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L. Á. Gergely

Publications and source records attributed to L. Á. Gergely.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

A two-step strategy to identify episodic sources of gravitational waves and high energy neutrinos in starburst galaxies

Supermassive black hole mergers with spin-flips accelerate energetic particles through their precessing relativistic jets, producing high energy neutrinos and finally gravitational waves. In star formation massive stars come in pairs, triplets and quadruplets, allowing second generation mergers of the remnants with discrepant spin directions. The Gravitational Wave (GW) data support such a scenario. Earlier we suggested that stellar mass black hole mergers (visible in M82) with an associated spin-flip analogously allow the acceleration of energetic particles, with ensuing high energy neutrinos and high energy photons, and finally producing gravitational waves. At cosmic distances only the gravitational waves and the neutrinos remain detectable. Here we generalize the argument to starburst and normal galaxies throughout their cosmic evolution, and show that these galaxies may dominate over Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) in the flux of ultra-high energy particles observed at Earth. All these sources contribute to the cosmic neutrino background, as well as the gravitational wave background (they detected the lower frequencies). We outline a search strategy to find such episodic sources, which requires to include both luminosity and flux density.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2025

White Paper and Roadmap for Quantum Gravity Phenomenology in the Multi-Messenger Era

The unification of quantum mechanics and general relativity has long been elusive. Only recently have empirical predictions of various possible theories of quantum gravity been put to test, where a clear signal of quantum properties of gravity is still missing. The dawn of multi-messenger high-energy astrophysics has been tremendously beneficial, as it allows us to study particles with much higher energies and travelling much longer distances than possible in terrestrial experiments, but more progress is needed on several fronts. A thorough appraisal of current strategies and experimental frameworks, regarding quantum gravity phenomenology, is provided here. Our aim is twofold: a description of tentative multimessenger explorations, plus a focus on future detection experiments. As the outlook of the network of researchers that formed through the COST Action CA18108 ``Quantum gravity phenomenology in the multi-messenger approach (QG-MM)'', in this work we give an overview of the desiderata that future theoretical frameworks, observational facilities, and data-sharing policies should satisfy in order to advance the cause of quantum gravity phenomenology.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2023

Signatures of a spinning supermassive black hole binary on the mas-scale jet of the quasar S5 1928+738 based on 25 years of VLBI data

In a previous work, we have identified the spin of the dominant black hole of a binary from its jet properties. Analysing Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the quasar S5~1928+738, taken at $15$-GHz during $43$ epochs between $1995.96$ and $2013.06$, we showed that the inclination angle variation of the inner ($<2$~mas) jet symmetry axis naturally decomposes into a periodic and a monotonic contribution. The former emerges due to the Keplerian orbital evolution, while the latter is interpreted as the signature of the spin-orbit precession of the jet emitting black hole. In this paper, we revisit the analysis of the quasar S5~1928+738 by including new $15$-GHz VLBA observations extending over $29$ additional epochs, between $2013.34$ and $2020.89$. The extended data set confirms our previous findings which are further supported by the flux density variation of the jet. By applying an enhanced jet precession model that can handle arbitrary spin orientations $κ$ with respect to the orbital angular momentum of a binary supermassive black hole system, we estimate the binary mass ratio as $ν=0.21\pm0.04$ for $κ=0$ (i.e. when the spin direction is perpendicular to the orbital plane) and as $ν=0.32\pm0.07$ for $κ=π/2$ (i.e. when the spin lies in the orbital plane). We estimate more precisely the spin precession velocity, halving its uncertainty from $(-0.05\pm0.02)^\circ\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ to $(-0.04\pm0.01)^\circ\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2022

