Hydromagnetic and gravitomagnetic crust-core coupling in a precessing neutron star

We consider two types of mechanical coupling between the crust and the core of a precessing neutron star. First, we find that a hydromagnetic (MHD) coupling between the crust and the core strongly modifies the star's precessional modes when $t_a\le\sim (T_s\times T_p)^{1/2}$; here $t_a$ is the Alfven crossing timescale, and $T_s$ and $T_p$ are the star's spin and precession periods, respectively. We argue that in a precessing pulsar PSR B1828-11 the restoring MHD stress prevents a free wobble of the crust relative to the non-precessing core. Instead, the crust and the proton-electron plasma in the core must precess in unison, and their combined ellipticity determines the period of precession. Link has recently shown that the neutron superfluid vortices in the core of PSR B1828-11 cannot be pinned to the plasma; he has also argued that this lack of pinning is expected if the proton Fermi liquid in the core is type-I superconductor. In this case, the neutron superfluid is dynamically decoupled from the precessing motion. The pulsar's precession decays due to the mutual friction between the neutron superfluid and the plasma in the core. The decay is expected to occur over tens to hundreds of precession periods and may be measurable over a human lifetime. Such a measurement would provide information about the strong n-p interaction in the neutron-star core. Second, we consider the effect of gravitomagnetic coupling between the neutron superfluid in the core and the rest of the star and show that this coupling changes the rate of precession by about 10%. The general formalism developed in this paper may be useful for other applications.Comment: 6 page

Electromagnetic power of merging and collapsing compact objects

[Abridged] Electromagnetic emission can be produced as a precursor to the merger, as a prompt emission during the collapse of a NS and at the spin-down stage of the resulting BH. We demonstrate that the time evolution of the axisymmetric force-free magnetic fields can be expressed in terms of the hyperbolic Grad-Shafranov equation. We find exact non-linear time-dependent split-monopole structure of magnetosphere driven by spinning and collapsing NS in Schwarzschild geometry. Based on this solution, we argue that the collapse of a NS into the BH happens smoothly, without natural formation of current sheets or other dissipative structures on the open field lines and, thus, does not allow the magnetic field to become disconnected from the star and escape to infinity. Thus, as long as an isolated Kerr BH can produce plasma and currents, it does not lose its open magnetic field lines, its magnetospheric structure evolved towards a split monopole and the BH spins down electromagnetically. The "no hair theorem", which assumes that the outside medium is a vacuum, is not applicable in this case: highly conducting plasma introduces a topological constraint forbidding the disconnection of the magnetic field lines from the BH. Eventually, a single random large scale spontaneous reconnection event will lead to magnetic field release, shutting down the electromagnetic BH engine forever. We also discuss the nature of short Gamma Ray Bursts and suggest that the similarity of the early afterglows properties of long and short GRBs can be related to the fact that in both cases a spinning BH can retains magnetic field for sufficiently long time to extract a large fraction of its rotation energy and produce high energy emission via the internal dissipation in the wind

Schwarzschild black holes as unipolar inductors: expected electromagnetic power of a merger

(Abridged) The motion of a Schwarzschild black hole with velocity $v_0 = \beta_0 c$ through a constant magnetic field $B_0$ in vacuum induces a component of the electric field along the magnetic field, generating a non-zero second Poincare electromagnetic invariant $^* F \cdot F \neq 0$. This will produce (e.g., via radiative effects and vacuum breakdown) an electric charge density of the order of $\rho_{\rm ind}= B_0 \beta_0 /(2 \pi e R_G)$, where $R_G = 2 G M/c^2$ is the Schwarzschild radius and $M$ is the mass of the black hole; the charge density $\rho_{\rm ind}$ is similar to the Goldreich-Julian density. The magnetospheres of moving black holes resemble in many respects the magnetospheres of rotationally-powered pulsars, with pair formation fronts and outer gaps, where the sign of the induced charge changes. As a result, the black hole will generate bipolar electromagnetic jets each consisting of two counter-aligned current flows (four current flows total), each carrying an electric current of the order $I \approx e B_0 R_G \beta_0$. The electromagnetic power of the jets is $L \approx (G M)^2 B_0^2 \beta_0^2/c^3$; for a particular case of merging black holes the resulting Poynting power is $L \approx {(G M)^3 B_0^2 /(c^5 R)}$, where $R$ is the radius of the orbit. In addition, in limited regions near the horizon the first electromagnetic invariant changes sign, so that the induced electric field becomes larger than the magnetic field, $E>B$. The total energy loss from a system of merging BHs is a sum of two components with similar powers, one due to the rotation of space-time within the orbit, driven by the non-zero angular momentum in the system, and the other due to the linear motion of the BHs through the magnetic field.Comment: Phys. Rev. D accepte

Analytic Solutions to the Constraint Equation for a Force-Free Magnetosphere around a Kerr Black Hole

