arXiv subjects

Britton Jeter

Publications and source records attributed to Britton Jeter.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Constraining the jet base emission of M87* with past and future Event Horizon Telescope observations

We investigate the detectability of the jet base of M87* at Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observing frequencies. Although M87 is known to host a prominent relativistic jet, detecting jet emission close to the black hole at horizon scales remains challenging. Our goal is to determine the minimum jet intensity that can be reliably detected with the recent EHT array configurations. We use synthetic EHT data generated for three array configurations corresponding to the 2021 and 2022 observing campaigns and to a near future EHT campaign. As input models, we employ semi analytic accretion jet models in which the jet emission can be tuned independently of the accretion flow. The synthetic data are reconstructed with regularized maximum likelihood and Bayesian imaging. Jet detectability is assessed through flux density recovery, image fidelity, and uncertainty maps. We find that jet detectability strongly depends on the jet intensity, the array configuration, and imaging methodology. Using our analysis, we determine a lower limit on the jet intensity that can be reliably recovered. The 2022 EHT array configuration represents a significant improvement over earlier arrays, enabling a more robust reconstruction of faint jet features. Our results indicate that the current EHT array is already sensitive to weak jet emission at horizon scales in M87*. The improved short-baseline coverage introduced in 2022 makes faint inner jet features more easily detectable. If the inner jet contributes a significant fraction of the unresolved compact flux, it should become visible in post-2021 observations. On the other hand, if no clear jet signature is found, this would suggest that the horizon-scale jet contributes only a small part of the compact emission. The continued expansion of the EHT will further improve the detection of such jet emission in M87*.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Ring Asymmetry and Spin in M87*

Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) images of the supermassive black hole M87* depict an asymmetric ring of emission. General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) models of M87* and its accretion disk predict that the amplitude and location of the ring's peak brightness asymmetry should fluctuate due to turbulence in the source plasma. We compare the observed distribution of brightness asymmetry amplitudes to the simulated distribution in GRMHD models, across varying black hole spin $a_{*}$. We show that, for strongly magnetized (MAD) models, three epochs of EHT data marginally disfavor $|a_{*}| \lesssim 0.2$. This is consistent with the Blandford-Znajek model for M87's jet, which predicts that M87* should have nonzero spin. We show quantitatively how future observations could improve spin constraints, and discuss how improved spin constraints could distinguish between differing jet-launching mechanisms and black hole growth scenarios.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Constraining Active Galactic Nucleus Jets with Spectrum and Core Shift: The Case of M87

We analytically model stationary and axisymmetric active galactic nucleus jets, assuming energy conservation along each magnetic flux tube. Using very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations and published general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we constrain the evolution of the bulk Lorentz factor, the magnetization parameter, and the magnetic field strength along the jet. We then infer the electron density, emission coefficient, and absorption coefficient at each point, and integrate the radiative transfer equation to compute the spectral energy distribution (SED) and the core shift of the synchrotron emission from the relativistic jet. Applying the method to the M87 jet, we find that the hot plasmas are injected at the altitude of seven Schwarzschild radii from the black hole (BH), that the M87 jet is likely composed of a pair plasma, and that the jet flowline geometry is quasi-parabolic as reported at much greater distances. Fitting the nonthermal fraction of the leptonic jet as a function of position, we also find that most of the radio photons are emitted within 1000 Schwarzschild radii from the BH. Although hadronic jets do not reproduce all the VLBI observations consistently in our model, we also discuss that their heavy mass allows a stronger magnetic field within the observational constraints, leading to an inverted SED in sub-millimeter wavelengths by the thermal emission from the jet base. It is therefore implied that contemporaneous observations of the M87 jet with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and VLBI could discriminate the jet composition and its collimation within the central 100 Schwarzschild radii.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Origin of the ring ellipticity in the black hole images of M87*

