arXiv subjects

Brian Punsly

Publications and source records attributed to Brian Punsly.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

3-D Simulations of Ergospheric Disk Driven Poynting Jets

This Letter reports on 3-dimensional simulations of Kerr black hole magnetospheres that obey the general relativistic equations of perfect magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). In particular, we study powerful Poynting flux dominated jets that are driven from dense gas in the equatorial plane in the ergosphere. The physics of which has been previously studied in the simplified limit of an ergopsheric disk. For high spin black holes, $a/M > 0.95$, the ergospheric disk is prominent in the 3-D simulations and is responsible for greatly enhanced Poynting flux emission. Any large scale poloidal magnetic flux that is trapped in the equatorial region leads to an enormous release of electromagnetic energy that dwarfs the jet energy produced by magnetic flux threading the event horizon. The implication is that magnetic flux threading the equatorial plane of the ergosphere is a likely prerequisite for the central engine of powerful FRII quasars.

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arXiv2007

The Velocity Field of Quasar Broad Emission Line Gas

In this Letter, the broad emission line (BEL) profiles of superluminal quasars with apparent jet velocities, $β_{a}>10$, (ultraluminal QSOs, or ULQSOs hereafter) are studied as a diagnostic of the velocity field of the BEL emitting gas in quasars. The ULQSOs are useful because they satisfy a very strict kinematical constraint, their parsec scale jets must be propagating within $12^{\circ}$ of the line of sight. We know the orientation of these objects with great certainty. The large BEL FWHM, $\sim 3,000 \mathrm{km/s} - 6,000 \mathrm{km/s}$, in ULQSOs tend to indicate that the BEL gas has a larger component of axial velocity (either random or in a wind) along the jet direction than previously thought.

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arXiv2006

Kinetically Dominated FRII Radio Sources

The existence of FR II objects that are kinetically dominated, the jet kinetic luminosity, $Q$, is larger than the total thermal luminosity (IR to X-ray) of the accretion flow, $L_{bol}$, is of profound theoretical interest. Such objects are not expected in most theoretical models of the central engine of radio loud AGN. Thus, establishing such a class of objects is an important diagnostic for filtering through the myriad of theoretical possibilities. This paper attempts to establish a class of quasars that have existed in a state of kinetic dominance, $R(t)\equiv Q(t)/L_{bol}(t)>1$, at some epoch, $t$. It is argued that the 10 quasars in this article with a long term time average $Q(t)$, $\bar{Q}$, that exceed $L_{Edd}$ are likely to have satisfied the condition $R(t)>1$ either presently or in the past based on the rarity of $L_{bol}>L_{Edd}$ quasars. Finally, the existence of these sources is discussed in the context of the theory of the central engine.

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arXiv2006

3C 216: A Powerful FRII Seyfert 1 Galaxy

3C 216 has a weak accretion flow luminosity, well below the Seyfert1/QSO dividing line, weak broad emission lines (BELs) and powerful radio lobes. As a consequence of the extreme properties of 3C 216, it is the most convincing example known of an FR II radio source that is kinetically dominated: the jet kinetic luminosity, $Q$, is larger than the total thermal luminosity (IR to X-ray) of the accretion flow, $L_{bol}$. Using three independent estimators for the central black hole mass, we find that the jet in 3C 216 is very super-Eddington, $3.3 L_{Edd}<\bar{Q}< 10 L_{Edd}$, where $\bar{Q}$ is the long term time averaged $Q(t)$, calculated at 151 MHz. It is argued that 3C 216 satisfies the contemporaneous kinetically dominated condition, $R(t)\equiv Q(t)/L_{bol}(t)>1$, either presently or in the past based on the rarity of $L_{bol}>L_{Edd}$ quasars. The existence of $R(t)>1$ AGN is a strong constraint on the theory of the central engine of FRII radio sources.

