arXiv subjects

Kenji Toma

Publications and source records attributed to Kenji Toma.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Rayleigh-Taylor Instability in Two-Component Relativistic Jets

Relativistic jets associated with active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts propagate over huge distances without significant loss of momentum. At the same time they are bright emitters, which is indicative of strong energy dissipation. This points towards a mechanism of internal dissipation which does not result in a global disruption of the flow. One possibility is internal shocks and another one is turbulence driven by local instabilities. Such instabilities can be triggered when a freely expanding jet is reconfined by either the cocoon or external gas pressure. In this paper we study the dynamics of two-component spine-sheath hydrodynamic jets coming into pressure equilibrium with external gas using 2D computer simulations. We find that the jet oscillations lead to a rapid onset of Rayleigh-Taylor-type instabilities, which results in additional internal dissipation and mixing of the jet components. Although slightly different in details, this outcome holds both for the heavy-spine-light-sheath and light-spine-heavy-sheath configurations. The results may provide an explanation to the spatial flaring observed in some AGN jets on kpc-scales.

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arXiv2016

Where is the electric current driven in the Blandford-Znajek process?

The Blandford-Znajek process, the steady electromagnetic energy extraction from a rotating black hole, is widely believed to work for driving relativistic jets, although it is still under debate where the electric current is driven. We address this issue analytically by investigating the time-dependent state in the Boyer-Lindquist and Kerr-Schild coordinate systems. This analysis suggests that a non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic region is required in the time-dependent state, while not in the steady state.

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arXiv2016

Evolution of an Accretion Disk in Binary Black Hole Systems

We investigate evolution of an accretion disc in binary black hole (BBH) systems and possible electromagnetic counterparts of the gravitational waves from mergers of BBHs. Perna et al. (2016) proposed a novel evolutionary scenario of an accretion disc in BBHs in which a disc eventually becomes "dead", i.e., the magnetorotational instability (MRI) becomes inactive. In their scenario, the dead disc survives until {\it a few seconds before} the merger event. We improve the dead disc model and propose another scenario, taking account of effects of the tidal torque from the companion and the critical ionization degree for MRI activation more carefully. We find that the mass of the dead disc is much lower than that in the Perna's scenario. When the binary separation sufficiently becomes small, the mass inflow induced by the tidal torque reactivates MRI, restarting mass accretion onto the black hole. We also find that this disc "revival" happens {\it more than thousands of years before} the merger. The mass accretion induced by the tidal torque increases as the separation decreases, and a relativistic jet could be launched before the merger. The emissions from these jets are too faint compared to GRBs, but detectable if the merger events happen within $\lesssim 10$ Mpc or if the masses of the black holes are as massive as $\sim 10^5 M_{\odot}$.

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arXiv2016

Causal production of the electromagnetic energy flux and role of the negative energies in Blandford-Znajek process

Blandford-Znajek process, the steady electromagnetic energy extraction from a rotating black hole (BH), is widely believed to work for driving relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts and Galactic microquasars, although it is still under debate how the Poynting flux is causally produced and how the rotational energy of the BH is reduced. We generically discuss the Kerr BH magnetosphere filled with a collisionless plasma screening the electric field along the magnetic field, extending the arguments of Komissarov and our previous paper, and propose a new picture for resolving the issues. For the magnetic field lines threading the equatorial plane in the ergosphere, we find that the inflow of particles with negative energy as measured in the coordinate basis is generated near that plane as a feedback from the Poynting flux production, which appears to be a similar process to the mechanical Penrose process. For the field lines threading the event horizon, we first show that the concept of the steady inflow of negative electromagnetic energy is not physically essential, partly because the sign of the electromagnetic energy density depends on the coordinates. Then we build an analytical toy model of a time-dependent process both in the Boyer-Lindquist and Kerr-Schild coordinate systems in which the force-free plasma injected continuously is filling a vacuum, and suggest that the structure of the steady outward Poynting flux is causally constructed by the displacement current and the cross-field current at the in-going boundary between the plasma and the vacuum. In the steady state, the Poynting flux is maintained without any electromagnetic source.

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arXiv2016

Gamma-ray bursts and Population III stars

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are ideal probes of the epoch of the first stars and galaxies. We review the recent theoretical understanding of the formation and evolution of the first (so-called Population III) stars, in light of their viability of providing GRB progenitors. We proceed to discuss possible unique observational signatures of such bursts, based on the current formation scenario of long GRBs. These include signatures related to the prompt emission mechanism, as well as to the afterglow radiation, where the surrounding intergalactic medium might imprint a telltale absorption spectrum. We emphasize important remaining uncertainties in our emerging theoretical framework.