Quantum gravity phenomenology at the dawn of the multi-messenger era -- A review

The exploration of the universe has recently entered a new era thanks to the multi-messenger paradigm, characterized by a continuous increase in the quantity and quality of experimental data that is obtained by the detection of the various cosmic messengers (photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays and gravitational waves) from numerous origins. They give us information about their sources in the universe and the properties of the intergalactic medium. Moreover, multi-messenger astronomy opens up the possibility to search for phenomenological signatures of quantum gravity. On the one hand, the most energetic events allow us to test our physical theories at energy regimes which are not directly accessible in accelerators; on the other hand, tiny effects in the propagation of very high energy particles could be amplified by cosmological distances. After decades of merely theoretical investigations, the possibility of obtaining phenomenological indications of Planck-scale effects is a revolutionary step in the quest for a quantum theory of gravity, but it requires cooperation between different communities of physicists (both theoretical and experimental). This review is aimed at promoting this cooperation by giving a state-of-the art account of the interdisciplinary expertise that is needed in the effective search of quantum gravity footprints in the production, propagation and detection of cosmic messengers.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2019

Slowly rotating Bose-Einstein Condensate confronted with the rotation curves of 12 dwarf galaxies

We assemble a database of 12 dwarf galaxies, for which optical (R-band) and near-infrared ($3.6μm$) surface brightness density together with spectroscopic rotation curve data are available, in order to test the slowly rotating Bose-Einstein Condensate (srBEC) dark matter model. We aim to establish the angular velocity range compatible with observations, bounded from above by the requirement of finite size halos, to check the modelfits with the dataset, and the universality of the BEC halo parameter $\mathcal{R}$. We construct the spatial luminosity density of the stellar component of the dwarf galaxies based on their $3.6μm$ and R-band surface brightness profiles, assuming an axisymmetric baryonic mass distribution. We build up the gaseous component by employing a truncated disk model. We fit a baryonic plus dark matter combined model, parametrized by the M/L ratios of the baryonic components and parameters of the srBEC (the central density $ρ_c$, size of the static BEC halo $\mathcal{R}$, angular velocity $ω$) to the rotation curves. The $3.6μm$ surface brightness of 6 galaxies indicates the presence of a bulge and a disk component. The shape of the $3.6μm$ and R-band spatial mass density profiles being similar is consistent with the stellar mass of the galaxies emerging wavelength-independent. The srBEC model fits the rotation curve of 11 galaxies out of 12 within $1σ$ significance level, with the average of $\mathcal{R}$ as 7.51 kpc and standard deviation of 2.96 kpc. This represents an improvement over the static BEC modelfit. For the well-fitting 11 galaxies the angular velocities allowing for a finite size srBEC halo are $<2.2\times 10^{-16}$ 1/s. For a scattering length of the BEC particle of $a\approx 10^6$ fm, the mass of the BEC particle is slightly better constrained than in the static case as $m\in[1.26\times10^{-17}\div3.08\times10^{-17}]$ eV/c$^2$.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2018

VLBI radio structure and radio brightening of the high-energy neutrino emitting blazar TXS 0506+056

We report on the radio brightening of the blazar TXS 0506+056 (at $z=0.3365$), supporting its identification as source of the high-energy (HE) neutrino IC-170922A by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. MOJAVE/VLBA data indicate its radio brightness abruptly increasing since January 2016. When decomposing the total radio flux density curve (January 2008 - July 2018) provided by the Owens Valley Radio Observatory into eight Gaussian flares, the peak time of the largest flare overlaps with the HE neutrino detection, while the total flux density exhibits a threefold increase since January 2016. We reveal the radio structure of TXS 0506+056 by analysing VLBI data from the MOJAVE/VLBA Survey. The jet-components maintain quasi-stationary core separations. The structure of the ridge line is indicative of a jet curve at the region $0.5\div2$ mas ($2.5\div9.9$ pc projected) from the VLBI core. The brightness temperature of the core and the pc-scale radio morphology support a helical jet structure at small inclination angle ($<8.2^{\circ}$). The jet pointing towards the Earth is key property facilitating multimessenger observations (HE neutrinos, $γ$- and radio flares). The radio brightening preceding the detection of a HE neutrino is similar to the one reported for the blazar PKS 0723--008 and IceCube event ID5.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2018

Flaring radio lanterns along the ridge line: long-term oscillatory motion in the jet of S5 1803+784