We investigate the origin of the elliptical ring structure observed in the images of the supermassive black hole M87*, aiming to disentangle contributions from gravitational, astrophysical, and imaging effects. Leveraging the enhanced capabilities of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 2018 array, including improved $(u,v)$-coverage from the Greenland Telescope, we measure the ring's ellipticity using five independent imaging methods, obtaining a consistent average value of $\tau = 0.08_{-0.02}^{+0.03}$ with a position angle $\xi = 50.1_{-7.6}^{+6.2}$ degrees. To interpret this measurement, we compare against General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations spanning a wide range of physical parameters including thermal or non-thermal electron distribution function, spins, and ion-to-electron temperature ratios in both low and high-density regions. We find no statistically significant correlation between spin and ellipticity in GRMHD images. Instead, we identify a correlation between ellipticity and the fraction of non-ring emission, particularly in non-thermal models and models with higher jet emission. These results indicate that the ellipticity measured from the \m87 emission structure is consistent with that expected from simulations of turbulent accretion flows around black holes, where it is dominated by astrophysical effects rather than gravitational ones. Future high-resolution imaging, including space very long baseline interferometry and long-term monitoring, will be essential to isolate gravitational signatures from astrophysical effects.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

The Photon Ring in M87*

We report measurements of the gravitationally lensed secondary image -- the first in an infinite series of so-called "photon rings" -- around the supermassive black hole M87* via simultaneous modeling and imaging of the 2017 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations. The inferred ring size remains constant across the seven days of the 2017 EHT observing campaign and is consistent with theoretical expectations, providing clear evidence that such measurements probe spacetime and a striking confirmation of the models underlying the first set of EHT results. The residual diffuse emission evolves on timescales comparable to one week. We are able to detect with high significance a southwestern extension consistent with that expected from the base of a jet that is rapidly rotating in the clockwise direction. This result adds further support to the identification of the jet in M87* with a black hole spin-driven outflow, launched via the Blandford-Znajek process. We present three revised estimates for the mass of M87* based on identifying the modeled thin ring component with the bright ringlike features seen in simulated images, one of which is only weakly sensitive to the astrophysics of the emission region. All three estimates agree with each other and previously reported values. Our strongest mass constraint combines information from both the ring and the diffuse emission region, which together imply a mass-to-distance ratio of $4.20^{+0.12}_{-0.06}~\mu{\rm as}$ and a corresponding black hole mass of $(7.13\pm0.39)\times10^9M_\odot$, where the error on the latter is now dominated by the systematic uncertainty arising from the uncertain distance to M87*.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

The Variability of the Black-Hole Image in M87 at the Dynamical Time Scale

The black-hole images obtained with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) are expected to be variable at the dynamical timescale near their horizons. For the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, this timescale (5-61 days) is comparable to the 6-day extent of the 2017 EHT observations. Closure phases along baseline triangles are robust interferometric observables that are sensitive to the expected structural changes of the images but are free of station-based atmospheric and instrumental errors. We explored the day-to-day variability in closure phase measurements on all six linearly independent non-trivial baseline triangles that can be formed from the 2017 observations. We showed that three triangles exhibit very low day-to-day variability, with a dispersion of $\sim3-5^\circ$. The only triangles that exhibit substantially higher variability ($\sim90-180^\circ$) are the ones with baselines that cross visibility amplitude minima on the $u-v$ plane, as expected from theoretical modeling. We used two sets of General Relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations to explore the dependence of the predicted variability on various black-hole and accretion-flow parameters. We found that changing the magnetic field configuration, electron temperature model, or black-hole spin has a marginal effect on the model consistency with the observed level of variability. On the other hand, the most discriminating image characteristic of models is the fractional width of the bright ring of emission. Models that best reproduce the observed small level of variability are characterized by thin ring-like images with structures dominated by gravitational lensing effects and thus least affected by turbulence in the accreting plasmas.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Constraints on black-hole charges with the 2017 EHT observations of M87*

Our understanding of strong gravity near supermassive compact objects has recently improved thanks to the measurements made by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). We use here the M87* shadow size to infer constraints on the physical charges of a large variety of nonrotating or rotating black holes. For example, we show that the quality of the measurements is already sufficient to rule out that M87* is a highly charged dilaton black hole. Similarly, when considering black holes with two physical and independent charges, we are able to exclude considerable regions of the space of parameters for the doubly-charged dilaton and the Sen black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

