arXiv subjects

Pavel B. Ivanov

Publications and source records attributed to Pavel B. Ivanov.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A low viscosity relatively thick twisted disk in a supermassive binary black hole as a potential model of OJ 287

In this Paper we consider twisted accretion disks in supermassive binary black hole by analytical and numerical means. It is assumed that the disk orbiting around the more massive rotating component and that the disk rings are inclined with respect to the orbital plane. We use orbital parameters of the binary often employed in the precessing massive (PM) model of the well-known blazar OJ 287. Unlike our previous investigation of a similar problem, here we consider disks with both small and relatively large relative thicknesses $δ=h/r$, where $h$ is the disk's height at a typical radius $r$, as well as a range of values of the viscosity parameter, $α$, including the cases when $α\lesssim δ$. Similar to our previous results, we find that the twisted disk relaxes to a quasi-stationary state in the frame precessing with the Lense-Thirring frequency of the orbit. However, its shape is qualitatively different from that corresponding to the case of $δ=10^{-3}$ and $α=0.1$ considered in our previous work. In a disk with $δ=10^{-3}$ but $α\le 2\cdot 10^{-2}$, we find the new effect of generation of a twisting spiral wave near the resonance between a forcing frequency associated with the presence of the secondary and the Lense-Thirring frequency of a particular disk ring defined in the precessing frame. We propose an analytic theory of it, which is in a good agreement with our numerical results. This effect leads to multiple crossings of the orbit with the disk per one orbital period, which contradicts the PM model. When $δ\gtrsim 0.1$, a typical disk's inclination within the orbit of the binary is smaller than that of the orbit which results in only two crossings of the orbit with the disk per one orbital period. We suggest that the additional heating of the disk gas by the secondary-disk collisions may result in $δ\sim 0.1$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

The evolution of a supermassive binary black hole in an non-spherical nuclear star cluster

(abridged) We consider a secular orbital evolution of a supermassive binary black hole (SBBH) with unequal masses $M_p$ and $M_s < M_p$ in a central part of a non-spherical nuclear star cluster (NSC). When the mass of NSC inside the orbit is smaller than $M_{s}$ dynamical friction becomes inefficient. The subsequent orbital evolution of SBBH is largely governed by perturbing tidal potential of NSC arising from its non-sphericity. When the perturbing potential is mainly determined by quadrupole harmonics with azimuthal number $|m|=2$ the secular dynamics of the SBBH does not conserve any components of the angular momentum and can lead to the formation of highly eccentric orbits. Such orbits can experience an efficient circularization due to emission of gravitational waves (GW). In this Paper we consider this situation in some detail. We study analytically and numerically the orbital evolution taking into account the important effect of Einstein apsidal precession and estimate the largest possible value of $e$, which can be obtained. We then estimate a possibility of fast orbital circularization through emission of gravitation waves on a highly eccentric orbit, with circularization timescale of the order of the orbital period. We find that our mechanism could result in such events on a time scale of the order of or smaller than a few Gyr. It is stressed that for particular values of the model parameters such events may sometimes be distinguished from the ones expected in more standard scenarios, since in our case the eccentricity may remain substantial all the way down to the final merger. It is also noted that our results can be applied to other astrophysical settings, e.g. to study the orbital evolution of a binary star or a proto planetary system inside a massive deformed gas cloud.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

No Evidence for Bardeen-Petterson Alignment in GRMHD Simulations and Semi-Analytic Models of Moderately Thin, Prograde, Tilted Accretion Disks

In this paper we introduce the first results that use data extracted directly from numerical simulations as inputs to the analytic twisted disk model of Zhuravlev & Ivanov. In both numerical and analytic approaches, fully relativistic models of tilted and twisted disks having a moderate effective viscosity around a slowly rotating Kerr black hole are considered. Qualitatively, the analytic model demonstrates the same dynamics as the simulations, although with some quantitative offset. Namely, the GRMHD simulations generally give smaller variations of tilt and twist across the disk. When the black hole and the disk rotate in the same sense, the simulated tilted disk and analytic model show no sign of Bardeen-Petterson alignment, even in the innermost parts of the disk, where the characteristic time for relaxation to a quasi-stationary configuration is of the same order as the computation time. In the opposite case, when the direction of the disk's rotation is opposite to that of black hole, a partial alignment is observed, in agreement with previous theoretical estimates. Thus, both fully numerical and analytic schemes demonstrate that the Bardeen-Petterson effect may not be possible for the case of prograde rotation provided that disk's effective viscosity is sufficiently small. This may have implications in modeling of different astrophysical phenomena, such as disk spectra and jet orientation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Conservative GRMHD Simulations of Moderately Thin, Tilted Accretion Disks

This paper presents our latest numerical simulations of accretion disks that are misaligned with respect to the rotation axis of a Kerr black hole. In this work we use a new, fully conservative version of the Cosmos++ general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) code, coupled with an ad hoc cooling function designed to control the thickness of the disk. Together these allow us to simulate the thinnest tilted accretion disks ever using a GRMHD code. In this way, we are able to probe the regime where the dimensionless stress and scale height of the disk become comparable. We present results for both prograde and retrograde cases. The simulated prograde tilted disk shows no sign of Bardeen-Petterson alignment even in the innermost parts of the disk. The simulated retrograde tilted disk, however, does show modest alignment. The implication of these results is that the parameter space associated with Bardeen-Petterson alignment for prograde disks may be rather small, only including very thin disks. Unlike our previous work, we find no evidence for standing shocks in our simulated tilted disks. We ascribe this to the combination of small black hole spin, small tilt angle, and small disk scale height in these simulations. We also add to the growing body of literature pointing out that the turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability in global simulations of accretion disks is not isotropic. Finally, we provide a comparison between our moderately thin, untilted reference simulation and other numerical simulations of thin disks in the literature.

astro-ph.HE↗