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M. Yu. Piotrovich

Publications and source records attributed to M. Yu. Piotrovich.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Estimation of black hole spins in low-mass AGNs and comparison with other types of AGNs

We estimated the spins of a sample of 58 low-mass AGNs. Analysis of the obtained spins showed that they decrease with increasing SMBH mass, leading us to hypothesize that mergers and/or chaotic accretion are the primary mechanisms for mass growth. In this regard, we proposed a more general hypothesis about the evolution of AGNs. We assume that early low-mass SMBHs have high spins, then, during their evolution, the spins initially decrease and then begin to increase, with the rate of increase gradually slowing.

astro-ph.HE

Red Quasars: Selecting Candidates in SDSS DR16 and Estimating Their Physical Parameters

Using ''color cut'' method we obtained from SDSS DR16 catalog 733 red quasar candidates which amounted to approximately 4% of the objects from the initial sample. Then we estimated the radiative efficiency, spins, inclination angles, and corresponding new SMBH masses for all 733 objects using three theoretical models. Obtained spin distributions contain a large percentage of objects with retrograde rotation. It may indicate that these are either very young objects or objects that formed as a result of mergers. The dependencies of the estimated spin values on SMBH masses show strong correlation with linear fit slope 0.9-1.0 which allows us to assume that red quasars are likely to contain both Seyferts and NLS1, and that the main mechanism of SMBH mass growth in these objects is disk accretion.

astro-ph.HE

Spins of SMBHs in distant low luminosity AGNs

We estimated radiative efficiency, spin and SMBH mass values for sample of 33 distant low luminosity AGNs. The distribution of the estimated spin values (majority of objects have a spin greater than 0.8) is fairly typical for many types of AGNs. The dependence of the estimated spin values on the estimated SMBH masses shows strong correlation between them, which suggests a rapid increase in spin with mass, i.e. that the main mechanism of mass growth in this case is disk accretion. We did not find any significant qualitative differences in the spin characteristics between our objects and objects of other types considered in the paper.

astro-ph.HE

MAD-Accretion Scenario in High-Mass X-Ray Binaries with Neutron Stars

The wind-fed accretion of gas with an intrinsic magnetic field onto neutron stars in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) is discussed. The criteria for the implementation of quasi-spherical accretion in the system, the formation of a Keplerian accretion disk and a non-Keplerian magnetically arrested disk (MAD-accretion scenario) are formulated. It is shown that the period of the equilibrium rotation of a neutron star in the MAD-accretion scenario, in addition to the parameters of the binary system, is also determined by the velocity, temperature, and degree of magnetization of the stellar wind of its massive companion. Within the hypothesis of the equilibrium rotation, we have estimated the parameters of the stellar wind for the most fully-studied quasi-equilibrium accreting pulsars in the HMXBs corresponding to the criteria for the MAD-accretion scenario implementation. We show that the period of the equilibrium rotation of a neutron star in the system, all other things being equal, increases with the growth of the magnetization degree of the stellar wind component of its massive companion flowing out in the plane of the system's orbit. Therefore, the periods of accreting pulsars in systems with similar parameters can differ from each other by several orders of magnitude and, under favorable conditions, reach values of several thousand and even tens of thousands of seconds.

astro-ph.HE

Estimating the spins of supermassive black holes in distant ultraluminous quasars

We estimated spin, inclination angle and corresponding SMBH mass values for sample of extremely distant (6 < z < 7.5) ultraluminous quasars. The estimated spin values are on average greater that 0.9 and the spin distribution has a characteristic appearance, similar to ones obtained for other types of AGNs and quasars. The dependence of estimated parameters on each other shows strong correlations between them, from which we can assume that in this early quasars the growth of SMBHs mass should occur mainly due to disk accretion with high accretion rate, which very effectively increases the spin.

astro-ph.HE

Red quasars: estimation of SMBH spin, mass and accretion disk inclination angle

We estimated values of spin, mass and inclination angle for sample of 42 red quasars. Our estimations show that 2 objects: F2MS~J1113+1244 and F2MS~J1434+0935 with highest Eddington ratios may have geometrically thick disk. Six objects: SDSS~J0036-0113, S82X~0040+0058, S82X~0118+0018, S82X~0303-0115, FBQS~J1227+3214, S82X~2328-0028 may have "retrograde" rotation. Analysis of estimated spin values shows that red quasar population may contain Seyfert galaxies and NLS1.