The Polarized Image of a Synchrotron Emitting Ring of Gas Orbiting a Black Hole

Synchrotron radiation from hot gas near a black hole results in a polarized image. The image polarization is determined by effects including the orientation of the magnetic field in the emitting region, relativistic motion of the gas, strong gravitational lensing by the black hole, and parallel transport in the curved spacetime. We explore these effects using a simple model of an axisymmetric, equatorial accretion disk around a Schwarzschild black hole. By using an approximate expression for the null geodesics derived by Beloborodov (2002) and conservation of the Walker-Penrose constant, we provide analytic estimates for the image polarization. We test this model using currently favored general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of M87*, using ring parameters given by the simulations. For a subset of these with modest Faraday effects, we show that the ring model broadly reproduces the polarimetric image morphology. Our model also predicts the polarization evolution for compact flaring regions, such as those observed from Sgr A* with GRAVITY. With suitably chosen parameters, our simple model can reproduce the EVPA pattern and relative polarized intensity in Event Horizon Telescope images of M87*. Under the physically motivated assumption that the magnetic field trails the fluid velocity, this comparison is consistent with the clockwise rotation inferred from total intensity images.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

Reconciling EHT and Gas Dynamics Measurements in M87: Is the Jet Misaligned at Parsec Scales?

The Event Horizon Telescope mass estimate for M87* is consistent with the stellar dynamics mass estimate, and inconsistent with the gas dynamics mass estimates by up to $2\sigma$. We have previously explored a new gas dynamics model that incorporated sub-Keplerian gas velocities that could in principle explain the discrepancy in the stellar and gas dynamics mass estimate. In this paper, we extend this gas dynamical model to also include non-trivial disk heights, which may also resolve the mass discrepancy independent of sub-Keplerian velocity components. By combining the existing velocity measurements and the EHT mass estimate, we place constraints on the gas disk inclination and sub-Kelplerian fraction. These constraints require the parsec-scale ionized gas disk be misaligned with the milli-arcsecond radio jet by at least $11^{\circ}$, and more typically $27^{\circ}$. Modifications to the gas dynamics model either by introducing sub-Keplerian velocities or thick disks produces further misalignment with the radio jet. If the jet is produced in a Blandford-Znajek-type process, the angular momentum of the black hole is decoupled with the angular momentum of the large scale gas feeding M87*.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Impact of Accretion Flow Dynamics on Gas-dynamical Black Hole Mass Estimates

At low redshift, the majority of supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass estimates are obtained from modeling stellar kinematics or ionized gas dynamics in the vicinity of the galaxy nucleus. For large early type galaxies, stellar kinematics models predict higher masses than gas-dynamical models. In the case of M87, this discrepancy is larger than 2 $\sigma$. Critical to gas-dynamical modeling is the assumed underlying dynamical state of the gas: that it lies on circular Keplerian orbits, potentially with some additional turbulent pressure support. This is inconsistent with models of the gas flow about low-accretion-rate SMBHs and at odds with observations of the Galactic Center. We present a simple model for non-Keplerian gas disks and explore their implications for SMBH mass measurements. We show that a larger central black hole with gas experiencing small amounts of sub-Keplerian motion can produce velocity curves similar to models that just contain circular Keplerian motions and a lower black hole mass. However, these non-Keplerian models are distinguishable from low-mass Keplerian models primarily through measurements of the velocity dispersion, wherein non-Keplerian models produce higher and narrower peak dispersions. Away from the galaxy center, but still within the circumnuclear gas disk, non-Keplerian models also become distinguishable from Keplerian models via a shift in the velocity curve. The velocity model presented in this paper is capable of resolving the discrepancy between the ionized gas dynamics and stellar kinematics mass estimates, and is applicable to gas-dynamical mass estimates of SMBHs in general.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Differentiating Disk and Black Hole Driven Jets with EHT Images of Variability in M87

Millimetre-wavelength very long baseline interferometric (mm-VLBI) observations of M87 by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) should provide a unique opportunity to observe and characterize the origins of jet variability already seen at longer wavelengths. Synchrotron spot models have been used to model variability near black holes; this work extends these by allowing spots to shear and deform in the jet velocity field. Depending on the position of the spot, shearing forces can significantly alter the structure of the spot, producing distinct signals in reconstructed images and light curves. The maximum intensity of the shearing spot can vary by as much as a factor of five depending on the spot azimuthal launch position, but the intensity decay time depends most significantly on the spot radial launch position. Spots launched by a black hole driven jet exhibit distinct arc structures in reconstructed images, and exhibit brighter and shorter-lived enhancements of the light curve. Spots launched by a wind-driven jet have exhibit much simpler structures in the image, and longer-lived light curve enhancements than spots launched by a black hole driven jet.

astro-ph.HE↗