We present a detailed analysis of 30 very long baseline interferometric observations of the BL Lac object S5 1803+784 (z=0.679), obtained between mean observational time 1994.67 and 2012.91 at observational frequency 15 GHz. The long-term behaviour of the jet ridge line reveals the jet experiences an oscillatory motion superposed on its helical jet kinematics on a time-scale of about 6 years. The excess variance of the positional variability indicates the jet components being farther from the VLBI core have larger amplitude in their position variations. The fractional variability amplitude shows slight changes in 3-year bins of the component's position. The temporal variability in the Doppler boosting of the ridge line results in jet regions behaving as flaring "radio lanterns". We offer a qualitative scenario leading to the oscillation of the jet ridge line, that utilizes the orbital motion of the jet emitter black hole due to a binary black hole companion. A correlation analysis implies composite origin of the flux variability of the jet components, emerging due to possibly both the evolving jet-structure and its intrinsic variability.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2018

Supernova explosions of massive stars and cosmic rays

Most cosmic ray particles observed derive from the explosions of massive stars, which commonly produce stellar black holes in their supernova explosions. When two such black holes find themselves in a tight binary system they finally merge in a gigantic emission of gravitational waves, events that have now been detected. After an introduction (section 1) we introduce the basic concept (section 2): Cosmic rays from exploding massive stars with winds always show two cosmic ray components at the same time: (i) the weaker polar cap component only produced by Diffusive Shock Acceleration with a cut-off at the knee, and (ii) the stronger $4 π$ component with a down-turn to a steeper power-law spectrum at the knee, and a final cutoff at the ankle. In section 3 we use the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) data to differentiate these two cosmic ray spectral components. The ensuing secondary spectra can explain anti-protons, lower energy positrons, and other secondary particles. Triplet pair production may explain the higher energy positron AMS data. In section 4 we test this paradigm with a theory of injection based on a combined effect of first and second ionization potential; this reproduces the ratio of Cosmic Ray source abundances to source material abundances. In section 5 we interpret the compact radio source 41.9+58 in the starburst galaxy M82 as a recent binary black hole merger, with an accompanying gamma ray burst. This can also explain the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) data in the Northern sky. Thus, by studying the cosmic ray particles, their abundances at knee energies, and their spectra, we can learn about what drives these stars to produce the observed cosmic rays.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2017

Comparative testing of dark matter models with 15 HSB and 15 LSB galaxies

We assemble a database of 15 HSB and 15 LSB galaxies, for which surface brightness density and spectroscopic rotation curve data are both available and representative for various morphologies. We use this dataset to test the Navarro-Frenk-White, the Einasto, and the pseudo-isothermal sphere dark matter (DM) models. We investigate the compatibility of the pure baryonic model and baryonic plus one of the three DM models with observations on the assembled galaxy database. When a DM component improves the fit with the spectroscopic rotational curve, we rank the models according to the goodness of fit to the datasets. We constructed the spatial luminosity density of the baryonic component based on the surface brightness profile of the galaxies. We estimated the mass-to-light (M/L) ratio of the stellar component through a previously proposed color-mass-to-light ratio relation (CMLR). We assumed an axissymetric baryonic mass model with variable axis ratios together with one of the three DM models to provide the theoretical rotational velocity curves, and we compared them with the dataset. In a second attempt, we addressed the question whether the dark component could be replaced by a pure baryonic model with fitted M/L ratios. We employed the Akaike information criterion (AIC) to establish the performance of the best-fit models. For 7 galaxies, neither model fits the dataset within the 1σ confidence level. For the other 23 cases, one of the models with DM explains the rotation curve data best. According to the AIC, the PSE emerges as most favored in 14 cases, followed by the NFW (6 cases) and the Einasto (3 cases) DM models. We find that the pure baryonic model with fitted M/L ratios falls within the 1σ confidence level for 10 HSB and 2 LSB galaxies, at the price of growing the M/Ls on average by a factor of two, but the fits are inferior compared to the best-fitting DM model.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2017

Bose-Einstein Condensate Dark Matter Halos confronted with galactic rotation curves