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arXiv2006

X-ray Absorption in Type II Quasars: Implications for the Equatorial Paradigm of Broad Absorption Line Quasars

In this article, the hydrogen column densities derived from X-ray observations of type II (hidden) quasars and broad absorption line quasars (BALQSOs) are compared. These column densities represent the amount of absorbing material between the X-ray source and the observer. A sample of type II QSOs with strong narrow emission lines, weak UV continuum and no broad emission lines that also have deep X-ray observations was collected from the literature for analysis. The standard model of equatorial BAL (broad absorption line) winds predicts that the column densities of this type II QSO sample should significantly exceed BALQSO column densities. Based on the existing published deep hard X-ray observations this does not seem to be true, the BALQSO absorption columns are anomalously large. Actually, the limited existing data indicate that BALQSOs have column densities which are larger than the type II QSO column densities at a statistically significant level. The implication to BAL outflows and the fundamental physical geometry of QSOs is discussed.

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arXiv2006

PKS 1018-42: A Powerful Kinetically Dominated Quasar

We have identified PKS 1018-42 as a radio galaxy with extraordinarily powerful jets, over twice as powerful as any 3CR source of equal or lesser redshift except for one (3C196). It is perhaps the most intrinsically powerful extragalactic radio source in the, still poorly explored, Southern Hemisphere. PKS 1018-42 belongs to the class of FR II objects that are kinetically dominated, the jet kinetic luminosity, $Q \sim 6.5 \times 10^{46}\mathrm{ergs/s}$ (calculated at 151 MHz), is 3.4 times larger than the total thermal luminosity (IR to X-ray) of the accretion flow, $L_{bol} \sim 1.9 \times 10^{46}\mathrm{ergs/s}$. It is the fourth most kinetically dominated quasar that we could verify from existing radio data. From a review of the literature, we find that kinetically dominated sources such as PKS 1018-42 are rare, and list the 5 most kinetically dominated sources found from our review. Our results for PKS 1018-42 are based on new observations from the Australia Telescope Compact Array.

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arXiv2005

External Sources of Poynting Flux in MHD Simulations of Black Hole Ergospheres

This article investigates the physics that is responsible for creating the outgoing Poynting flux emanating from the ergosphere of a rotating black hole in the limit that the magnetic energy density greatly exceeds the plasma rest mass density (magnetically dominated limit). The underlying physics is derived from published 3-D simulations that obey the general relativistic equations of perfect magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). It is found that the majority of the outgoing radial Poynting flux emitted from the magnetically dominated regions of the ergosphere is injected into the magnetosphere by a source outside of the event horizon. It is concluded that the primary source of the Poynting flux is associated with inertial forces in the magnetically dominated region proper or in the lateral boundaries of the region. However, the existing numerical data does not rule out the possibility that large computational errors are actually the primary source of the Poynting flux.

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arXiv2005

PKS 0743$-$67: An Ultra-luminous Accretion Disk and a High Kinetic Luminosity Jet

In this letter, deep radio observations of the quasar PKS 0743$-$67 are presented that reveal a central engine capable of driving jets with enormous kinetic luminosity, $Q>4.1 \times 10^{46}\mathrm{ergs/s}$. This result is significant because archival optical spectral data indicates that the accretion disk has a thermal luminosity, $L_{bol}>2\times 10^{47}\mathrm{ergs/s}$. Furthermore, estimates of the central black hole mass from line widths indicate that $L_{bol}/L_{Edd}\approx 1$. This suggests that neither a large $L_{bol}$ nor $L_{bol}/L_{Edd}$ suppresses jet power in quasars, despite claims that they do in the recent literature. Earlier studies have found $L_{bol}$ and $Q$ are correlated in blazars. However, by removing the BL-Lacs and leaving only the quasars in the sample, we found that $Q$ is very weakly correlated with $L_{bol}$ in the subsample.

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arXiv2005

PKS 1622-253: A Weakly Accreting, Powerful Gamma Ray Source

In this Letter, we discuss new deep radio observations of PKS 1622-253 and their implications for the energetics of the central engine that powers this strong high energy gamma-ray source. Combining archival infrared and optical measurements with new millimeter observations, we show that even though the accretion flow in PKS 1622-253 is under-luminous by quasar standards, a powerful super-luminal jet is launched with a higher kinetic luminosity than most EGRET blazars. Only a few percent of the total jet kinetic luminosity is required to power even the most powerful gamma ray flares that are observed. The implication is that a high accretion system is not required to power the strongest high energy gamma ray sources.

