arXiv subjects

Taya Govreen-Segal

Publications and source records attributed to Taya Govreen-Segal.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Little Red Dots As Super-Eddington Fountain Flows

Little red dots (LRDs) may be powered by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) accreting above the Eddington limit. Spectroscopy of LRDs often shows absorption troughs blueshifted by $\sim100-300\,{\rm km\,s^{-1}}$, implying a slow wind. This is puzzling: super-Eddington disks drive much faster winds, $\gtrsim10^3-10^4\,{\rm km\,s^{-1}}$. We argue that LRDs are super-Eddington SMBHs viewed off-axis and engulfed in a slow wind that covers most sight-lines; the fast wind escapes near the poles. Trapped light puffs the inner disk into a quasi-spherical envelope that launches the slow wind. The wind may be ``photon-tired'', meaning the light only barely unbinds it. Such marginally unbound winds lead to fountain flows, where some gas escapes and the rest falls back. We model the envelope with idealized, spherically symmetric ``marginally unbound'' ($v\sim v_{\rm esc}$) and ``photon-tired'' winds. We feed these profiles into the radiative transfer code Sirocco to study how the wind reprocesses the light from an accreting $10^6\,M_\odot$ SMBH. We describe most of the wind as a ``Balmer cocoon'' -- a Compton-thick region in which depletion of Balmer continuum photons ($hν>3.4\,{\rm eV}$) rather than Lyman continuum photons ($hν> 13.6\,{\rm eV}$) keeps the gas ionized. The spectra span the range of LRD-like sources: ``little blue dots'' at lower outflow rates ($\sim2.5\,M_\odot\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$); V-shaped LRDs with a Balmer break ($\sim5-10\,M_\odot\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$); and red LRDs with full breaks ($\sim15\,M_\odot\,{\rm yr}^{-1}$). Our Balmer line profiles show P~Cygni features atop broad, exponential wings, as is observed. The break is possible at lower wind densities than in LTE models because Lyman~$α$ trapping sustains our $n=2$ hydrogen population and electron scattering enhances the optical depth. Our arguments are also applicable to winds from supermassive stars or quasi-stars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

Revisiting GW170817 at milliarcsecond scale: high-precision constraints on jet geometry and $H_0$

The historic detection of gravitational waves from the electromagnetically bright binary neutron star merger GW170817 enabled the first standard siren measurement of Hubble's constant ($H_0$). The accuracy and precision of this measurement depends crucially on how well the merger inclination angle is constrained, given its strong covariance with luminosity distance ($D_L$). Modeling the light-curve of the jet's afterglow provides constraints on inclination, but is highly dependent on the similarly uncertain jet opening angle. Past studies have improved on this by invoking high-resolution radio observations, obtained through very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). We present a Bayesian visibility-plane model-fitting framework that provides a more informed and robust measurement of the viewing geometry of GW170817 and of $H_0$, by including all relevant VLBI data, robustly handling systematic uncertainties and rigorously sampling model parameter space. By fitting new hydrodynamical afterglow models with a continuum of jet geometries, we obtain a viewing angle of $18.^{\circ}3-20.^{\circ}3$ (for a fixed cosmology with $D_L=40.7$ Mpc, as used in most previous analyses). We extend our framework to fit for $D_L$ and $H_0$ directly, and marginalize over an ensemble of plausible peculiar velocity corrections to obtain viewing angle $16.^{\circ}8-19.^{\circ}2$, $D_L=44.0\pm1.6$ Mpc and $H_0=65.5\pm4.4$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$. Notably, the peak of our $H_0$ posterior is within $0.5σ$ of the early-Universe Planck $H_0$ value, but $1.7σ$ from the late-Universe SH0ES measurement. We discuss potential caveats and the implications of this result in the context of the current discrepancy between early and late-Universe measurements of the Hubble constant.

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arXiv2026

AT2024wpp: An Extremely Luminous Fast Ultraviolet Transient Powered by Accretion onto a Black Hole

We present the discovery of AT 2024wpp ("Whippet"), a fast and luminous 18cow-like transient. At a redshift of z=0.0868, revealed by Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectroscopy of its faint star-forming host, it is the fourth-nearest example of its class to date. Rapid identification of the source in the Zwicky Transient Facility data stream permitted ultraviolet-through-optical observations to be obtained prior to peak, allowing the first determination of the peak bolometric luminosity (2x10^45 erg/s), maximum photospheric radius (10^15 cm), and total radiated energy (10^51 erg) of an 18cow-like object. We present results from a comprehensive multiwavelength observing campaign, including a far-UV spectrum from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope and deep imaging extending >100 days post-explosion from the Very Large Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Very Large Array, and Atacama Large Millimetre Array. We interpret the observations under a model in which a rapidly-accreting central engine blows a fast (~0.2c) wind into the surrounding medium and irradiates it with X-rays. The high Doppler velocities and intense ionization within this wind prevent identifiable spectroscopic features from appearing in the ejecta or in the surrounding circumstellar material. Weak H and He signatures do emerge in the spectra after 35 days in the form of double-peaked narrow lines. Each peak is individually narrow (full width ~3000 km/s) but the two components are separated by ~6600 km/s, indicating stable structures of denser material, possibly representing streams of tidal ejecta or an ablated companion star.