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arXiv2016

Stochastic Particle Acceleration in Turbulence Generated by the Magnetorotational Instability

We investigate stochastic particle acceleration in accretion flows. It is believed that the magnetorotational instability (MRI) generates turbulence inside accretion flows and that cosmic rays (CRs) are accelerated by the turbulence. We calculate equations of motion for CRs in the turbulent fields generated by MRI with the shearing box approximation without back reaction to the field. The results show that the CRs randomly gain or lose their energies through the interaction with the turbulent fields. The CRs diffuse in the configuration space anisotropically: The diffusion coefficient in direction of the unperturbed flow is about twenty times higher than the Bohm coefficient, while those in the other directions are only a few times higher than the Bohm. The momentum distribution is isotropic, and its evolution can be described by the diffusion equation in momentum space where the diffusion coefficient is a power-law function of the CR momentum. We show that the shear acceleration efficiently works for energetic particles. We also cautiously note that in the shearing box approximation, particles that cross the simulation box many times along the radial direction suffer unphysical runaway acceleration by the Lorentz transformation, which needs to be taken with special care.

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arXiv2015

X-Ray Polarimetry with the Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array (PolSTAR)

This paper describes the Polarization Spectroscopic Telescope Array (PolSTAR), a mission proposed to NASA's 2014 Small Explorer (SMEX) announcement of opportunity. PolSTAR measures the linear polarization of 3-50 keV (requirement; goal: 2.5-70 keV) X-rays probing the behavior of matter, radiation and the very fabric of spacetime under the extreme conditions close to the event horizons of black holes, as well as in and around magnetars and neutron stars. The PolSTAR design is based on the technology developed for the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) mission launched in June 2012. In particular, it uses the same X-ray optics, extendable telescope boom, optical bench, and CdZnTe detectors as NuSTAR. The mission has the sensitivity to measure ~1% linear polarization fractions for X-ray sources with fluxes down to ~5 mCrab. This paper describes the PolSTAR design as well as the science drivers and the potential science return.

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arXiv2015

Neutrino and Cosmic-Ray Emission and Cumulative Background from Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows in Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

We study high-energy neutrino and cosmic-ray (CR) emission from the cores of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). In LLAGN, the thermalization of particles is expected to be incomplete in radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), allowing the existence of non-thermal particles. In this work, assuming stochastic particle acceleration due to turbulence in RIAFs, we solve the Fokker-Planck equation and calculate spectra of escaping neutrinos and CRs. The RIAF in LLAGN can emit CR protons with $\gtrsim10$ PeV energies and TeV-PeV neutrinos generated via $pp$ and/or $pγ$ reactions. We find that, if $\sim1$\% of the accretion luminosity is carried away by non-thermal ions, the diffuse neutrino intensity from the cores of LLAGN may be as high as $E_ν^2Φ_ν\sim3\times{10}^{-8} {\rm GeV} {\rm cm}^{-2} {\rm s}^{-1}{\rm sr}^{-1}$, which can be compatible with the observed IceCube data. This result does not contradict either of the diffuse gamma-ray background observed by {\it Fermi} or observed diffuse cosmic-ray flux. Our model suggests that, although very-high-energy gamma rays may not escape, radio-quiet AGN with RIAFs can emit GeV gamma-rays, which could be used for testing the model. We also calculate the neutron luminosity from RIAFs of LLAGN, and discuss a strong constraint on the model of jet mass loading mediated by neutrons from the diffuse neutrino observation.

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arXiv2015

Synchrotron Self-Compton Emission by Relativistic Electrons under Stochastic Acceleration: Application to Mrk 421 and Mrk 501

We examine the applicability of the stochastic electron acceleration to two high synchrotron peaked blazars, Mrk 421 and Mrk 501, assuming synchrotron self-Compton emission of gamma-rays. Our model considers an emitting region moving at relativistic speed, where non-thermal electrons are accelerated and attain a steady-state energy spectrum together with the photons they emit. The kinetic equations of the electrons and photons are solved numerically, given a stationary wave number spectrum of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disturbances, which are responsible for the electron acceleration and escape. Our simple formulation appears to reproduce the two well-sampled, long-term averaged photon spectra. In order to fit the model to the emission component from the radio to the X-ray bands, we need both a steeper wave spectral index than the Kolmogorov spectrum and efficient particle escape. Although the model provides a natural explanation for the high-energy cutoff of the electron energy distribution, the derived physical parameters raise a problem with an energy budget if the MHD waves with the Alfv{é}n velocity are assumed to be the acceleration agent.

