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DOE OSTI2025

The Multiple Paths to Merger of Unequal-mass Black Hole Binaries in the Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei

The accretion disks that power active galactic nuclei (AGN) are thought to house populations of stars and compact objects; after forming binaries these compact objects may merge, begetting gravitational waves (GWs) such as those detected by LIGO and VIRGO. We present a comprehensive study of the early evolution of binaries within AGN disks as their orbits are influenced by the surrounding gas, focusing on eccentric and unequal-mass binaries. Nearly equal-mass binaries behave similarly to their equal-mass counterparts: Prograde binaries inspiral, albeit somewhat slowly, and have their eccentricities damped; retrograde binaries inspiral ∼2–3 times faster than their prograde counterparts, and those with near-equal masses are driven quickly toward near-unity eccentricities. However, the primaries in retrograde binaries with mass ratios of m 2 /m 1 ≲ 0.4 experience significantly weaker headwinds and retain substantial accretion disks that help damp binary eccentricities, slowing binary inspirals. Additionally, we find that while accretion drives prograde binaries toward equal masses thanks to the exchange of material between the primary and secondary accretion disks, retrograde binaries are driven slowly toward more extreme mass ratios. Prograde binaries, and generally those with low mass ratios, likely accrete for multiple e-folding timescales before merger. On the other hand, high-mass-ratio retrograde binaries may merge before accreting substantially, potentially approaching merger with detectable eccentricity. Future ground-based GW observatories, with their broader frequency coverage, should be particularly useful for studying these populations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1995

Hubble Space Telescope observations of the dwarf Nova Z Chamaeleontis through two eruption cycles

We have obtained the first high-speed photometry of the eclipsing dwarf nova Z Cha at ultraviolet wavelengths with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We observed the eclipse roughly every 4 days over two cycles of the normal eruptions of Z Cha, giving a uniquely complete coverage of its outburst cycle. The accretion disk dominated the ultraviolet light curve of Z Cha at the peak of an eruption; the white dwarf, the bright spot on the edge of the disk, and the boundary layer were all invisible. We were able to obtain an axisymmetric map of the accretion disk at this time only by adopting a flared disk with an opening angle of approximately 8 deg. The run of brightness temperature with radius in the disk at the peak of the eruption was too flat to be consistent with a steady state, optically thick accretion disk. The local rate of mass flow through the disk was approximately 5 x 10(exp -10) solar masses/yr near the center of the disk and approximately 5 x 10(exp -9) solar masses/yr near the outer edge. The white dwarf, the accretion disk, and the boundary layer were all significant contributors to the ultraviolet flux on the descending branches of the eruptions. The temperature of the white dwarf during decline was 18,300 K less than T(sub wd) less than 21,800 K, which is significantly greater than at minimum light. Six days after the maximum of an eruption Z Cha has faded to near minimum light at ultraviolet wavelenghts, but was still approximately 70% brighter at minimum light in the B band. About one-quarter of the excess flux in the B band came from the accretion disk. Thus, the accretion disk faded and became invisible at ultraviolet wavelengths before it faded at optical wavelenghts. The disk did, however, remain optically thick and obscured the lower half of the white dwarf at ultraviolet and possibly at optical wavelenghts for 2 weeks after the eruption ended. By the third week after eruptiuons the eclipse looked like a simple occultation of an unobscured, spherical white dwarf by a dark secondary star. The center of the accretion disk was, therfore, optically thin at ultraviolet wavelenghts and the boundary layer was too faint to be visible.

Robinson, E. L.↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Evolution of Accreting Binaries: From Brown Dwarfs to Supermassive Black Holes

Circumbinary accretion occurs throughout the universe, from the formation of stars and planets to the aftermath of major galactic mergers. We present an extensive investigation of circumbinary accretion disks, studying circular binaries with mass ratios (q ≡ M 2 /M 1 ) from 0.01 to 1 and at each mass ratio probing the effects of disk thickness and viscosity. We study disks with aspect ratios H/r ϵ {0.1, 0.05, 0.03} and vary both the magnitude and spatial dependence of viscosity. Although thin accretion disks have previously been found to promote rapid inspirals of equal-mass binaries, we find that gravitational torques become weaker at lower mass ratios and most binaries with 0.01 ≤ q ≤ 0.04 outspiral, which may delay the coalescence of black hole binaries formed from minor mergers and cause high-mass exoplanets to migrate outward. However, in a number of cases, the disks accreting onto binaries with mass ratios ~0.07 fail to develop eccentric modes, leading to extremely rapid inspirals. Variability in black hole accretion correlates with disk eccentricity, and we observe variability above the ~10% level even for mass ratios of 0.01. We demonstrate that the spatial dependence of the viscosity (e.g., α vs. constant ν) significantly affects the degree of preferential accretion onto the secondary, resolving discrepancies between previous studies. Colder circumbinary disks remain eccentric even at q ~ 0.01 and sustain deep, asymmetric cavities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

