. We solve the complete set of coupled MHD conservation equations self-consistently, through invoking a generalized polynomial expansion in two dimensions. We perform a critical analysis of the accretion-outflow region and provide a complete quasi-analytical family of solutions for advective flows. We obtain the physically plausible outflow solu- tions at high turbulent viscosity parameter a（〉0.3）, and at a reduced scale-height, as magnetic stresses compress or squeeze the flow region. We found that the value of the large-scale poloidal magnetic field Bp is enhanced with the increase of the geometrical thickness of the accretion flow. On the other hand, differential magnetic torque （-r2BBz） increases with the increase in M. Bp, -r2BBz as well as the plasma beta/3p get strongly augmented with the increase in the value of a, enhancing the transport of vertical flux outwards. Our solutions indicate that magnetocentrifugal acceleration plausibly plays a dominant role in effusing out plasma from the radial accretion flow in a moderately advective paradigm which is more centrifugally dominated. However in a strongly advective paradigm it is likely that the thermal pressure gradient would play a more contributory role in the vertical transport of plasma.

Constraints on black hole spins with a general relativistic accretion disk corona model

The peaks in the spectra of the accretion disks surrounding massive black holes in quasars are in the far-UV or soft X-ray band, which are usually not observed. However, in the disk corona model, soft photons from the disk are Comptonized to high energy in the hot corona, and the hard X-ray spectra （lu- minosity and spectral shape） contain information on the incident spectra from the disk. The values of black hole spin parameter a. are inferred from the spectral fitting, which are spread over a large range, ~ -0.94 to 0.998. We find that the inclination angles and mass accretion rates are well determined by the spectral fitting, but the results are sensitive to the accuracy of black hole mass estimates. No tight constraints on the black hole spins are achieved, if the uncertainties in black hole mass measurements are a factor of four, which are typical for the single-epoch reverberation mapping method. Recently, the accuracy of black hole mass measurement has been significantly improved to 0.2 - 0.4 dex with the velocity resolved reverber- ation mapping method. The black hole spin can be well constrained if the mass measurement accuracy is 50%. In the accretion disk corona scenario, a fraction of power dissipated in the disk is transported into the corona, and therefore the accretion disk is thinner than a bare disk for the same mass accretion rate, because the radiation pressure in the disk is reduced. We find that the thin disk approximation, H/R ≤0. 1, is still valid if 0.3 〈 m 〈 0.5, provided half of the dissipated power is radiated in the corona above the disk.

On the Geometry of Broad-Line Regions in BL Lac Objects

The geometry of broad-line regions （BLRs） in active galactic nuclei （AGNs） is still controversial. We use a sample of BL Lac objects, of which the black hole masses Mbh are estimated from their host galaxy absolute magnitude at R-band, MR, by using the empirical relation between MR and black hole mass Mbh. The sizes of the broad-line regions for MglI are derived from the widths of MglI lines and the black hole masses. Compared with the empirical relation between BLR size RBLR and MgII line luminosity LMglI, it is found the BLR sizes in the BL Lac objects derived in this paper are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher. If the BLR geometry of these sources is disklike, then the viewing angle between the axis and the line of sight is in the range of - 2° - 15°, which is consistent with the unification scheme.

Correlation between excitation index and Eddington ratio in radio galaxies

We use a sample of 111 radio galaxies with redshift z 〈 0.3 to investigate their nuclear properties. The black hole masses of the sources in this sample are estimated with the velocity dispersion/luminosity of the galaxies, or the width of the broad-lines. We find that the excitation index, the relative intensity of low and high excitation lines, is correlated with the Eddington ratio for this sample. The size of the narrow-line region （NLR） was found to vary with ionizing luminosity as RNLR ∝ Lion^0.25 （Liu et al. 2013）. Using this empirical relation, we find that the correlation between the excitation index and the Eddington ratio can be reproduced by photoionization models. We adopt two sets of spectral energy distributions （SEDs）, with or without a big blue bump in ultraviolet as the ionizing continuum, and infer that the modeled correlation between the excitation index and the Eddington ratio is insensitive to the applied SED. This means that the difference between high excitation galaxies and low excitation galaxies is not caused by the different accretion modes in these sources. Instead, it may be caused by the size of the NLR.