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arXiv2014

Effects of High-Energy Particles on Accretion Flows onto a Supermassive Black Hole

We study effects of high-energy particles on the accretion flows onto a supermassive black hole and luminosities of escaping particles such as protons, neutrons, gamma-rays, and neutrinos. We formulate a one-dimensional model of the two-component accretion flow consisting of thermal particles and high-energy particles, supposing that some fraction of the released energy is converted to the acceleration of the high-energy particles. The thermal component is governed by fluid dynamics while the high-energy particles obey the moment equations of the diffusion-convection equation. By solving the time evolution of these equations, we obtain advection dominated flows as the steady state solutions. Effects of the high-energy particles on the flow structures turn out to be small even if the pressure of the high-energy particles dominates over the thermal pressure. For a model in which the escaping protons take away almost all the released energy, the high-energy particles have large influence enough to make the flow have the Keplerian angular velocity at the inner region. We calculate the luminosities of the escaping particles for these steady solutions. The escaping particles can extract the energy from about $10^{-4}\dot M c^2$ to $10^{-2}\dot M c^2$, where $\dot M$ is the mass accretion rates. The luminosities of the escaping particles depend on the parameters such as the injection Lorentz factors, the mass accretion rates, and the diffusion coefficients. We also discuss some implications on the relativistic jet production by the escaping particles.

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arXiv2014

Electromotive Force in the Blandford-Znajek Process

One of the mechanisms widely considered for driving relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei, galactic microquasars, and gamma-ray bursts is the electromagnetic extraction of the rotational energy of a central black hole, i.e., the Blandford-Znajek process, although the origin of the electromotive force in this process is still under debate. We study this process as the steady unipolar induction in the Kerr black hole magnetosphere filled with a collisionless plasma screening the electric field (the D field) along the magnetic field (the B field), i.e., D dot B = 0. We extend the formulations and arguments made by Komissarov, and generally show that the origin of the electromotive force is ascribed to the ergosphere. It is explicitly shown that open magnetic field lines penetrating the ergosphere have a region where the D field is stronger than the B field in the ergosphere, and it keeps driving the poloidal currents and generating the electromotive force and the outward Poynting flux. The range of the possible value of the so-called angular velocity of the magnetic field line Omega_F is deduced for the field lines threading the equatorial plane in the ergosphere. We briefly discuss the relation between our conclusion and the ideal magnetohydrodynamic condition.

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arXiv2013

Time-Dependent Models for Blazar Emissions with the Second-Order Fermi Acceleration

The second-order Fermi acceleration (Fermi-II) driven by turbulence may be responsible for the electron acceleration in blazar jets. We test this model with time-dependent simulations. The hard electron spectrum predicted by the Fermi-II process agrees with the hard photon spectrum of 1ES 1101-232. For other blazars that show softer spectra, the Fermi-II model requires radial evolution of the electron injection rate and/or diffusion coefficient in the outflow. Such evolutions can yield a curved electron spectrum, which can reproduce the synchrotron spectrum of Mrk 421 from the radio to the X-ray regime.The photon spectrum in the GeV energy range of Mrk 421 is hard to fit with a synchrotron self-Compton model. However, if we introduce an external radio photon field with a luminosity of $4.9 \times 10^{38}~\mbox{erg}~\mbox{s}^{-1}$, GeV photons are successfully produced via inverse Compton scattering. The temporal variability of the diffusion coefficient or injection rate causes flare emission. The observed synchronicity of X-ray and TeV flares implies a decrease of the magnetic field in the flaring source region.

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arXiv2013

Polarization of GRB Prompt Emission

We review the recent observational results of the gamma-ray linear polarization of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), and discuss some theoretical implications for the prompt emission mechanism and the magnetic composition of GRB jets. We also report a strict observational verification of CPT invariance in the photon sector as a result of the GRB polarization measurements.

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arXiv2013

Efficient Acceleration of Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Jets

Relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei, galactic microquasars, and gamma-ray bursts are widely considered to be magnetohydrodynamically driven by black hole accretion systems, although conversion mechanism from Poynting into particle kinetic energy flux is still open. Recent detailed numerical and analytical studies of global structures of steady, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows with specific boundary conditions have not reproduced as rapid an energy conversion as required by observations. In order to find more suitable boundary conditions, we focus on the flow along a poloidal magnetic field line just inside the external boundary, without treating transfield force balance in detail. We find some examples of the poloidal field structure and corresponding external pressure profile for an efficient and rapid energy conversion as required by observations, and that the rapid acceleration requires a rapid decrease of the external pressure above the accretion disk. We also clarify the differences between the fast magnetosonic point of the MHD flow and the sonic point of de Laval nozzle.

