arXiv subjects

M. A. Abramowicz

Publications and source records attributed to M. A. Abramowicz.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

The correlations and anticorrelations in QPO data

Double peak kHz QPO frequencies in neutron star sources varies in time by a factor of hundreds Hz while in microquasar sources the frequencies are fixed and located at the line ν_2 = 1.5 ν_1 in the frequency-frequency plot. The crucial question in the theory of twin HFQPOs is whether or not those observed in neutron-star systems are essentially different from those observed in black holes. In black hole systems the twin HFQPOs are known to be in a 3:2 ratio for each source. At first sight, this seems not to be the case for neutron stars. For each individual neutron star, the upper and lower kHz QPO frequencies, ν_2 and ν_1, are linearly correlated, ν_2=A ν_1 + B, with the slope A < 1.5, i.e., the frequencies definitely are not in a 1.5 ratio. In this contribution we show that when considered jointly on a frequency-frequency plot, the data for the twin kHz QPO frequencies in several (as opposed to one) neutron stars uniquely pick out a certain preferred frequency ratio that is equal to 1.5 for the six sources examined so far.

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arXiv2004

Epicyclic frequencies derived from the effective potential: simple and practical formulae

We present and discuss a short and simple derivation of orbital epicyclic frequencies for circular geodesic orbits in stationary and axially symmetric spacetimes. Such spacetimes include as special cases analytically known black hole Kerr and Schwarzschild spacetimes, as well as the analytic Hartle-Thorne spacetime and all numerically constructed spacetimes relevant for rotating neutron stars. Our derivation follows directly from energy and angular momentum conservation and it uses the concept of the effective potential. It has never been published, except for a few special cases, but it has already become a part of the common knowledge in the field.

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arXiv2004

The Aschenbach effect: unexpected topology changes in motion of particles and fluids orbiting rapidly rotating Kerr black holes

Newton's theory predicts that the velocity $V$ of free test particles on circular orbits around a spherical gravity center is a decreasing function of the orbital radius $r$, $dV/dr < 0$. Only very recently, Aschenbach (A&A 425, p. 1075 (2004)) has shown that, unexpectedly, the same is not true for particles orbiting black holes: for Kerr black holes with the spin parameter $a>0.9953$, the velocity has a positive radial gradient for geodesic, stable, circular orbits in a small radial range close to the black hole horizon. We show here that the {\em Aschenbach effect} occurs also for non-geodesic circular orbits with constant specific angular momentum $\ell = \ell_0 = const$. In Newton's theory it is $V = \ell_0/R$, with $R$ being the cylindrical radius. The equivelocity surfaces coincide with the $R = const$ surfaces which, of course, are just co-axial cylinders. It was previously known that in the black hole case this simple topology changes because one of the ``cylinders'' self-crosses. We show here that the Aschenbach effect is connected to a second topology change that for the $\ell = const$ tori occurs only for very highly spinning black holes, $a>0.99979$.

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arXiv2004

The upper kHz QPO: a gravitationally lensed vertical oscillation

We show that a luminous torus in the Schwarzschild metric oscillating along its own axis gives rise to a periodically varying flux of radiation, even though the source of radiation is steady and perfectly axisymmetric. This implies that the simplest oscillation mode in an accretion flow, axisymmetric up-and-down motion at the meridional epicyclic frequency, may be directly observable when it occurs in the inner parts of accretion flow around neutron stars and black holes. The high-frequency modulations of the X-ray flux observed in low-mass X-ray binaries at two frequencies (twin kHz QPOs) could then be a signature of strong gravity both because radial and meridional oscillations have different frequencies in non-Newtonian gravity, and because strong gravitational deflection of light rays causes the flux of radiation to be modulated at the higher frequency.

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arXiv2003

The Hartle-Thorne circular geodesics

The Hartle-Thorne metric is an exact solution of vacuum Einstein field equations that describes the exterior of any slowly and rigidly rotating, stationary and axially symmetric body. The metric is given with accuracy up to the second order terms in the body's angular momentum, and first order in its quadrupole moment. We give, with the same accuracy, analytic formulae for circular geodesics in the Hartle-Thorne metrics. They describe angular velocity, angular momentum, energy, epicyclic frequencies, shear, vorticity and Fermi-Walker precession. These quantities are relevant to several astrophysical phenomena, in particular to the observed high frequency, kilohertz Quasi Periodic Oscillations (kHz QPOs) in the X-ray luminosity from black hole and neutron star sources. It is believed that kHz QPO data may be used to test the strong field regime of Einstein's general relativity, and the physics of super-dense matter of which neutron stars are made of.

