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

Recent Progress in Parton Distributions and Implications for LHC Physics

I outline some of the most recent developments on the global fit to parton distributions performed by the MRST collaboration.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures. To appear in proceedings of XIII International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering, April,27 - May,1, 2005, Madison, Wisconsin, US

Computing the merger of black-hole binaries: the IBBH problem

Gravitational radiation arising from the inspiral and merger of binary black holes (BBH's) is a promising candidate for detection by kilometer-scale interferometric gravitational wave observatories. This paper discusses a serious obstacle to searches for such radiation and to the interpretation of any observed waves: the inability of current computational techniques to evolve a BBH through its last ~10 orbits of inspiral (~100 radians of gravitational-wave phase). A new set of numerical-relativity techniques is proposed for solving this ``Intermediate Binary Black Hole'' (IBBH) problem: (i) numerical evolutions performed in coordinates co-rotating with the BBH, in which the metric coefficients evolve on the long timescale of inspiral, and (ii) techniques for mathematically freezing out gravitational degrees of freedom that are not excited by the waves.Comment: 6 pages RevTe

Inclusion of new LHC data in MMHT PDFs

I consider the effects of including a variety of new LHC data sets into the MMHT approach for PDF determination. I consider the impact of fitting new LHC and Tevatron data, which leads to clear improvements in some PDF uncertainties. There are specific issues with ATLAS 7 TeV jet data and I include a discussion of the treatment of correlated uncertainties and briefly the effects of NNLO corrections. I also present preliminary results with the inclusion of the high precison final ATLAS 7 TeV $W,Z$ rapidity-dependent data.Comment: 6 pages. To appear in proceedings of DIS2017 Worksho

On the structure of line-driven winds near black holes

A general physical mechanism of the formation of line-driven winds at the vicinity of strong gravitational field sources is investigated in the frame of General Relativity. We argue that gravitational redshifting should be taken into account to model such outflows. The generalization of the Sobolev approximation in the frame of General Relativity is presented. We consider all processes in the metric of a nonrotating (Schwarzschild) black hole. The radiation force that is due to absorbtion of the radiation flux in lines is derived. It is demonstrated that if gravitational redshifting is taken into account, the radiation force becomes a function of the local velocity gradient (as in the standard line-driven wind theory) and the gradient of $g_{00}$. We derive a general relativistic equation of motion describing such flow. A solution of the equation of motion is obtained and confronted with that obtained from the Castor, Abbott & Klein (CAK) theory. It is shown that the proposed mechanism could have an important contribution to the formation of line-driven outflows from compact objects.Comment: 20 pages, submitted to Ap