17 research outputs found
Black Hole Spin via Continuum Fitting and the Role of Spin in Powering Transient Jets
The spins of ten stellar black holes have been measured using the
continuum-fitting method. These black holes are located in two distinct classes
of X-ray binary systems, one that is persistently X-ray bright and another that
is transient. Both the persistent and transient black holes remain for long
periods in a state where their spectra are dominated by a thermal accretion
disk component. The spin of a black hole of known mass and distance can be
measured by fitting this thermal continuum spectrum to the thin-disk model of
Novikov and Thorne; the key fit parameter is the radius of the inner edge of
the black hole's accretion disk. Strong observational and theoretical evidence
links the inner-disk radius to the radius of the innermost stable circular
orbit, which is trivially related to the dimensionless spin parameter a_* of
the black hole (|a_*| < 1). The ten spins that have so far been measured by
this continuum-fitting method range widely from a_* \approx 0 to a_* > 0.95.
The robustness of the method is demonstrated by the dozens or hundreds of
independent and consistent measurements of spin that have been obtained for
several black holes, and through careful consideration of many sources of
systematic error. Among the results discussed is a dichotomy between the
transient and persistent black holes; the latter have higher spins and larger
masses. Also discussed is recently discovered evidence in the transient sources
for a correlation between the power of ballistic jets and black hole spin.Comment: 30 pages. Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews. Also to
appear in hard cover in the Space Sciences Series of ISSI "The Physics of
Accretion onto Black Holes" (Springer Publisher). Changes to Sections 5.2,
6.1 and 7.4. Section 7.4 responds to Russell et al. 2013 (MNRAS, 431, 405)
who find no evidence for a correlation between the power of ballistic jets
and black hole spi
The lifecycle of powerful AGN outflows
During the course of this conference, much evidence was presented that points
to an intimate connection between the energetic outflows driven by AGN and the
energy budget and quite possibly also the evolution of their gaseous
environments. However, it is still not clear if and how the AGN activity is
triggered by the cooling gas, how long the activity lasts for and how these
effects give rise to the observed distribution of morphologies of the outflows.
In this contribution we concentrate on the high radio luminosity end of the AGN
population. While most of the heating of the environmental gas may be due to
less luminous and energetic outflows, these more powerful objects have a very
profound influence on their surroundings. We will describe a simple model for
powerful radio galaxies and radio-loud quasars that explains the dichotomy of
their large-scale radio morphologies as well as their radio luminosity
function.Comment: 6 pages, contribution to 'Heating vs. coooling in galaxies and galaxy
clusters', Garching 2006, proceedings to be published by Springer (ESO
Astrophysics Symposia), eds. H. Boehringer, P. Schuecker, G.W. Pratt & A.
Finogueno
Genetic analysis reveals different functions for the products of the TRalpha locus.
International audienc
Genetic analysis reveals different functions for the products of the TRalpha locus.
International audienc