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Alessandra Ambrifi

Publications and source records attributed to Alessandra Ambrifi.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Dense, multi-phase accretion disk atmosphere in the low-luminosity state of black hole transientV4641 Sgr

We present soft X-ray spectroscopy of the black-hole X-ray binary V4641~Sgr with the \textit{XMM-Newton} Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS). The RGS spectrum shows narrow emission features from N\,\textsc{vi--vii} and O\,\textsc{vii--viii} superimposed on a partially covered disk blackbody continuum. A blind Gaussian search confirms the presence of significant lines at the expected rest wavelengths. He-like triplet ratios (high $G$, low $R$) and full photoionization modelling both indicate a dense, photoionized plasma. Small redshifted velocities of $\sim 540$--$720\ \mathrm{km\ s^{-1}}$ are suggested, which are consistent with quasi-static or slowly flowing gas away from the observer after accounting for systematics. Photoionization modelling requires two \textsc{xstar} components with an intermediate ionization parameter ($\log\xi \simeq 3.1$) and a low ionization parameter ($\log\xi \simeq 0.36$), respectively. The simultaneous EPIC-pn spectrum suggests highly ionized Fe emission structures, hinting at an additional, more highly ionized component. These results imply the existence of a radially extended, multiphase, and dense disk atmosphere in the source. We compare the source with other X-ray binaries showing similar emission lines. V4641~Sgr shares a similarly high inclination with other sources; however, the presence of low ionization emission lines distinguishes it from the rest.

astro-ph.HE

Disc Winds From Accreting Systems in the 2040s

What does the temporal evolution of disc winds tell us about accreting systems and the accretion process? Studies of accretion-disc outflows across all mass scales, including accreting white dwarfs, X-ray binaries, and active galactic nuclei, have shown that winds play a key role in regulating both the accretion flow and the surrounding environment. Disc winds therefore provide a common thread linking a broad range of scientific topics, from the microphysics of accretion to galaxy-scale feedback and evolution, as well as binary evolution and the predicted rates of energetic (multi-messenger) transient phenomena. Yet we still lack a comprehensive picture of the accretion-feedback process. Optical spectroscopy has revealed striking similarities across mass scales, hinting at common production mechanisms, and has shown that winds can evolve on timescales of only minutes. Progress, however, has been limited by their transient nature, sparse time coverage, and the lack of simultaneous, high-resolution spectroscopy. Time-domain facilities with high temporal and spectral resolution will allow us to track these events in high accretion-rate systems, constrain their launching mechanisms, and measure the mass, energy, and angular momentum they carry. This will provide crucial input for binary evolution models, wind feedback, and a unified view of accreting systems across mass scales.

astro-ph.HE

The Impact of Supermassive Black Holes on Exoplanet Habitability. I. Spanning the Natural Mass Range

While the influence of supermassive black hole (SMBH) activity on habitability has garnered attention, the specific effects of active galactic nucleus (AGN) winds, particularly ultrafast outflows (UFOs), on planetary atmospheres remain largely unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between SMBH mass at the galactic center and exoplanetary habitability, given that SMBH masses are empirically confirmed to span approximately 5 orders of magnitude in galaxies. Through simplified models, we account for various results involving the relationships between the distance from the planet to the central SMBH and the mass of the SMBH. Specifically, we show that increased SMBH mass leads to higher atmospheric heating and elevated temperatures, greater molecular thermal velocities, and enhanced mass loss, all of which diminish with distance from the galactic center. Energy-driven winds consistently have a stronger impact than momentum-driven ones. Crucially, ozone depletion is shown to rise with SMBH mass and decrease with distance from the galactic center, with nearly complete ozone loss ($\sim100\%$) occurring across galactic scales for SMBH masses $\geq 10^8 M_\odot$ in the energy-driven case. This study emphasizes that SMBH growth over cosmic time may have produced markedly different impacts on galactic habitability, depending on both the mass of the central black hole (BH) and the location of planetary systems within their host galaxies.

astro-ph.GA