A disk-corona model for the low/hard state of black hole X-ray binaries

A disk-corona model for fitting the low/hard（LH）state of the associated steady jet in black hole X-ray binaries（BHXBs）is proposed based on the large-scale magnetic field configuration that arises from the coexistence of the Blandford-Znajek（BZ）and Blandford-Payne（BP）processes,where the magnetic field configuration for the BP process is determined by the requirement of energy conversion from Poynting energy flux into kinetic energy flux in the jet.It is found that corona current is crucial to guarantee the consistency of the jet launching from the accretion disk.The relative importance of the BZ and BP processes in powering jets from black hole accretion disks is discussed,and the LH state of several BHXBs is fitted based on our model.In addition,we suggest that magnetic field configuration can be regarded as the second parameter for governing the state transition of BHXBs.

Gamma-ray Bursts: a Probe of Black Holes

There is strong evidence for the existence of black holes (BHs) in some X-ray binaries and in most galactic nuclei based on different types of measurement, but black holes have not been definitely identified for the lack of very firm observational evidence up to now. Because direct evidence for BHs should come from determination of strong gravitational redshift, we expect an object can fall into the region near the BH horizon where radiation can be detected. Therefore the object must be a compact star such as a neutron star (NS), and intense astrophysical processes will release highly energetic radiation that is transient and fast-varying. These characteristics may point to the observed gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Recent observations of iron lines suggest that afterglows of GRBs show properties similar to those observed in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), implying that the GRBs may originate from intense events related to black holes. A model for GRBs and after-glows is proposed here to obtain the range of gravitational redshifts (zg) of GRBs with known cosmological redshifts. Here, we provide a new method that, with a search for high-energy emission lines (X- or -γ-rays) in GRBs, one can determine the gravitational redshift. We expect zg to be 0.5 or even larger, so we can rule out the possibility of other compact objects such as NSs, and identify the central progenitors of GRBs as black holes.

A model of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in black hole X-ray binaries

A model of low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations （LFQPOs） of black hole X-ray binaries （BHXBs） is proposed based on the perturbed magnetohydrody- namic equations of an accretion disk. It turns out that the LFQPO frequencies of some BHXBs can be fitted by the frequencies of the toroidal Alfv6n wave oscillation cor- responding to the maximal radiation flux. In addition, the positive correlation of the LFQPO frequencies with the radiation flux from an accretion disk is well interpreted.

Jet-dominated quiescent state in black hole X-ray binaries: the cases of A0620–00 and XTE J1118+480

The radiative mechanism of black hole X-ray transients （BHXTs） in their quiescent states （defined as the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity ≤ 10^34 erg s-1） remains unclear. In this work, we investigate the quasi-simultaneous quiescent state spectrum （including radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet and X-ray） of two BHXTs, A0620-00 and XTE J1118＋480. We find that these two sources can be well described by a coupled accretion - jet model. More specifically, most of the emission （radio up to infrared, and the X-ray waveband） comes from the collimated relativistic jet. Emission from hot accretion flow is totally insignificant, and it can only be observed in mid-infrared （the synchrotron peak）. Emission from the outer cold disk is only evident in the UV band. These results are consistent with our previous investigation on the quiescent state of V404 Cyg and confirm that the quiescent state is jet-dominated.

Dynamics of an ensemble of clumps embedded in a magnetized ADAF

We investigate the effects of a global magnetic field on the dynamics of an ensemble of clumps within a magnetized advection-dominated accretion flow by ignoring interactions between the clumps and then solving the collisionless Boltzman equation. In the strong-coupling limit, in which the averaged radial and rotational velocities of the clumps follow dynamics described by an Advection-Dominated Accretion Flow （ADAF）, the root mean square radial velocity of the clumps is cal- culated analytically for different magnetic field configurations. The value of the root mean square radial velocity of the clumps increases by increasing the strength of the radial or vertical components of the magnetic field, but a purely toroidal magnetic field geometry leads to a reduction in the value of the root mean square radial velocity of the clumps in the inner parts by increasing the strength of this component. Moreover, dynamics of the clumps strongly depend on the amount of advected energy so that the value of the root mean square radial velocity of the clumps increases in the presence of a global magnetic field as the flow becomes more advective.