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arXiv2005

Inertial Current Generators of Poynting Flux in MHD Simulations of Black Hole Ergospheres

This Letter investigates the physics that is responsible for creating the current system that supports the outgoing Poynting flux emanating from the ergosphere of a rotating black hole in the limit that the magnetic energy density greatly exceeds the plasma rest mass density (magnetically dominated limit). The underlying physics is derived from published three-dimensional simulations that obey the general relativistic equations of perfect magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). It is found that the majority of the Poynting flux emitted from the magnetically dominated regions of the ergosphere has a source associated with inertial effects outside of the event horizon.

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arXiv2005

An Independent Derivation of the Oxford Jet Kinetic Luminosity Formula

This letter presents a theoretical derivation of an estimate for a radio source jet kinetic luminosity. The expression yields jet powers that are quantitatively similar to a more sophisticated empirical relation published by the Willott, Blundell and Rawlings at Oxford. The formula allows one to estimate the jet kinetic luminosity from the measurement of the optically thin radio lobe emission in quasars and radio galaxies. Motivated by recent X-ray observation, the derivation assumes that most of the energy in the lobes is in plasma thermal energy with a negligible contribution from magnetic energy (not equipartition). The close agreement of the two independent expressions makes the veracity of these estimates seem very plausible.

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arXiv2005

X-ray Diagnostics of Broad Absorption Line Quasar Geometry

A new generation of sensitive X-ray measurements are indicating that the existence of X-ray attenuation column densities, $N_{H}>10^{24}\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$ is quite common amongst broad absorption line quasars (BALQSOs). This is significant to the geometry of the broad absorption line (BAL) outflow. In particular, such an X-ray shield also shields equatorial accretion disk winds from the UV, thereby preventing high velocity equatorial outflows from being launched. By contrast, bipolar winds initiated by continuum radiation pressure from the funnel of a slim accretion disk flare outward (like a trumpet) and offer vastly different absorbing columns to the X-ray and UV emission which are emitted from distinct regions of the disk, $\sim 6M$ and $\sim 10M-40M$, respectively (where $M$ is the radius of the black hole). Recent numerical work indicates that it is also possible to launch bipolar outflows from the inner regions of a thin disk. The recent discovery with VLBI that the Galactic analog of a BALQSO, the X-ray binary Circinus X-1 (with high velocity P Cygni X-ray absorption lines) is viewed virtually along the radio jet axis (and therefore along the spin axis of the black hole and the normal to the accretion disk) has rekindled interest in the bipolar models of BALQSOs. We explore this possibility by studying the nearest BAL QSO, MRK 231. High resolution 2-D optical spectroscopy and VLBI mappings of the radio jet axis indicates that the BAL outflow is parallel to the parsec scale radio jet.

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arXiv2004

Simulations of Jets Driven by Black Hole Rotation

The origin of jets emitted from black holes is not well understood, however there are two possible energy sources, the accretion disk or the rotating black hole. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations show a well-defined jet that extracts energy from a black hole. If plasma near the black hole is threaded by large-scale magnetic flux, it will rotate with respect to asymptotic infinity creating large magnetic stresses. These stresses are released as a relativistic jet at the expense of black hole rotational energy. The physics of the jet initiation in the simulations is described by the theory of black hole gravitohydromagnetics.

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arXiv2004

Fast Wave Polarization, Charge Horizons and the Time Evolution of Force-Free Magnetospheres

Numerical simulations of force-free, degenerate (ffde)pulsar and black hole magnetospheres are often based on 1-D characteristics. In particular, the plasma wave polarizations that can be propagated along the 1-D characteristics determine the time evolution of the entire system. There are two sets of characteristics,corresponding to the fast and Alfven modes. The fast wave is generally considered to be a transverse light wave, however recently it has been claimed that light-like fast waves can transport a longitudinal electric polarization, $E_{\parallel}$, at the speed of light. The implication is quite profound if true, namely that the wrong information has been propagated along the fast characteristics in all previous simulations of force-free magnetospheres. It is shown in this Letter that the light-like fast waves must be transverse and previous simulations are valid. This result is demonstrated by means of a fundamental physical principle (associated with the fact that particles cannot flow faster than the speed of light), there exists a charge horizon in ffde magnetospheres. It is shown that the Alfven critical surfaces in a ffde magnetosphere are both charge and particle horizons, i.e. one way membranes that do not permit traversal by charges nor particles anti-directed to the bulk flow. Since the propagation of a discontinuous change in $E_{\parallel}$ requires a physical surface charge on the wave-face, it is also a one-way membrane for longitudinally polarized waves. Besides justifying previous ffde simulations this result also invalidates previous claims that fast waves can radiate $E_{\parallel}$ from the event horizon of a black hole.