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arXiv2026

X-ray Transmission Through Photoionized Gas with Moderate Thomson Optical Depth

We model the absorption of X-rays by gas obscuring the source and photoionized by it. We consider a broad range of column densities, including both Thomson-thin and Thomson-thick media. For the Thomson thin regime, we derive a simple criterion based on the source luminosity and spectrum, as well as the medium radius and column density, that distinguishes between the following cases: (i) The absorption can be modeled well by a neutral medium; (ii) The radiation ionizes its way through the medium, and no absorption is expected; and (iii) A detailed model is required because the column density inferred from modeling the absorption with a neutral gas is much lower than the actual column density, or because the absorption features cannot be fitted by a neutral absorber. We derive the criterion analytically using a toy model of hydrogen and oxygen and calibrate it for realistic compositions with metallicities in the range $Z/Z_{\odot}=0.01-50$, using \textsc{Cloudy}. We generalize the model to the Thomson-thick regime, where we consider, alongside photoabsorption, electron scattering, Compton heating, Comptonization, and photon degradation. In this case, the emergent spectrum depends on the boundary condition experienced by photons scattered back towards the source. We discuss the effect of a reflective boundary and a reprocessing boundary. We provide simple criteria for the expected absorption state and discuss additional effects that alter the spectrum. The main motivation for our modeling is X-ray emission from supernovae interacting with the circumstellar medium; however, we expect it to be useful for many other applications.

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arXiv2026

AT2018cow Powered by a Shock in Aspherical Circumstellar Media

We present a quantitative model for the luminous fast blue optical transient AT2018cow in which a shock propagating through an aspherical circumstellar medium (CSM) produces the X-ray and UV/optical/NIR emission. X-rays are emitted from hot post-shock electrons, and soft X-ray photons are reprocessed into optical/UV emission in the cool downstream. This naturally explains two previously puzzling features: (i) the coordinated evolution of the optical and soft X-ray after day 20, (ii) the hard X-ray hump above 10 keV that disappears around day 15 as the Thomson optical depth transitions from $τ_T \gg1$ to $τ_T \sim 1$. Our model is over-constrained, and it quantitatively reproduces the bolometric luminosity evolution, soft X-ray spectrum, and time-dependent soft/hard X-ray and soft X-ray/optical luminosity ratios. It also explains additional puzzles: X-ray fluctuations with $\sim4-10$ day timescales arise from a global radiative shock instability, while the NIR excess and the apparent receding blackbody radius result from reprocessed X-rays in matter far from thermodynamic equilibrium. The radio is naturally explained as originating from a shock driven by the same ejecta in the more dilute CSM. The light curve steepening after $\sim 40$ days likely indicates the shock reaches the edge of the dense CSM at $\sim {\rm few} \times 10^{15}$ cm. We infer explosion energy $\sim 1-5 \times 10^{50}$ erg, carried by an ejecta at $\sim 0.1c$ and a mass of $0.01-0.05 M_\odot$, in a dense asymmetric CSM with $\sim 0.3 M_\odot$, embedded in a more dilute CSM.

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arXiv2023

The Structure and Evolution of Relativistic Jetted Blast Waves

We study, analytically and numerically, the structure and evolution of relativistic jetted blast waves that propagate in uniform media, such as those that generate afterglows of gamma-ray bursts. Similar to previous studies, we find that the evolution can be divided into two parts: (i) a pre-spreading phase, in which the jet core angle is roughly constant, $θ_{c,0}$, and the shock Lorentz factor along the axis, $Γ_a$, evolves as a part of the Blandford-Mckee solution, and (ii) a spreading phase, in which $Γ_a$ drops exponentially with the radius and the core angle, $θ_c$, grows rapidly. Nevertheless, the jet remains collimated during the relativistic phase, where $θ_c(Γ_aβ_a=1)\simeq 0.4θ_{c,0}^{1/3}$. The transition between the phases takes place when $Γ_a\simeq 0.2θ_{c,0}^{-1}$. We find that the "wings" of jets with initial "narrow" structure ($\frac{d \log\,E_{iso}}{d\log\,θ}<-3$ outside of the core, where $E_{iso}$ is isotropic equivalent energy), start evolving during the pre-spreading phase. By the spreading phase these jets evolve to a self-similar profile, which is independent of the initial structure, where in the wings $Γ(θ)\proptoθ^{-1.5}$ and $E_{iso}(θ)\propto θ^{-2.6}$. Jets with initial "wide" structure roughly keep their initial profile during their entire evolution. We provide analytic description of the jet lateral profile evolution for a range of initial structures, as well as the evolution of $Γ_a$ and $θ_c$. For off-axis GRBs, we present a relation between the initial jet structure and the light curve rising phase. Applying our model to GW170817, we find that initially the jet had $θ_{c,0}=0.4-4.5~°$ and wings which are consistent with $E_{iso} \propto θ^{-3}-θ^{-4}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Relativistic Spherical Shocks in Expanding Media