The Evolution of Accreting Binaries: From Brown Dwarfs to Supermassive Black Holes

Circumbinary accretion occurs throughout the universe, from the formation of stars and planets to the aftermath of major galactic mergers. We present an extensive investigation of circumbinary accretion disks, studying circular binaries with mass ratios (q ≡ M 2 /M 1 ) from 0.01 to 1 and at each mass ratio probing the effects of disk thickness and viscosity. We study disks with aspect ratios H/r $\in$ {0.1, 0.05, 0.03} and vary both the magnitude and spatial dependence of viscosity. Although thin accretion disks have previously been found to promote rapid inspirals of equal-mass binaries, we find that gravitational torques become weaker at lower mass ratios and most binaries with 0.01 ≤ q ≤ 0.04 outspiral, which may delay the coalescence of black hole binaries formed from minor mergers and cause high-mass exoplanets to migrate outward. However, in a number of cases, the disks accreting onto binaries with mass ratios ~0.07 fail to develop eccentric modes, leading to extremely rapid inspirals. Variability in black hole accretion correlates with disk eccentricity, and we observe variability above the ~10% level even for mass ratios of 0.01. We demonstrate that the spatial dependence of the viscosity (e.g., α vs. constant ν) significantly affects the degree of preferential accretion onto the secondary, resolving discrepancies between previous studies. Colder circumbinary disks remain eccentric even at q ~ 0.01 and sustain deep, asymmetric cavities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1988

The very low frequency power spectrum of Centaurus X-3

The long-term variability of Cen X-3 on time scales ranging from days to years has been examined by combining data obtained by the HEAO 1 A-4 instrument with data from Vela 5B. A simple interpretation of the data is made in terms of the standard alpha-disk model of accretion disk structure and dynamics. Assuming that the low-frequency variance represents the inherent variability of the mass transfer from the companion, the decline in power at higher frequencies results from the leveling of radial structure in the accretion disk through viscous mixing. The shape of the observed power spectrum is shown to be in excellent agreement with a calculation based on a simplified form of this model. The observed low-frequency power spectrum of Cen X-3 is consistent with a disk in which viscous mixing occurs about as rapidly as possible and on the largest scale possible.

Gruber, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Magnetically controlled solar nebula

It is widely believed that a primordial solar nebula, the precursor of the Sun and its planetary system, could be best described in terms of an accretion disk. Such an accretion disk is though to be turbulent, and it is usually imagined that turbulent viscosity alone provides the torque responsible for the structure and the evolution of the nebula. However, it was found that an MHD dynamo operating in a turbulent nebula can contemporaneously produce magnetic fields capable of significantly altering or even dominating the total torque. Thus, it seems that no model of a viscous solar nebula is complete without taking magnetic fields into consideration. It was demonstrated that there are usually two distinct regions of nebular disk where a dynamo can operate: the inner region, where the magnetic field coupled to gas due to relatively high thermal ionization; and the outer region, where this coupling is achieved due to nonthermal ionization. Most models also show the existence of an intermediate region, 'the magnetic gap,' where neither thermal nor nonthermal sources can produce enough ionization to provide the necessary coupling between the magnetic field and the gas. The location and width of the gap change substantially from one model to another. At present, we can only estimate the strength of a generated magnetic field. It seems that a large-scale magnetic field is likely to be in the equipartition with the turbulent kinetic energy; however, the intense magnetic fluctuations may greatly exceed this equipartition strength on short time and length scales. To show how a dynamo-generated magnetic field changes the structure of a viscous nebula, we consider four nebula models extensively.

Stepinski, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS1998

HST Spatially Resolved Spectra of the Accretion Disc and Gas Stream of the Nova-Like Variable UX Ursae Majoris