We present a comparative confrontation of both the Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) and the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) dark halo models with galactic rotation curves. We employ 6 High Surface Brightness (HSB), 6 Low Surface Brightness (LSB), and 7 dwarf galaxies with rotation curves falling into two classes. In the first class rotational velocities increase with radius over the observed range.The BEC and NFW models give comparable fits for HSB and LSB galaxies of this type, while for dwarf galaxies the fit is significantly better with the BEC model. In the second class the rotational velocity of HSB and LSB galaxies exhibits long flat plateaus, resulting in better fit with the NFW model for HSB galaxies and comparable fits for LSB galaxies. We conclude that due to its central density cusp avoidance the BEC model fits better dwarf galaxy dark matter distribution. Nevertheless it suffers from sharp cutoff in larger galaxies, where the NFW model performs better. The investigated galaxy sample obeys the Tully-Fisher relation, including the particular characteristics exhibited by dwarf galaxies. In both models the fitting enforces a relation between dark matter parameters: the characteristic density and the corresponding characteristic distance scale with an inverse power.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2017

A flat spectrum candidate for a track-type high energy neutrino emission event, the case of blazar PKS 0723-008

By cross-correlating both the Parkes Catalogue and the Second Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources with the arrival direction of the track-type neutrinos detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, we find the flat-spectrum blazar PKS 0723-008 as a good candidate for the high-energy neutrino event 5 (ID5). Apart from its coordinates matching those of ID5, PKS 0723-008 exhibits further interesting radio properties. Its spectrum is flat up to high Planck frequencies, and it produced a fivefold-increased radio flux density through the last decade. Based upon these radio properties we propose a scenario of binary black hole evolution leading to the observed high-energy neutrino emission. The main contributing events are the spin-flip of the dominant black hole, the formation of a new jet with significant particle acceleration and interaction with the surrounding material, with the corresponding increased radio flux. Doppler boosting from the underlying jet pointing to the Earth makes it possible to identify the origin of the neutrinos, so the merger itself is the form of an extended flat-spectrum radio emission, a key selection criterion to find traces of this complex process.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2015

Constraining the parameters of the putative supermassive binary black hole in PG 1302-102 from its radio structure

We investigate the pc-scale kinematics and kpc-scale radio morphology of the quasar PG 1302-102, which may harbour a sub-pc separation supermassive binary black hole system at its centre as inferred from optical variability. High-resolution radio interferometric measurements obtained with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) in the Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) programme at 15 GHz at 20 epochs spanning 17 years were analysed to investigate the pc-scale radio structure. Archival observations with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 1.4 GHz and 5 GHz were obtained to study the kpc-scale morphology. We find that the pc-scale jet is inclined within ~2.2 deg to the line of sight and has a half-opening angle of about 0.2 deg. The parameters derived from the pc-scale radio jet are qualitatively consistent with those obtained from the analysis of the optical light curve of PG 1302-102. We obtain at least 0.08 for the mass ratio of the two black holes in the system. We find some indication for a helical jet structure on kpc-scale, but the directions of the inner and the extended radio jets are significantly different, obstructing a straightforward connection of the pc- and kpc-scale jets within the binary scenario.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2014

A spinning supermassive black hole binary model consistent with VLBI observations of the S5 1928+738 jet

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) allows for high-resolution and high-sensitivity observations of relativistic jets, that can reveal periodicities of several years in their structure. We perform an analysis of long-term VLBI data of the quasar S5 1928+738 in terms of a geometric model of a helical structure projected onto the plane of the sky. We monitor the direction of the jet axis through its inclination and position angles. We decompose the variation of the inclination of the inner 2 milliarcseconds of the jet of S5 1928+738 into a periodic term with amplitude of ~0.89 deg and a linear decreasing trend with rate of ~0.05 deg/yr. We also decompose the variation of the position angle into a periodic term with amplitude of ~3.39 deg and a linear increasing trend with rate of ~0.24 deg/yr. We interpret the periodic components as arising from the orbital motion of a binary black hole inspiraling at the jet base and derive corrected values of the mass ratio and separation from the accumulated 18 years of VLBI data. Then we identify the linear trends in the variations as due to the slow reorientation of the spin of the jet emitter black hole induced by the spin-orbit precession and we determine the precession period T_SO=4852+/-646 yr of the more massive black hole, acting as the jet emitter. Our study provides indications, for the first time from VLBI jet kinematics, for the spinning nature of the jet-emitting black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2014

