arXiv subjects

Leif Lui

Publications and source records attributed to Leif Lui.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Electromagnetic alignment and jet precession around supermassive black holes: Quasi-periodic oscillations in tidal disruption events

We evaluate quasi-periodic oscillations and jet formation in tidal disruption events using the covariant formulation of electromagnetic angular-momentum transfer. General-relativistic frame-dragging tears apart misaligned transient accretion flows, forming an isolated inner mini-disk. The accumulation of magnetic flux on the event horizon powers a relativistic jet via the Blandford-Znajek mechanism. Because the magnetic field anchors to the precessing mini-disk, the jet axis rotates, generating geometric modulations in the observed X-ray and radio fluxes. To ensure physical consistency with the force-free magnetosphere required to launch a Blandford-Znajek jet, we model the electromagnetic back-reaction using a split-monopole magnetic field topology. By performing a small-spin expansion of the Noether current density over the event horizon, we derive a closed-form analytical reaction torque exerted by the electromagnetic field on the accretion plasma. We evaluate the resulting kinematics to show that the electromagnetic back-reaction induces a retrograde precession of the mini-disk, coupling with the prograde Lense-Thirring precession to dictate the global oscillation frequency. We formulate explicit predictions for observable transient signals and predict a monotonic attenuation of the peak-to-trough flux ratio as the mini-disk aligns, as well as a specific frequency drift signature characterized by an initial lengthening followed by an asymptotic shortening of the time interval between consecutive flares. We establish an analytical mechanism where magnetic flux depletion stalls alignment, predicting a constant residual modulation amplitude at late times. We formulate a methodology to extract the black hole spin and the magnetic flux density directly from the temporal derivatives of this predicted frequency drift, operating independently of spectral continuum fitting.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Devoured by a Hairy Gargantua: Probing Massive Scalar Charges with Non-minimal Curvature Coupling with Extreme-Mass-Ratio Inspirals

Ultralight scalar fields nonminimally coupled to curvature can endow rotating black holes with stationary hair and alter nearby orbits. Using recently constructed hairy black-hole spacetimes, we model the transition to plunge of an extreme-mass-ratio inspiral. For scalar masses $\mu M=0.01$ and $0.1$ and dimensionless curvature coupling $\zeta=10^{-3},10^{-4}$, we find $\mathcal{O}(10)$ rad of gravitational-wave dephasing relative to general relativity over $\mathcal{O}(10^3)$ orbits. A multimode Fisher forecast at $\mu M=0.2$, where neighbouring hair solutions permit a numerical $\mu$-derivative, suggests that $\zeta$ and $\mu$ could be measured to precisions of $\simeq0.2\%$ and $0.6$--$1.1\%$, respectively, for a source with signal-to-noise ratio of about 80 in LISA.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

A Dark Matter Masquerade: Degeneracies in Black Hole and Accretion Inference from X-ray Reflection Measurements and Prospects for Compact Dark Matter Halo Constraints

X-ray reflection spectroscopy is an established probe of black hole (BH) spin and accretion geometry, and many studies have examined its systematic uncertainties. In this work, we explore a possible environmental effect associated with compact dark matter (DM) halos. We adopt numerical BH-DM spacetimes and perform general-relativistic ray-tracing calculations to generate broadened Fe\, K$\alpha$ line profiles. For the configurations studied here, compact DM halos shift the lines toward lower observed energies relative to their Kerr counterparts. We fit the simulated profiles with standard Kerr models and find that the inferred spin and inclination can differ from their input values; in some cases, the spin is overestimated. These results suggest that compact DM halos may introduce an additional uncertainty in reflection-based measurements. Conversely, reflection models that include the environment could ultimately help constrain key halo parameters, such as its mass and characteristic scale, complementing gravitational-wave probes.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Pitching Cosmic Curveballs: Environmental Effects on Extreme-Mass-Ratio Inspirals with Spinning Secondaries

Much like the aerodynamic deflection of a spinning curveball, a rotating secondary in an extreme-mass-ratio inspiral (EMRI) experiences Magnus and lift forces, in addition to the standard drag force, when traversing a gaseous environment. We present the first framework that incorporates these specific spin-coupled environmental effects (EEs) into the evolution of EMRI. Over the multi-year observation windows of space-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, these interactions imprint a unique, distinguishable dephasing signature on the signal. Crucially, a Fisher matrix analysis reveals that gas drag breaks the fundamental vacuum-projection degeneracy between the secondary's spin magnitude and inclination, thereby tightening parameter constraints. Thus, accounting for EEs is not merely a modeling necessity, but could potentially be a powerful tool for enhancing the detectability of the secondary's intrinsic spin, and could serve as a novel probe of accretion flows harboring massive black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2026

Relativistic Tidal Dissipation and the Gravitational-wave Signal of a White Dwarf Orbiting an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole

Finding intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) and measuring their masses and spins are key to understanding massive black hole formation. White dwarf (WD)-IMBH binaries provide a unique probe because they emit both electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves (GWs), thereby conveying richer information. However, such multi-messenger sources often enter the regime of strong gravity, where existing models fail to capture their relativistic dynamics. Here, we develop a fully relativistic model for the tidal response of a WD close to an IMBH and use it to study the secular orbital evolution as well as the GW signal. We find that for IMBHs more massive than 10^5 solar masses, tidal interaction becomes relativistic and sensitive to IMBH spin. The interaction generally dissipates binary orbital energy and angular momentum, but due to relativistic frame rotation, which reduces phase coherence across pericenter passages, the orbit-averaged tidal dissipation rate can be suppressed by up to about 50% relative to Newtonian predictions. Including tidal dissipation leads to more rapid damping of the orbital eccentricity, to the extent that the pericenter distance may even increase over time, potentially explaining quasi-periodic eruptions and secular orbital period growth. Such tidal effects accumulate into measurable phase and amplitude deviations in the GW signal. For typical space-based observations, the GW waveform mismatch can reach values of order 0.1 within 6 months. Our results indicate that relativistic tidal dissipation is both dynamically important and observationally essential for reliably predicting the multi-messenger signals of WD-IMBH systems.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Gravitational Wave Signatures of Quasi-Periodic Eruptions: LISA Detection Prospects for RX J1301.9+2747

Quasiperiodic eruptions (QPEs) are intense, recurring outbursts of X-ray radiation originating from the nuclei of distant galaxies. One of the promising models of QPE explains these eruptions using extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs), in which a stellar-mass object-such as a star or a stellar-mass black hole-orbits a central massive black hole (MBH) and periodically plows through its accretion disk. In this work, we compute the gravitational wave (GW) signals emitted by such EMRI systems. We find that the physical drag and perturbations due to shock caused by the orbiter-disk collisions leave a distinct imprint on the emitted waveforms. Rather than the smooth, monochromatic evolution observed in vacuum systems, these interactions excite non-discrete modes that manifest as subtle shifts in the orbital frequency and as high-frequency ``tails'' in the signal spectrum. We demonstrate as an example outcome of our model that a specific QPE source RX J1301.9+2747 could be detectable by future space-based GW detectors, provided the orbiter maintains a moderate eccentricity of approximately $0.25$ and a mass exceeding $35\;M_\odot$. Our analysis shows that the signal-to-noise ratio for these events would be high enough to clearly distinguish them from standard vacuum EMRIs. Consequently, GW observations offer a powerful tool to probe the dense environments surrounding MBHs and could give further insight into the elusive origins of QPEs.

astro-ph.HE↗