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arXiv2003

Non-linear resonance in nearly geodesic motion in low-mass X-ray binaries

We have explored the ideas that parametric resonance affects nearly geodesic motion around a black hole or a neutron star, and that it may be relevant to the high frequency (twin) quasi-periodic oscillations occurring in some low-mass X-ray binaries. We have assumed the particles or fluid elements of an accretion disc to be subject to an isotropic perturbation of a hypothetical but rather general form. We find that the parametric resonance is indeed excited close to the radius where epicyclic frequencies of radial and meridional oscillations are in a 2:3 ratio. The location and frequencies of the highest amplitude excitation vary with the strength of the perturbation. These results agree with actual frequency ratios of twin kHz QPOs that have been reported in some black hole candidates, and they may be consistent also with correlation of the twin peaks in Sco X-1.

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arXiv2002

Evidence for a 2:3 resonance in Sco X-1 kHz QPOs

We find evidence that the two high frequency QPOs in Sco X-1 are, more often than not, approximately in the 2:3 frequency ratio familiar from studies of black hole candidates (e.g., XTE J1550-564, Remillard et al. 2002). This implies that the double kHz QPO phenomenon in neutron stars has its origin in properties of strong-field gravity and has little to do with the rotation of a stellar surface or any magnetic field structure anchored in the star.

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arXiv2002

Parametric epicyclic resonance in black hole disks: QPOs in micro-quasars

Non-linear acoustic coupling of modes in accretion disks allows a parametric resonance between epicyclic motions. In black hole disks, such a resonance first occurs, and is strongest, when the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies are approximately in a 2:3 ratio, in agreement with the 300 and 450 Hz frequencies reported in GRO J1655-40 and the 184 and 276 Hz frequencies reported in XTE J1550-564. The first overtone in the same resonance is in a 5:3 ratio with the fundamental, in agreement with the 69.2 and 41.5 Hz frequencies reported in GRS 1915+105. The narrow width and the frequency stability of the corresponding QPOs follow from general properties of parametric resonance.

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arXiv2002

Holonomy invariance, orbital resonances, and kilohertz QPOs

Quantized orbital structures are typical for many aspects of classical gravity (Newton's as well as Einstein's). The astronomical phenomenon of orbital resonances is a well-known example. Recently, Rothman, Ellis and Murugan (2001) discussed quantized orbital structures in the novel context of a holonomy invariance of parallel transport in Schwarzschild geometry. We present here yet another example of quantization of orbits, reflecting both orbital resonances and holonomy invariance. This strong-gravity effect may already have been directly observed as the puzzling kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the X-ray emission from a few accreting galactic black holes and several neutron stars.

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arXiv2001

The centrifugal force reversal and X-ray bursts

Heyl (2000) made an interesting suggestion that the observed shifts in QPO frequency in type I X-ray bursts could be influenced by the same geometrical effect of strong gravity as the one that causes centrifugal force reversal discovered by Abramowicz and Lasota (1974). However, his main result contains a sign error. Here we derive the correct formula and conclude that constraints on the M(R) relation for neutron stars deduced from the rotational-modulation model of QPO frequency shifts are of no practical interest because the correct formula implies a weak condition R* > 1.3 Rs, where Rs is the Schwarzschild radius. We also argue against the relevance of the rotational-modulation model to the observed frequency modulations.

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arXiv1997

On the runaway instability of relativistic tori

We further investigate the runaway instability of relativistic tori around black holes assuming a power law distribution of the specific angular momentum. We neglect the self-gravity of the torus; thus the gravitational field of the system is determined by the central rotating black hole alone (the Kerr geometry). We find that for any positive (i.e. consistent with the local Rayleigh stability condition) power law index of the angular momentum distribution, the tori are always runaway stable for a sufficiently large spin of the black hole. However, before concluding that some (astrophysically realistic) tori could indeed be runaway stable, one should include, in full general relativity, the destabilizing effect of self-gravity.