We investigate the propagation of spherically symmetric shocks in relativistic homologously expanding media with density distributions following a power-law profile in their Lorentz factor. That is, $ρ_{ej} \propto t^{-3}γ_{e}(R,t)^{-α}$, where $ρ_{ej}$ is the medium proper density, $γ_{e}$ is its Lorentz factor, $α>0$ is constant and $t$, $R$ are the time and radius from the center. We find that the shocks behavior can be characterized by their proper velocity, $U'=Γ_s'β_s'$, where $Γ_s'$ is the shock Lorentz factor as measured in the immediate upstream frame and $β_s'$ is the corresponding 3-velocity. While generally, we do not expect the shock evolution to be self-similar, for every $α>0$ we find a critical value $U'_c$ for which a self-similar solution with constant $U'$ exists. We then use numerical simulations to investigate the behavior of general shocks. We find that shocks with $U'>U'_c$ have a monotonously growing $U'$, while those with $U'<U'_c$ have a decreasing $U'$ and will eventually die out. Finally, we present an analytic approximation, based on our numerical results, for the evolution of general shocks in the regime where $U'$ is ultra-relativistic.

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arXiv2023

Analytic Model for Off-Axis GRB Afterglow Images -- Geometry Measurement and Implications for Measuring $H_0$

We present an analytic model for measuring the jet core angle ($θ_c$) and viewing angle ($θ_{obs}$) of off-axis gamma-ray bursts independently of the jet angular structure outside of the core. We model the images of off-axis jets and using this model we show that $θ_{obs}$ and $θ_c$ can be measured using any two of the three following observables: the afterglow light curve, the flux-centroid motion, and the image width. The model is calibrated using 2D relativistic hydrodynamic simulations with a broad range of jet angular structures. We study the systematic errors due to the uncertainty in the jet structure and find that when using the light curve and centroid motion to determine $θ_{obs}$ and $θ_c$, our formulae can be accurate to a level of $5-10\%$ and $30\%$, respectively. In light of the Hubble tension, the systematic error in $\cosθ_{obs}$ in GRBs originating in a binary compact object merger is of special interest. We find that the systematic uncertainty on the measurement of $\cosθ_{obs}$ due to the unknown jet structure is smaller than $1.5\%$ for well-observed events. A similar error is expected if the microphysical parameters evolve at a level that is not easily detected by the light curve. Our result implies that this type of systematic uncertainty will not prevent measurement of $H_0$ to a level of $2\%$ with a sample of well-observed GW events with resolved afterglow image motion. Applying our model to the light curve and centroid motion observations of GW170817 we find $θ_{obs}=19.2\pm 2~°$ (1$σ$) and $θ_c=1.5-4~°$.

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arXiv2020

Spherical shocks in a steep density gradient of expanding media

We study the propagation of a Newtonian shock in a spherically symmetric, homologously expanding ejecta. We focus on media with a steep power-law density profile of the form $ρ\propto t^{-3}v^{-α}$, with $α>5$, where $v$ is the velocity of the expanding medium and $t$ is time. Such profiles are expected in the leading edge of supernovae ejecta and sub-relativistic outflows from binary neutron star mergers. We find that such shocks always accelerate in the observer frame and lose causal contact with the bulk of the driver gas, owing to the steep density profile. However, the prolonged shock evolution exhibits two distinct pathways: In one, the shock strength diminishes with time until the shock eventually dies out. In the other, the shock strength steadily increases, and the solution approaches the self-similar solution of a shock is a static medium. By mapping the parameter space of shock solutions, we find that the evolutionary pathways are dictated by $α$ and by the initial ratio between the shock velocity and the local upstream velocity. We find that for $α<ω_c$ ($ω_c \approx 8$), the shock always decays, and that for $α>ω_c$ the shock may decay or grow stronger depending on the initial value of the velocity ratio. These two branches bifurcate from a self-similar solution derived analytically for a constant velocity ratio. We analyze properties of the solutions that may have an impact on the observational signatures of such systems, and assess the conditions required for decaying shocks to break out from a finite medium.

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