A single radio-emitting nucleus in the dual AGN candidate NGC 5515

The Seyfert galaxy NGC 5515 has double-peaked narrow-line emission in its optical spectrum, and it has been suggested that this could indicate that it has two active nuclei. We observed the source with high resolution Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at two radio frequencies, reduced archival Very Large Array data, and re-analysed its optical spectrum. We detected a single, compact radio source at the position of NGC 5515, with no additional radio emission in its vicinity. The optical spectrum of the source shows that the blue and red components of the double-peaked lines have very similar characteristics. While we cannot rule out unambiguously that NGC 5515 harbours a dual AGN, the assumption of a single AGN provides a more plausible explanation for the radio observations and the optical spectrum.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2013

Constraints on supermassive black hole spins from observations of active galaxy jets

We discuss the origin of the low-energy cutoff, or LEC, seen in the radio spectra of many extragalactic jets and relate this to the spin of the supermassive black holes that presumably power them. Pion decay via proton-proton collisions is a possible mechanism to supply a secondary positron population with a low energy limit. We expect that pion production would occur in advection dominated accretion flows or ADAFs. In radiatively inefficient ADAFs the heat energy of the accreting gas is unable to radiate in less than the accretion time and the particle temperature could be high enough so that thermal protons can yield such pion production. Strong starbursts are another option for the injection of a truncated particle population into the jet. The role of both mechanisms is discussed with respect to the black hole spin estimate. The energy demanded to produce the pion decay process involves a minimum threshold for kinetic energy of the interacting protons. Therefore the mean proton speed in the flow can determine whether a LEC is generated. In ADAFs the random velocity of the protons can exceed the minimum speed limit of pion production around the jet launching region in the innermost part of the flow. Finally we summarize the additional work needed to put the model assumptions on a more rigorous basis.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2013

Weak and strong field approximations and circular orbits of Kehagias-Sfetsos space-time

The Kehagias-Sfetsos asymptotically flat black hole and naked singularity solutions of Hořava-Lifshitz gravity are investigated both in the weak-field and strong-field regimes. In the weak-field limit the gravitational field generated by the Kehagias-Sfetsos spherically symmetric solution is weaker then in the case of the Schwarzschild black hole of general relativity. In the strong-field regime naked singularities with $ω_{0} \ll 1 $ display an unusual distance dependence: gravity becomes weaker when approaching the singularity. The stability of circular orbits is also analyzed. While in the black hole case the square of the angular momentum should be larger than a certain finite, non-zero minimal value, in the naked singularity case there are stable circular orbits for any non-zero value of the angular momentum. In this regime we prove the existence of an infimum of the allowed radii of circular orbits (corresponding to vanishing angular momentum).

gr-qc↗
arXiv2013

Rotation curves in Bose-Einstein Condensate Dark Matter Halos

The study of the rotation curves of spiral galaxies reveals a nearly constant cored density distribution of Cold Dark Matter. N-body simulations however lead to a cuspy distribution on the galactic scale, with a central peak. A Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of light particles naturally solves this problem by predicting a repulsive force, obstructing the formation of the peak. After succinctly presenting the BEC model, we test it against rotation curve data for a set of 3 High Surface Brightness (HSB), 3 Low Surface Brightness (LSB) and 3 dwarf galaxies. The BEC model gives a similar fit to the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) dark matter model for all HSB and LSB galaxies in the sample. For dark matter dominated dwarf galaxies the addition of the BEC component improved more upon the purely baryonic fit than the NFW component. Thus despite the sharp cut-off of the halo density, the BEC dark matter candidate is consistent with the rotation curve data of all types of galaxies.

gr-qc↗