astro-ph.HE

Probing AGN with spectropolarimetry: accretion disk and SMBH parameters

The interaction of a supermassive black hole with the matter of an accretion disk in the presence of a magnetic field is the key mechanism of energy release in active galactic nuclei. However, determining the physical parameters of this system, such as the spin and mass of the black hole, the shape and parameters of the rotation of the accretion disk, and the geometry of the magnetic field in the accretion disk is a complex and not completely solved problem. We have previously shown, based on our numerical models, that these estimates can be obtained from just three parameters: the black hole mass, bolometric luminosity, and optical polarization. In this paper, we estimate the accretion disk and black hole parameters for a sample of 14 type 1 Seyfert galaxies. Using the spectropolarimetric data obtained by us, we selected only those objects in which the polarization of optical radiation is generated mainly by the mechanism in the accretion disk. Despite the small statistics, our results for such a sample are consistent with our previous conclusions and show a discrepancy between the disk magnetic field parameters and the classical Shakura-Sunyaev disk model.

astro-ph.HE

Determination of supermassive black hole spins in local active galactic nuclei

We estimated the radiative efficiency and spin value for a number of local active galactic nuclei with z < 0.34 using 3 popular models connecting the radiative efficiency with such parameters of AGNs as mass of supermassive black hole, angle between the line of sight and the axis of the accretion disk and bolometric luminosity. Analysis of the obtained data shown that the spin value decreases with cosmic time, which is in agreement with results of theoretical calculations for low redshift AGNs of other authors. Also we found that the spin value increases with the increasing mass of SMBH and bolometric luminosity. This is the expected result that corresponds to theoretical calculations. Analysis of the distribution of the spin values shown a pronounced peak in the distribution in 0.75 < a < 1.0 range. ~ 40% of objects have spin a > 0.75 and ~ 50% of objects have spin a > 0.5. This results are in a good agreement with our previous results and with the results of other authors.

astro-ph.HE

Search for wormhole candidates in active galactic nuclei: radiation from colliding accreting flows

The underlying hypothesis of this work is that the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are wormhole mouths rather than supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Under some - quite general - assumptions such wormholes may emit gamma radiation as a result of a collision of accreting flows inside the wormholes. This radiation has a distinctive spectrum much different from those of jets or accretion disks of AGNs. An observation of such radiation would serve as evidence of the existence of wormholes.

astro-ph.HE

Determination of magnetic field strength on the event horizon of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei

We estimated the magnetic field strength at the event horizon for a sample of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our estimates were made using the values of the inclination angles of the accretion disk to the line of sight, that we obtained previously from spectropolarimetric observations in the visible spectrum. We also used published values of full width at half maximum (FWHM) of spectral line $H_β$ from broad line region, masses of SMBHs and luminosity of AGNs at 5100 angstrom. In addition we used literature data on the spins of SMBHs obtained from their X-ray spectra. Our estimates showed that the magnetic field strength at the event horizon of the majority of SMBHs in AGNs ranges from several to tens of kG and have mean values of about $10^4$G. At the same time, for individual objects, the fields are significantly larger - of the order of hundreds kG or even 1 MG.

astro-ph.HE

Criterions for retrograde rotation of accreting black holes

Rotating supermassive black holes produce jets and their origin is connected to magnetic field that is generated by accreting matter flow. There is a point of view that electromagnetic fields around rotating black holes are brought to the hole by accretion. In this situation the prograde accreting disks produce weaker large-scale black hole threading magnetic fields, implying weaker jets that in retrograde regimes. The basic goal of this paper is to find the best candidates for retrograde accreting systems in observed active galactic nuclei. We show that active galactic nuclei with low Eddington ratio are really the best candidates for retrograde systems. This conclusion is obtained for kinetically dominated FRII radio galaxies, flat spectrum radio loud narrow line Seyfert I galaxies and a number of nearby galaxies. Our conclusion is that the best candidates for retrograde systems are the noticeable population of active galactic nuclei in the Universe. This result corresponds to the conclusion that in the merging process the interaction of merging black holes with a retrograde circumbinary disk is considerably more effective for shrinking the binary system.

astro-ph.GA

Constraints on Spin of a Supermassive Black Hole in Quasars with Big Blue Bump

We determined the spin value of supermassive black hole (SMBH) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) with investigated ultraviolet-to-optical spectral energy distribution, presented in the sample of Shang et al. (2005). The estimates of the spin values have been produced at the base of the standard geometrically thin accretion disk model and with using the results of the polarimetric observations. The polarimetric observations are very important for determining the inclination angle of AGN disk. We presented the results of our determinations of the radiation efficiency of the accretion flow and values of the spins of SMBHs, that derives the coefficient of radiation efficiency. The majority of SMBHs of AGNs from Shang et al. (2005) sample are to be the Kerr black holes with the high spin value.