Time-resolved eclipse spectroscopy of the nova-like variable UX UMa obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope/Faint Object Spectrograph (HST/FOS) on 1994 August and November is analysed with eclipse mapping techniques to produce spatially resolved spectra of its accretion disk and gas stream as a function of distance from the disk centre. The inner accretion disk is characterized by a blue continuum filled with absorption bands and lines, which cross over to emission with increasing disk radius, similar to that reported at optical wavelengths. The comparison of spatially resolved spectra at different azimuths reveals a significant asymmetry in the disk emission at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, with the disk side closest to the secondary star showing pronounced absorption by an 'iron curtain' and a Balmer jump in absorption. These results suggest the existence of an absorbing ring of cold gas whose density and/or vertical scale increase with disk radius. The spectrum of the infalling gas stream is noticeably different from the disc spectrum at the same radius suggesting that gas overflows through the impact point at the disk rim and continues along the stream trajectory, producing distinct emission down to 0.1 R(sub LI). The spectrum of the uneclipsed light shows prominent emission lines of Lyalpha, N v lambda1241, SiIV Lambda 1400, C IV Lambda 1550, HeII Lambda 1640, and MgII Lambda 2800, and a UV continuum rising towards longer wavelengths. The Balmer jump appears clearly in emission indicating that the uneclipsed light has an important contribution from optically thin gas. The lines and optically thin continuum emission are most probably emitted in a vertically extended disk chromosphere + wind. The radial temperature profiles of the continuum maps are well described by a steady-state disc model in the inner and intermediate disk regions (R greater than or equal to 0.3R(sub LI) ). There is evidence of an increase in the mass accretion rate from August to November (from V = 10 (exp -8.3 +/-0.1) to 10(exp -8.1 +/- 0.1 solar mass yr(exp -1)), in accordance with the observed increase in brightness. Since the UX UMA disc seems to be in a high mass accretion, high-viscosity regime in both epochs, this result suggests that the mass transfer rate of UX UMA varies substantially (approximately equal to 50 per cent) on time-scales of a few months. It is suggested that the reason for the discrepancies between the prediction of the standard disk model and observations is not an inadequate treatment of radiative transfer in the disc atmosphere, but rather the presence of addition important sources of light in the system besides the accretion disk (e.g., optically thin contiuum emission from the disk wind and possible absorption by circumstellar cool gas).

Baptista, Raymundo↗
NASA NTRS2017

Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI. Reverberating Disk Models for NGS 5548

We conduct a multi-wavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 Angstrom to 9157 Angstrom) combine simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014 January to July. Light-curve variability is interpreted as the reverberation response of the accretion disk to irradiation by a central time-varying point source. Our model yields the disk inclination i = 36deg +/- 10deg, temperature T(sub 1) = (44+/-6) times 10 (exp 3)K at 1 light day from the black hole, and a temperature radius slope (T proportional to r (exp -alpha)) of alpha = 0.99 +/- 0.03. We also infer the driving light curve and find that it correlates poorly with both the hard and soft X-ray light curves, suggesting that the X-rays alone may not drive the ultraviolet and optical variability over the observing period. We also decompose the light curves into bright, faint, and mean accretion-disk spectra. These spectra lie below that expected for a standard blackbody accretion disk accreting at L/L(sub Edd) = 0.1.

accretion↗
NASA NTRS2014

Classical Accreting Pulsars with NICER

Soft excesses are very common center dot Lx > 1038 erg/s - reprocessing by optically thick material at the inner edge of the accretion disk center dot Lx < 1036 erg/s - photoionized or collisionally heated diffuse gas or thermal emission from the NS surface center dot Lx ~ 1037 erg/s - either or both types of emission center dot NICER observations of soft excesses in bright X‐ray pulsars combined with reflection modeling will constrain the ionization state, metalicity and dynamics of the inner edge of the magnetically truncated accretion disk Reflection models of an accretion disk for a hard power law - Strong soft excess below 3 keV from hot X‐ray heated disk - For weakly ionized case: strong recombination lines - Are we seeing changes in the disk ionization in 4U1626‐26? 13 years of weekly monitoring with RXTE PCA center dot Revealed an unexpectedly large population of Be/X‐ray binaries compared to the Milky Way center dot Plotted luminosities are typical of "normal" outbursts (once per orbit) center dot The SMC provides an excellent opportunity to study a homogenous population of HMXBs with low interstellar absorption for accretion disk studies. Monitoring with NICER will enable studies of accretion disk physics in X‐ray pulsars center dot The SMC provides a potential homogeneous low‐absorption population for this study center dot NICER monitoring and TOO observations will also provide measurements of spinfrequencies, QPOs, pulsed fluxes, and energy spectra.

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.↗
NASA NTRS2005

AM CVn Stars: Structure and Evolution of Ultra-Short Period Interacting Binaries

This is the final report of a FUSE program to study the physics of accretion and outflows in ultra-compact, helium dominated, disk-accreting binaries. With FUSE, we observed the AM CVn binary V803 Cen, which is one of only two AM CVn systems observed by FUSE to date. V803 Cen is a short-period interacting binary in which a hydrogen-deficient white dwarf transfers mass to another white dwarf via a hot, steady-state accretion disk. Unlike other cataclysmic variables (CVs), AM CVn stars have undergone double common envelope evolution (one for each white dwarf in the binary) and so probe an alternate route of evolution in binary stars. Our goals in this project were to investigate how the structure of the accretion disk and the link between the disk and wind outflows are affected by the absence of hydrogen in the system and by the compact size of the binary and the accretion disk.