The Blandford-Znajek constraint equation for a stationary, axisymmetric black-hole force-free magnetosphere is cast in a 3+1 absolute space and time formulation, following Komissarov (2004). We derive an analytic solution for fields and currents to the constraint equation in the far-field limit that satisfies the Znajek condition at the event horizon. This solution generalizes the Blandford-Znajek monopole solution for a slowly rotating black hole to black holes with arbitrary angular momentum. Energy and angular momentum extraction through this solution occurs mostly along the equatorial plane. We also present a nonphysical, reverse jet-like solution.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in Ap

Compton Scattering by Static and Moving Media I. The Transfer Equation and Its Moments

Compton scattering of photons by nonrelativistic particles is thought to play an important role in forming the radiation spectrum of many astrophysical systems. Here we derive the time-dependent photon kinetic equation that describes spontaneous and induced Compton scattering as well as absorption and emission by static and moving media, the corresponding radiative transfer equation, and their zeroth and first moments, in both the system frame and in the frame comoving with the medium. We show that it is necessary to use the correct relativistic differential scattering cross section in order to obtain a photon kinetic equation that is correct to first order in epsilon/m_e, T_e/m_e, and V, where epsilon is the photon energy, T_e and m_e are the electron temperature and rest mass, and V is the electron bulk velocity in units of the speed of light. We also demonstrate that the terms in the radiative transfer equation that are second-order in V usually should be retained, because if the radiation energy density is sufficiently large compared to the radiation flux, the effects of bulk Comptonization described by the terms that are second-order in V are at least as important as the effects described by the terms that are first-order in V, even when V is small. Our equations are valid for systems of arbitrary optical depth and can therefore be used in both the free-streaming and the diffusion regimes. We demonstrate that Comptonization by the electron bulk motion occurs whether or not the radiation field is isotropic or the bulk flow converges and that it is more important than thermal Comptonization if V^2 > 3 T_e/m_e.Comment: 31 pages, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Non-monotonic orbital velocity profiles around rapidly rotating Kerr-(anti-)de Sitter black holes

It has been recently demonstrated that the orbital velocity profile around Kerr black holes in the equatorial plane as observed in the locally non-rotating frame exhibits a non-monotonic radial behaviour. We show here that this unexpected minimum-maximum feature of the orbital velocity remains if the Kerr vacuum is generalized to the Kerr-de Sitter or Kerr-anti-de Sitter metric. This is a new general relativity effect in Kerr spacetimes with non-vanishing cosmological constant. Assuming that the profile of the orbital velocity is known, this effect constrains the spacetime parameters.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for Class. Quant. Gra

High Resolution Ionization of Ultracold Neutral Plasmas

Collective effects, such as waves and instabilities, are integral to our understanding of most plasma phenomena. We have been able to study these in ultracold neutral plasmas by shaping the initial density distribution through spatial modulation of the ionizing laser intensity. We describe a relay imaging system for the photoionization beam that allows us to create higher resolution features and its application to extend the observation of ion acoustic waves to shorter wavelengths. We also describe the formation of sculpted density profiles to create fast expansion of plasma into vacuum and streaming plasmas

Understanding possible electromagnetic counterparts to loud gravitational wave events: Binary black hole effects on electromagnetic fields

In addition to producing loud gravitational waves (GW), the dynamics of a binary black hole system could induce emission of electromagnetic (EM) radiation by affecting the behavior of plasmas and electromagnetic fields in their vicinity. We here study how the electromagnetic fields are affected by a pair of orbiting black holes through the merger. In particular, we show how the binary's dynamics induce a variability in possible electromagnetically induced emissions as well as an enhancement of electromagnetic fields during the late-merge and merger epochs. These time dependent features will likely leave their imprint in processes generating detectable emissions and can be exploited in the detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational waves.Comment: 12 page

Robustness of the Blandford-Znajek mechanism

The Blandford-Znajek mechanism has long been regarded as a key ingredient in models attempting to explain powerful jets in AGNs, quasars, blazzars etc. In such mechanism, energy is extracted from a rotating black hole and dissipated at a load at far distances. In the current work we examine the behaviour of the BZ mechanism with respect to different boundary conditions, revealing the mechanism robustness upon variation of these conditions. Consequently, this work closes a gap in our understanding of this important scenario.Comment: 7 pages, accepted in CQ

Timelike Geodesic Currents in the Stationary, Axisymmetric, Force-free Magnetosphere of a Kerr Black Hole

The structural properties of geodesic currents in an ambient Kerr background is studied from an analytical point of view. The geodesics in the congruence correspond to charged particles that carry energy and angular momentum from the black hole through the Blandford-Znajek mechanism. It is shown that the resulting magnetosphere naturally satisfies the Znajek regularity condition. Particular attention is paid here to the energy extracted by matter currents rather than by electromagnetic Poynting fluxes