Reanalysis of the RXTE observations of the black-hole candidate XTE J1650-500 in the 2001/2002 outburst

We present the results of the spectral fits made to 59 Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer （RXTE） observations of the Galactic X-Ray Black-Hole Candidate XTE J1650–500 covering the first 30d of its 2001/2002 outburst when the source was in a transition from the hard state to the soft state. The photon spectra can be well fit- ted with a phenomenological model of a power-law/cutoff power-law and a physical model of bulk-motion Comptonization. The spectral properties smoothly evolve away from the hard state and then stay in the soft state. The fitting results of the physical model reveal the peak of the burst had a flux of 2.90 × 10-8 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 2–100 keV energy range and was observed on 2001 Sep. 9; it transitioned to the hard state. The total flux decays by a factor of ～3 as it evolves into the soft state. The photon index Γ increases from ～1.5 in the hard state and stays at ～2.5 in the soft state. We found that the effective area of the high-energy X-ray emission region （the Compton cloud） decreases, i.e. the area of the Compton cloud decreases by a factor of ～23 during the transition from the hard state to the soft state. Combining the new radio and quasi-periodic oscillation studies, the model of total flux in the 2–100 keV energy range, the jet emission and the timing analysis during the state transition, we suggest a possible geometry and evolution for the （jet＋corona＋disk） system, like that proposed by Kalemci et al. based on enhanced lags and peak frequency shift during the transition.

A magnetic model for low/hard state of black hole binaries

A magnetic model for the low/hard state （LHS） of two black hole X-ray binaries （BHXBs）, H1743-322 and GX 339-4, is proposed based on transport of the magnetic field from a companion into an accretion disk around a black hole （BH）. This model consists of a truncated thin disk with an inner advection-dominated accretion flow （ADAF）. The spectral profiles of the sources are fitted in agreement with the data observed at four different dates corresponding to the rising phase of the LHS. In addition, the association of the LHS with a quasi-steady jet is modeled based on transport of magnetic field, where the Blandford-Znajek （BZ） and Blandford-Payne （BP） processes are invoked to drive the jets from BH and inner ADAE It turns out that the steep radio/X-ray correlations observed in H 1743-322 and GX 339-4 can be interpreted based on our model.

The Correlation between Optical Spectral Index and Continuum Luminosity Variation in the Seyfert 1 Galaxy NGC 5548

Using the archived optical spectra of NGC 5548 between 1989 and 2001, we derived the optical spectral index by fitting the spectra in wavelength windows unaffected by strong emission lines. We found that the index is anti-correlated with the continuum luminosity at 5100 A with a correlation coefficient of -0.8. Based on the standard thin accretion disk model, we investigated whether the correlation is related to the variations of the dimensionless accretion rate m (mass accretion rate in Eddington unit), or the inner radius of the accretion disk Rin, or both. The correlation can be modeled well using a co-variable mode of Rin/Rs = 12.5m-0.8 (Rs is Schwarzschild radius). As luminosity increases, m increases from 0.05 to 0.16 and at the same time Rin decreases from 133.9.RS to 55.5.RS, consistent with the prediction for a transition radius within which an ADAF structure exists. We concluded that the change of both inner accretion radius and the dimensionless accretion rate are key factors for the variations of spectral index and luminosity in the optical band for NGC 5548.

Relation between the “Double-Hump” Behavior in the Radio Band and the Broad-Line Luminosity for Blazars

The physics behind the spectral energy distribution （SED） of blazars remains open. We assembled 36 blazars to tackle the factors that control their SED. Now, many blazar spectra have the ＂double hump＂ feature in the radio and far-IR frequencies. For these a parameter, △, is created to characterize the behavior of the SED. We found a significant correlation between the broad-line luminosity （LBLR） and △. Because L BLR is an indicator of the accreting power of the source in blazars, we derived a linear correlation, △ oc M1/3.18, which suggests that the SED of blazars may depend on the accretion rate, like that of BL Lac objects. We also found a significant correlation between m and △ for a sample of 11 blazars （out of one of 36） with available black hole masses. This implies the Eddington accretion ratio may influence the shape of the SED of blazars.

A magnetic reconnection model for quasi-periodic oscillations in black hole systems

The quasi-periodic oscillations （QPOs） in black hole （BH） systems with different scales are interpreted based on the magnetic reconnection of large-scale mag- netic fields generated by toroidal electric currents flowing in the inner region of the accretion disk, where the current density is assumed to be proportional to the mass density of the accreting plasma. The magnetic connection （MC） is taken into account in resolving dynamic equations describing the accretion disk, in which the MC be- tween the inner and outer disk regions, between the plunging region and the disk, and between the BH horizon and the disk are involved. It turns out that a single QPO frequency associated with several BH systems with different scales can be fitted by in- voking the magnetic reconnection due to the MC between the inner and outer regions of the disk, including the BH binaries XTE J1859＋226, XTE J1650-500 and GRS 1915＋105 and the massive BHs in NGC 5408 X-1 and RE J1034＋396. In addition, the X-ray spectra corresponding to the QPOs for these sources are fitted based on the typical disk-corona model.