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arXiv2013

Gamma-Ray Burst Science in the Era of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

We outline the science prospects for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory operating at energies above few tens of GeV. With its low energy threshold, large effective area and rapid slewing capabilities, CTA will be able to measure the spectra and variability of GRBs at multi-GeV energies with unprecedented photon statistics, and thereby break new ground in elucidating the physics of GRBs, which is still poorly understood. Such measurements will also provide crucial diagnostics of ultra-high-energy cosmic ray and neutrino production in GRBs, advance observational cosmology by probing the high-redshift extragalactic background light and intergalactic magnetic fields, and contribute to fundamental physics by testing Lorentz invariance violation with high precision. Aiming to quantify these goals, we present some simulated observations of GRB spectra and light curves, together with estimates of their detection rates with CTA. Although the expected detection rate is modest, of order a few GRBs per year, hundreds or more high-energy photons per burst may be attainable once they are detected. We also address various issues related to following up alerts from satellites and other facilities with CTA, as well as follow-up observations at other wavelengths. The possibility of discovering and observing GRBs from their onset including short GRBs during a wide-field survey mode is also briefly discussed.

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arXiv2012

Strict Limit on CPT Violation from Polarization of Gamma-Ray Bursts

We report the strictest observational verification of CPT invariance in the photon sector, as a result of gamma-ray polarization measurement of distant gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are brightest stellar-size explosions in the universe. We detected the gamma-ray polarization of three GRBs with high significance, and the source distances may be constrained by a well-known luminosity indicator for GRBs. For the Lorentz- and CPT-violating dispersion relation E_{\pm}^2=p^2 \pm 2ξp^3/M_{Pl}, where \pm denotes different circular polarization states of the photon, the parameter ξis constrained as |ξ|<O(10^{-15}). Barring precise cancellation between quantum gravity effects and dark energy effects, the stringent limit on the CPT-violating effect leads to the expectation that quantum gravity presumably respects the CPT invariance.

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arXiv2012

Magnetic Structures in Gamma-Ray Burst Jets Probed by Gamma-Ray Polarization

We report polarization measurements in two prompt emissions of gamma-ray bursts, GRB 110301A and GRB 110721A, observed with the Gamma-ray burst polarimeter (GAP) aboard IKAROS solar sail mission. We detected linear polarization signals from each burst with polarization degree of $Π= 70 \pm 22$% with statistical significance of $3.7 σ$ for GRB 110301A, and $Π= 84^{+16}_{-28}$% with $3.3 σ$ confidence level for GRB 110721A. We did not detect any significant change of polarization angle. These two events had shorter durations and dimmer brightness compared with GRB 100826A, which showed a significant change of polarization angle, as reported in Yonetoku et al. (2011). Synchrotron emission model can be consistent with all the data of the three GRBs, while photospheric quasi-thermal emission model is not favorable. We suggest that magnetic field structures in the emission region are globally-ordered fields advected from the central engine.

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arXiv2012

Prospects for Detecting Gamma-Ray Bursts at Very High Energies with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

We discuss the prospects for the detection of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next generation, ground-based facility of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) operating above a few tens of GeV. By virtue of its fast slewing capabilities, the lower energy threshold compared to current IACTs, and the much larger effective area compared to satellite instruments, CTA can measure the spectra and variability of GRBs with excellent photon statistics at multi-GeV energies. Employing a model of the GRB population whose properties are broadly consistent with observations by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard Fermi, we simulate follow-up observations of GRBs with the Large Size Telescopes (LSTs), the component of CTA with the fastest slew speed and the best sensitivity at energies below a few hundred GeV. For our fiducial assumptions, we foresee that the LSTs can detect ~0.1 GRBs per year during the prompt phase and ~0.5 per year in the afterglow phase, considering only one array site and both GBM and the Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Object Monitor (SVOM) as the alert instruments. The detection rates can be enhanced by a factor of about 5 and 6 for the prompt emission and the afterglow, respectively, assuming two array sites with the same sensitivity and that the GBM localization error can be reduced to less than 1 deg. The expected distribution of redshift and photon counts are presented, showing that despite the modest event rate, hundreds or more multi-GeV photons can be anticipated from a single burst once they are detected. We also study how the detection rate depends on the intrinsic GRB properties and the delay time between the burst trigger and the follow-up observation.

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