One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps
In the absence of a sufficient amount of plasma injection into the black hole (BH) magnetosphere, the force-free state of the magnetosphere cannot be maintained, leading to the emergence of strong, time-dependent, longitudinal electric fields (i.e., spark gaps). Recent studies of supermassive BH mag...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad20cd |
| _version_ | 1797257886625169408 |
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| author | Koki Kin Shota Kisaka Kenji Toma Shigeo S. Kimura Amir Levinson |
| author_facet | Koki Kin Shota Kisaka Kenji Toma Shigeo S. Kimura Amir Levinson |
| author_sort | Koki Kin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the absence of a sufficient amount of plasma injection into the black hole (BH) magnetosphere, the force-free state of the magnetosphere cannot be maintained, leading to the emergence of strong, time-dependent, longitudinal electric fields (i.e., spark gaps). Recent studies of supermassive BH magnetospheres using analytical methods and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations propose the possibility of efficient particle acceleration and consequent gamma-ray emission in the spark gap. In this work, we perform 1D general relativistic PIC simulations to examine the gamma-ray emission from stellar-mass BH magnetospheres. We find that intermittent spark gaps emerge and particles are efficiently accelerated in a similar manner to the supermassive BH case. We build a semianalytic model of the plasma dynamics and radiative processes, which reproduces the maximum electron energies and peak gamma-ray luminosities of the simulation results. Based on this model, we show that the gamma-ray signals from stellar-mass BHs wandering through the interstellar medium could be detected by gamma-ray telescopes such as the Fermi Large Area Telescope or the Cherenkov Telescope Array. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:44:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74558c655b4c4996a1ba131e6189395a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:44:46Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-74558c655b4c4996a1ba131e6189395a2024-03-18T12:17:08ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-0196417810.3847/1538-4357/ad20cdOne-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from GapsKoki Kin0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9712-3589Shota Kisaka1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-1937Kenji Toma2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7114-6010Shigeo S. Kimura3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2579-7266Amir Levinson4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7572-4060Astronomical Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8578, JapanPhysics Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University , Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanAstronomical Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8578, Japan; Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8578, JapanAstronomical Institute, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8578, Japan; Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University , Sendai 980-8578, JapanThe Raymond and Beverly Sackler, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv 69978, IsraelIn the absence of a sufficient amount of plasma injection into the black hole (BH) magnetosphere, the force-free state of the magnetosphere cannot be maintained, leading to the emergence of strong, time-dependent, longitudinal electric fields (i.e., spark gaps). Recent studies of supermassive BH magnetospheres using analytical methods and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations propose the possibility of efficient particle acceleration and consequent gamma-ray emission in the spark gap. In this work, we perform 1D general relativistic PIC simulations to examine the gamma-ray emission from stellar-mass BH magnetospheres. We find that intermittent spark gaps emerge and particles are efficiently accelerated in a similar manner to the supermassive BH case. We build a semianalytic model of the plasma dynamics and radiative processes, which reproduces the maximum electron energies and peak gamma-ray luminosities of the simulation results. Based on this model, we show that the gamma-ray signals from stellar-mass BHs wandering through the interstellar medium could be detected by gamma-ray telescopes such as the Fermi Large Area Telescope or the Cherenkov Telescope Array.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad20cdBlack holesAccretionGamma-ray sourcesPlasma astrophysics |
| spellingShingle | Koki Kin Shota Kisaka Kenji Toma Shigeo S. Kimura Amir Levinson One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps The Astrophysical Journal Black holes Accretion Gamma-ray sources Plasma astrophysics |
| title | One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps |
| title_full | One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps |
| title_fullStr | One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps |
| title_full_unstemmed | One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps |
| title_short | One-dimensional General Relativistic Particle-in-cell Simulations of Stellar-mass Black Hole Magnetospheres: A Semianalytic Model of Gamma-Rays from Gaps |
| title_sort | one dimensional general relativistic particle in cell simulations of stellar mass black hole magnetospheres a semianalytic model of gamma rays from gaps |
| topic | Black holes Accretion Gamma-ray sources Plasma astrophysics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad20cd |
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