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arXiv2003

The origins of Causality Violations in Force Free Simulations of Black Hole Magnetospheres

Recent simulations of force-free, degenerate (ffde) black hole magnetospheres indicate that the fast mode radiated from (or near) the event horizon can modify the global potential difference in the poloidal direction orthogonal to the magnetic field, V, in a black hole magnetosphere. There is a fundamental contradiction in a wave that alters V coming from near the horizon. The background fields in ffde satisfy the ``ingoing wave condition'' near the horizon (that arises from the requirement that all matter is ingoing at the event horizon), yet outgoing waves are radiated from this region in the simulation. Studying the properties of the waves in the simulations are useful tools to this end. It is shown that regularity of the stress-energy tensor in a freely falling frame requires that the outgoing (as viewed globally) waves near the event horizon are redshifted away and are ineffectual at changing V. It is also concluded that waves in massless MHD (ffde) are extremely inaccurate depictions of waves in a tenuous MHD plasma, near the event horizon, as a consequence black hole gravity. Any analysis based on ffde near the event horizon is seriously flawed.

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arXiv2002

Force Free Waves and Black Hole Magnetospheric Causality

The force free approximation is often useful when describing tenuous plasmas in strong cosmic magnetic fields. Time evolution of any such system is governed by the information that can be transported along the characteristics of the plasma modes allowed by the force free constraint. This brief article elucidates, for the first time, the nature of the information that can be transported along the characteristics for each of the two plasma modes, the Alfven and fast modes. It is reassuring that these modes behave as one would expect if the perfect magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes in a magnetically dominated plasma were evaluated in the limit of zero plasma inertia (i.e., only allowed to propagate information consistent with the force free constraint). There are no properties of these waves that do not exist within the MHD theory, when this additional constraint on the current is imposed. The results of the characteristic analysis elucidates the nature of the causality violation in force free black hole magnetospheres. The most significant result from the standpoint of global causality is that charge and current perturbations can not be transported along the fast mode short wavelength characteristics in the force free limit.

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arXiv2002

Is The Enigmatic Source 3EG J1828+0142 a Galactic Microblazar ?

The unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1828+0142, located at (l,b) ~ (31.9,5.8) (Hartman et al. 1999), is particularly enigmatic since it displays very high variability over timescales of months (Torres et al. 2000, Tompkins 1999) yet no blazar has been found within the 95% confidence contour of the gamma-ray location error-box (Punsly et al 2000). It also has an unusually steep gamma-ray spectral index of Gamma=2.76 +/- 0.39. It's relatively low latitude may be indicative of a galactic origin of the variable GeV flux. A multifrequency study of this source has been initiated and may reveal the presence of a novel type of compact object: a galactic 'microblazar'. X-ray data, especially those of high spatial resolution from CHANDRA, would be particularly useful in establishing such a connection.

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arXiv2001

A Study of the Unidentified Gamma-Ray Source 3EG J1828+0142

We present a study of the radio environment of the gamma-ray source 3EG J1828+0142. This source presents a very high variability index in its gamma emission and a steep high-energy spectral index $Γ\sim-2.8$. Large-scale radio maps at different frequencies show the presence of a shell-type non-thermal structure when the diffuse emission from the Galactic disk is eliminated. At small scales, VLA radio images reveal the existence of several weak point sources within the 95 % gamma-ray confidence location contour. Most of these sources present non-thermal spectral indices, but it is not clear whether they are extragalactic or not. We discuss the possibility of a scenario where the large structure is a SNR and one of the compact radio sources is an isolated black hole also produced in the original supernova explosion. The black hole could be responsible for the variable gamma-ray emission according to Punsly's (1998) model. INTEGRAL observations with IBIS imager could detect the inverse Compton and blueshifted pair annihilation radiation from the relativistic electron-positron jets of the hole. Some estimates are presented in this regard.

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