Froning, Cynthia↗
NASA NTRS1994

The high-state/low-state transition in V794 Aquilae

We present a V-magnitude light curve of the cataclysmic binary V794 Quilae covering an 800 day time span. The system shows variations of ups to 3 mag. In particular, there are two dips of approximately 1 mag which last for about 50 days, and are followed by a rapid recovery to the original brightness, and a third dip of approximately 3 mag lasting about 100 days. These fluctuations are thought to be caused by the response of the accretion disk in the system to the cessation of mass transfer from the mass-losing secondary star. We present computations using a time-dependent accretion disk code to delineate a range of allowed behavior for th accretion disk. To model the observed light curve, we require that the model parameters alpha(sub cold) and alpha(sub hot), which characterize the degree of coupling of the viscous dissipation to the orbital shear in the low and high states of the accretion disk, be smaller than they have been inferred to be in the dwarf novae, and that the ratio alpha(sub hot)/alpha(sub cold) also be smaller. The fact that alpha seems to vary with the rate of mass transfer may provide support for the model of Vishniac and Diamond, in which the impact of the mass transfer stream onto the outer edge of the accretion disk excites internal waves which transport angular momentum outward and provide the viscous dissipation.

Honeycutt, R. Kent↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Corona Contracts in a Black-Hole Transient

The geometry of the accretion flow around stellar-mass black holes can change on timescales of days to months1–3. When a black hole emerges from quiescence (that is, it ‘turns on’ after accreting material from its companion) it has a very hard (high-energy) X-ray spectrum produced by a hot corona4,5 positioned above its accretion disk, and then transitions to a soft (lower-energy) spectrum dominated by emission from the geometrically thin accretion disk, which extends to the innermost stable circular orbit6,7. Much debate persists over how this transition occurs and whether it is driven largely by a reduction in the truncation radius of the disk8,9 or by a reduction in the spatial extent of the corona10,11. Observations of X-ray reverberation lags in supermassive black-hole systems12,13 suggest that the corona is compact and that the disk extends nearly to the central black hole14,15. Observations of stellar-mass black holes, however, reveal equivalent (mass-scaled) reverberation lags that are much larger16, leading to the suggestion that the accretion disk in the hard-X-ray state of stellar-mass black holes is truncated at a few hundreds of gravitational radii from the black hole17,18. Here we report X-ray observations of the black-hole transient MAXI J1820+07019,20. We find that the reverberation time lags between the continuum-emitting corona and the irradiated accretion disk are 6 to 20 times shorter than previously seen. The timescale of the reverberation lags shortens by an order of magnitude over a period of weeks, whereas the shape of the broadened iron K emission line remains remarkably constant. This suggests a reduction in the spatial extent of the corona, rather than a change in the inner edge of the accretion disk.

E. Kara↗
NASA NTRS1994

Evidence of circumstellar matter surrounding the Hercules X-1 system

We analyze data from two eclipse ingresses of Her X-1 observed with Ginga on 1989 April 30 and May 19. These observations occur, respectively, during the MAIN HIGH and SHORT HIGH states in the 35 day modulation of Her X-1 intensity. We find significant residual X-ray flux during eclipse, with a gradual decrease in flux following the occultation of the neutron star by the atmosphere of HZ Her. During the central part of the eclipse the count rate becomes nearly constant, at 0.5 mCrab in the energy range 1.7-36.8 keV. From a spectral analysis of the residual emission during the total eclipse of the central source in the MAIN HIGH state, we determine the energy spectral index, alpha = 0.8, similar to that before eclipse. A remarkable feature of the eclipse spectrum is that it does not show a significant iron line feature in contrast to massive wind-fed pulsars, such as Vela X-1 and Cen X-3. From a timing analysis of the same eclipse data, we show that there are no pulses. These results imply that the emission comes from the scattering of continuum X-rays by material in a region considerably larger than the companion star. An extended accretion disk corona may be responsible for this scattering. However, partial eclipse of an extended accretion disk corona may be responsible for this scattering. However, partial eclipse of an extended accretion disk corona is insufficient to account for the count rates in mid-eclipse, when known parameters of the binary system are used. Based on the present results, we suggest that scattering occurs not only in the accretion disk corona but also in the circumstellar matter surrounding the system of Her X-1/HZ Her.