astro-ph.GA

Constraining Recoiling Velocities of Black Holes Ejected by Gravitational Radiation in Galaxy Mergers

Recent general relativistic simulations have shown that the coalescence of two spinning black holes (BH) can lead to recoiling speeds of the BH remnant of up to thousands of km/s as a result of the gravitational radiation emission. It is important that the accretion disc remains bound to ejected BH within the region where the gas orbital velocity is larger than the ejection speed. We considered the situation when the recoiling kick radius coincides with the radius of the broad line region (BLR). We show that in this situation the observed polarization data of accretion disk emission allow to determine the value of the recoil velocity. We present the estimates of the kick velocity for AGN with determined polarization data.

astro-ph.GA

Polarization of broad line emission from AGNs with determined virial factors

We calculated the polarization degree of hydrogen Balmer broad emission lines from a number of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with determined virial factors. The objects were selected from the sample presented by Decarli et al.(2008). In our calculations, we used the model of the flattened disc-like structure of the broad-line emission region (BLR). In this model, the expression for the virial factor makes it possible to determine the inclination angle for the flattened BLR, which in turn yields the polarization degree of the broad emission lines. As a result, we obtained the direct relation between the polarization degree and the virial factor. We also compared the determined values of the polarization degree with those obtained in polarimetric observations.

astro-ph.GA

New mechanism of radiation polarization in Seyfert-1 AGNs

In most of Seyfert-1 active galactic nucei (AGN) the optical linear continuum polarization degree is usually small (less than 1%) and the polarization position angle is nearly parallel to the AGN radio-axis. However, there are many types-1 AGNs with unexplained intermediate values for both positional angles and polarization degrees. Our explanation of polarization degree and positional angle of Seyfert-1 AGNs focuses on the reflection of non-polarized radiation from sub-parsec jets in optically thick accretion discs. The presence of a magnetic field surrounding the scattering media will induce Faraday rotation of the polarization plane that may explain the intermediate values of positional angles if there is a magnetic field component normal to the accretion disc. The Faraday rotation depolarization effect in disc diminishes the competition between polarization of the reflected radiation with the parallel component of polarization and the perpendicular polarization from internal radiation of disc (the Milne problem) in favor of polarization of reflected radiation. This effect allows us to explain the observed polarization of Seyfert-1 AGN radiation even though the jet optical luminosity is much lower than the luminosity of disc. We present the calculation of polarization degrees for a number of Seyfert-1 AGNs.

astro-ph.GA

A Polarimetric Method for Measuring Black Hole Masses in Active Galactic Nuclei

The structure of the broad emission line region (BLR) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) remains unclear. We test in this paper a flattened configuration model for BLR. The virial theorem, by taking into account the disc shape of BLR, allows us to get a direct connection between the mass of a supermassive black hole (SMBH) and the inclination angle of the accretion flow. The inclination angle itself is derived from the spectropolarimetric data on broad emission lines using the theory for the generation of polarized radiation developed by Sobolev and Chandrasekhar. As the result, the new estimates of SMBH masses in AGN with measured polarization of BLR are presented. It is crucial that the polarimetric data allow also to determine the value of the virial coefficient that is essential for determining SMBH masses.

astro-ph.GA

Magnetic field and radius of innermost stable circular orbit near SMBH in AGNs

Magnetic fields in an accretion disk around the central black hole can modify the position of the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) radius and produces the difference for the classical Novikov-Thorne radius. We estimated the ISCO magnetic field strength on the base of polarimetric observations of the accretion disk radiation. This estimate can be obtained with taking into account the effect of Faraday rotation of the polarization plane at the length of the free path of photon between successive electron scattering events. In a result we presented the new method for real estimation of the ISCO radius in the accretion disk, i.e. in the nearest vicinity of a central black hole. Our estimations confirmed the V.P. Frolov, A.A. Shoom and C. Tzounis (2014) conclusion that magnetic field produces the effect in a result of which the innermost stable circular orbit becomes closer to the horizon of a black hole.

astro-ph.HE

Magnetic Fields of Compact Objects in Close X-Ray Binary Systems

X-ray binary systems are very popular objects for astrophysical investigations. Compact objects in these systems are neutron stars, white dwarfs and black holes. Neutron stars and white dwarfs can have intrinsic magnetic fields. There is well known, famous theorem about absence of intrinsic magnetic fields of black holes. But magnetic field can exist in the accretion disk around a black hole. We present here the real estimates of the magnetic field strength at the radius of innermost stable orbit in an accretion disk of stellar mass black holes.

astro-ph.SR