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arXiv1997

Slim accretion discs: a model for ADAF-SLE transitions

We numerically construct slim, global, vertically integrated models of optically thin, transonic accretion discs around black holes, assuming a regularity condition at the sonic radius and boundary conditions at the outer radius of the disc and near the black hole. In agreement with several previous studies, we find two branches of shock-free solutions, in which the cooling is dominated either by advection, or by local radiation. We also confirm that the part of the accretion flow where advection dominates is in some circumstances limited in size: it does not extend beyond a certain outer limiting radius. New results found in our paper concern the location of the limiting radius and properties of the flow near to it. In particular, we find that beyond the limiting radius, the advective dominated solutions match on to Shapiro, Lightman & Eardley (SLE) discs through a smooth transition region. Therefore, the full global solutions are shock-free and unlimited in size. There is no need for postulating an extra physical effect (e.g. evaporation) for triggering the ADAF-SLE transition. It occurs due to standard accretion processes described by the classic slim disc equations.

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arXiv1997

Inertia of Heat in Advective Accretion Disks around Kerr Black Holes

In the innermost region of the advective accretion disk orbiting a black hole of high spin, the inertia of heat stored in the accreting gas is comparable to that of the gas rest mass itself. Accounting for this effect, we derive additional terms in the disk structure equations, and show that the heat inertia plays a significant role in the global energy conservation and dynamics of accretion in the relativistic advective disks.

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arXiv1996

Accretion disks around Kerr black holes: vertical equilibrium reviseted

We re-derive the equation for vertical hydrodynamical equilibrium of stationary thin and slim accretion disks in the Kerr spacetime. All the previous derivations have been unsatisfactory, yielding unphysical singularities. Our equation is non-singular, more general, and simpler than those previously derived.

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arXiv1996

Advection Dominated Accretion Flows Around Kerr Black Holes

We derive all relevant equations needed for constructing a global general relativistic model of advectively cooled, very hot, optically thin accretion disks around black holes and present solutions which describe advection dominated flows in the gravitational field of a Kerr black hole.

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arXiv1995

Is the Accretion Flow in NGC 4258 Advection-dominated?

The mass of the central black hole in the active galaxy NGC 4258 (M106) has been measured to be $M=3.6\times10^7\Msun$ (Miyoshi et al. 1995). The Eddington luminosity corresponding to this mass is $L_E=4.5\times10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$. By contrast the X-ray luminosity of the nucleus of NGC 4258 between $2-10$ keV is $(4\pm 1)\times10^{40}~{\rm erg\,s^{-1}}$ while the optical/UV luminosity is less than $1.5\times10^{42} ~{\rm erg\,s^{-1}}$. The luminosity of NGC 4258 is therefore extremely sub-Eddington, $L\sim10^{-5}L_E$ in X-rays and $L\sim3\times10^{-4} L_E$ even if we take the maximum optical/UV luminosity. Assuming the usual accretion efficiency of 0.1 would imply accretion rates orders of magnitude lower than in Seyfert galaxies and quasars. We show that the properties of the AGN in NGC 4258 can be explained by an accretion flow in the form of a very hot, optically-thin plasma which advects most of the viscously generated thermal energy into the central black hole and radiates only a small fraction of the energy. In this case the accretion rate in Eddington units could be as high as $\sim 0.16α$, where $α$ is the standard viscosity parameter; and the size of the hot disk should be larger than $\sim 10$ times the Schwarzschild radius. We compare the predictions of this model with observations and discuss its application to other low luminosity AGN.

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arXiv1995

Fast Rotation of Neutron Stars

We show that for realistic equations of state of dense matter, the universal proportionality factor relating the maximum rotation rate of neutron stars due to mass-shedding limit to the mass and radius of maximum allowable mass configuration of non-rotating models results from a universal proportionality between masses and radii of static maximum-mass neutron stars and those of maximally rotating configurations. These empirical relations cannot be obtained in the slow rotation approximation.

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arXiv1993

Similarity of the variability patterns in the Exosat and Ginga folded light curves of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 6814

The Seyfert galaxy NGC 6814 is known to show periodic variation of its X-ray luminosity. We found that the sequences of peaks (variability patterns) in the folded X-ray light curves constructed from the {\it Exosat} and {\it Ginga} data are remarkably similar when one ignores amplitudes of the peaks and considers only their phases. The stable pattern consists of five peaks which are present in the both curves. The phases of the corresponding peaks coincide with an accuracy of about 10 degrees. The probability that this coincidence occurs by chance is less than about 1\% according to the most conservative estimate. The observed stable pattern of peaks may be produced by a stable distribution of ``bright spots'' on the accretion disk surface, {\it e.g.} by strong vortices or magnetic flux tubes.

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