Choi, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Prospects for experimental research on black holes in binary systems

Cygnus X-1, the single widely accepted example of a black hole in a binary system, is characterized by unusual X-ray properties. The X-ray spectrum of Cygnus X-1 is not cut off above 20 keV, as in most strong X-ray sources. Recent scintillation counter measurements reveal a power law spectrum extending from 40 to 200 keV with a photon spectral index of approximately 2.2. However, it is not clear that these and other X-ray properties of the system are related to the black-hole nature of Cygnus X-1. It is suggested that without a direct test to show that the mass of the compact object in other systems similar to Cygnus X-1 (Circinus X-1 and GX339-4) exceeds the limit of the neutron star mass, a better understanding of the accretion disk phenomenon must be achieved to demonstrate how the properties peculiar to these systems are related to the black hole nature of the compact object. Current accretion disk models are examined, including the alpha-accretion disk and two-temperature accretion disk models.

Long, K. S.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Magnetically Arrested Circumbinary Accretion Flows

Abstract Binary systems with comparable masses and a surrounding accretion disk can accrete gas through spiral accretion streams penetrating the central cavity formed by tidal interactions. Using three-dimensional Newtonian magnetohydrodynamics simulations, we investigate the possibility of a magnetically arrested accretion flow through the cavity. Rather than solely continuously feeding the binary through spiral accretion streams, the accretion is regulated by the strong magnetic field inside the cavity. Transport of mass and angular momentum onto the binary then proceeds largely periodically in magnetic flux eruption episodes. The ejected flux tubes carry angular momentum outward and away from the binary, inject hot plasma into the disk, and can launch flares. This likely intermittent scenario could have potential implications for the emission signatures of supermassive black hole binaries and shed light onto the role magnetic fields play in the binary’s orbital evolution.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Soft State of Cygnus X-1 Observed with NuSTAR: A Variable Corona and a Stable Inner Disk

We present a multi-epoch hard X-ray analysis of Cygnus X-1 in its soft state based on four observations with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). Despite the basic similarity of the observed spectra, there is clear spectral variability between epochs. To investigate this variability, we construct a model incorporating both the standard disk-corona continuum and relativistic reflection from the accretion disk, based on prior work on Cygnus X-1, and apply this model to each epoch independently. We find excellent consistency for the black hole spin and the iron abundance of the accretion disk, which are expected to remain constant on observational timescales. In particular, we confirm that Cygnus X-1 hosts a rapidly rotating black hole, 0.93 < approx. a* < approx. 0.96, in broad agreement with the majority of prior studies of the relativistic disk reflection and constraints on the spin obtained through studies of the thermal accretion disk continuum. Our work also confirms the apparent misalignment between the inner disk and the orbital plane of the binary system reported previously, finding the magnitude of this warp to be approx.10deg-15deg. This level of misalignment does not significantly change (and may even improve) the agreement between our reflection results and the thermal continuum results regarding the black hole spin. The spectral variability observed by NuSTAR is dominated by the primary continuum, implying variability in the temperature of the scattering electron plasma. Finally, we consistently observe absorption from ionized iron at approx. 6.7 keV, which varies in strength as a function of orbital phase in a manner consistent with the absorbing material being an ionized phase of the focused stellar wind from the supergiant companion star.

black hole physics↗
NASA NTRS1991

The evolution of young stellar object disks and their environment

The main efforts were directed towards determining the frequency of disk occurrence and the timescales for disk evolution for solar-type and intermediate mass stars. The results of the investigation showed that optically thick disks are accretion disks. The projected accomplishments are also discussed.

Strom, Stephen E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The dusty envelopes of FU Orionis variables

The spectral energy distributions of five FU Orionis variables are discussed using new ground-based infrared photometry and IRAS Addscan measurements. V1057 Cyg, V1515 Cyg, and Z CMa have much larger far-infrared fluxes than can be explained by the simple accretion disk models that match their spectral energy distributions less than 10 microns. The 10-20-micron excess emission in V1057 has decreased proportionately with the decline in optical light, which demonstrates that the far-infrared flux arises in a dust shell reprocessing light from the central object. It is suggested that the far-infrared excesses arise in somewhat flattened dusty envelopes with a covering factor in a solid angle of roughly one-half, which is consistent with the fraction of FU Orionis variables that are heavily embedded. It is proposed that the dusty envelope falls onto the outer disk at a rate of about 5 x 10 exp -6 solar mass/yr. The rate is sufficient to replenish disk material accreted during a FU Orionis outburst and allow repetitive eruptions on time scales of several thousand years.

Kenyon, Scott J.↗