arXiv subjects

Xinwu Cao

Publications and source records attributed to Xinwu Cao.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

A physical model for active galactic nuclei with double-peaked broad emission lines

The double-peaked broad emission lines are usually thought to be linked to accretion disks, however, the local viscous heating in the line-emitting disk portion is usually insufficient for the observed double-peaked broad-line luminosity in most sources. Our calculations show that only a small fraction (< 2.3 per cent) of the radiation from the RIAF in the inner region of the disk can photo-ionize the line-emitting disk portion, because the solid angle of the outer disk portion subtended to the inner region of the RIAF is too small. We propose that only those AGNs with sufficient matter above the disk (slowly moving jets or outflows) can scatter enough photons radiated from the inner disk region to the outer line-emitting disk portion. Our model predicts a power-law r-dependent line emissivity with an index ~2.5, which is consistent with β~2-3 required by the model fittings for double-peaked line profiles. Using a sample of radio-loud double-peaked line emitters, we show that the outer disk regions can be efficiently illuminated by the photons scattered from the electron-positron jets with γ_j<2. It is consistent with the fact that no double-peaked emission line is present in strong radio quasars with relativistic jets. For radio-quiet counterparts, slow outflows with Thomson scattering depth ~0.2 can scatter sufficient photons to the line-emitting regions. This model can therefore solve the energy budget problem for double-peaked line emitters.

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arXiv2006

The relation between star formation rate and accretion rate in LINERs

It is argued that there is a linear correlation between star formation rate (SFR) and accretion rate for normal bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs). However, it is still unclear whether this correlation holds for LINERs, of which the accretion rates are relatively lower than those of normal bright AGNs. The radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs) are believed to be present in these LINERs. In this work, we derive accretion rates for a sample of LINERs from their hard X-ray luminosities based on spectral calculations for RIAFs. We find that LINERs follow the same correlation between star formation rate and accretion rate defined by normal bright AGNs, when reasonable parameters are adopted for RIAFs. It means that the gases feed the black hole and star formation in these low-luminosity LINERs may follow the same way as that in normal bright AGNs, which is roughly consistent with recent numerical simulations on quasar evolution.

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arXiv2006

A test on external Compton models for $γ$-ray active galactic nuclei

There is clear evidence that the $γ$-ray emission from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is attributed to the inverse Compton scatterings in the relativistic blobs near the massive black holes. If the soft seed photons are from the regions outside the blobs, a linear relation between $(νF_{ν,γ}/νF_{ν, \rm syn} u^{*})^{1/(1+α)}$ and Doppler factor $δ$ is expected, where $νF_{ν,γ}$ and $νF_{ν, \rm syn}$ are monochromatic $γ$-ray and synchrotron fluxes, respectively, and $u^{*}$ is the energy density of soft seed photons \citep{D97}. We estimate the soft photon energy density in the relativistic blobs contributed by the broad line region (BLRs) in these $γ$-ray AGNs using their broad-line emission data. The Doppler factors $δ$ are derived from their radio core and X-ray emission data, based on the assumption that the X-ray emission is produced through synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) scatterings. We find two nearly linear correlations: $(νF_{ν,γ}/νF_{\rm opt} u^{*})^{1/(1+α)} \propto δ^{1.09}$, and $(νF_{ν,γ}/νF_{\rm IR} u^{*})^{1/(1+α)} \propto δ^{1.20}$, which are roughly consistent with the linear correlation predicted by the theoretical model for external Compton scatterings. Our results imply that the soft seed photons are dominantly from the BLRs in these $γ$-ray AGNs.

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arXiv2005

Constraints on radiatively inefficient accretion history of active galactic nuclei from hard cosmological X-ray background

The transition of a standard thin disk to a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) is expected to occur, when its dimensionless accretion rate is lower than the critical value. The RIAF is very hot, and it radiates mostly in the hard X-ray band (>100 keV). Assuming that the accretion disk in every bright active galactic nucleus (AGN) will finally undergo a RIAF phase while the accretion rate is lower than the critical value, we calculate the contribution of the RIAFs in AGNs to the cosmological X-ray background of 10-1000 keV. We find that the timescale of the RIAF accreting at slightly below the critical rate should be shorter than 0.01 of the bright AGN lifetime if the critical accretion rate is 0.01, i.e., the accretion rate declines from the critical value to a rate significantly lower than this critical rate within this RIAF timescale. The derived RIAF timescale is affected by the parameters adopted in the model calculations, which is also discussed in this Letter.

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arXiv2004

Origin of Radio Emission from Nearby Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

We use the observational data in radio, optical and X-ray wavebands, for a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with measured black hole masses, to explore the origin of radio emission from nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs). We find that the radio luminosities are higher than the maximal luminosities expected from the ADAF model, for most sources in this sample. This implies that the radio emission is dominantly from the jets in these sources. The radio emission from a small fraction of the sources in this sample can be explained by the ADAF model. However, comparing the observed multi-band emission data with the spectra calculated for the ADAF or ADIOS cases, we find that neither ADAF nor ADIOS models can reproduce the observed multi-band emission simultaneously, with reasonable magnetic field strengths, for these radio-weak sources. A variety of other possibilities are discussed, and we suggest that the radio emission is probably dominated by jet emission even in these radio-weak LLAGNs.

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arXiv2004

On the dust tori in Palomar-Green quasars

The dust clouds in the torus of the quasar are irradiated by the central source, and the clouds at the inner radius of the torus re-radiate mostly in the near-infrared (NIR) wavebands. The ratio of the near-infrared luminosity to the bolometric luminosity L_NIR/L_bol can therefore reflect the torus geometry to some extent. We find a significant correlation between the ratio of the near-infrared luminosity to the bolometric luminosity L_NIR/L_bol and the central black hole mass M_bh for the Palomar-Green(PG) quasars, whereas no correlation is found between the Eddington ratio L_bol/L_Edd and the ratio L_NIR/L_bol. Similar correlations are found for the mid-infrared and far-infrared cases. It may imply that the torus geometry, i.e., the solid angle subtended by the dust torus as seen from the central source, does not evolve with the accretion rate. The correlation of the solid angle subtended by the torus with the central black hole mass M_bh implies that the formation of the dust torus is likely regulated by the central black hole mass. We find that the torus thickness H increases with quasar bolometric luminosities, which is different from the constant torus thickness H with luminosity assumed in the receding torus model. The mean covering factor of the dust clouds at the inner radius of the torus derived from the IR emission data is ~0.39 for PG quasars. The average relative thickness H/R of the tori in the PG quasars derived from the ratios of the infrared to bolometric luminosities is ~0.9. We suggest that the further IR observations on a larger quasar sample including more fainter quasars by the Spitzer Space Telescope will help understand the physics of the dust tori in quasars.

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arXiv2004

Are the jets accelerated from the disk coronas in some active galactic nuclei?

We use a sample of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with estimated central black hole masses to explore their jet formation mechanisms. The jet power of AGNs is estimated from their extended radio luminosity. It is found that the jets in several AGNs of this sample are too powerful to be extracted from the standard thin accretion disks or rapidly spinning black holes surrounded by standard thin disks. If the advection dominated accretion flows (ADAFs) are present in these AGNs, their bright optical continuum luminosity cannot be produced by pure-ADAFs due to their low accretion rates and low radiation efficiency, unless the ADAFs transit to standard thin disks at some radii $R_{\rm tr}$. If this is the case, we find that the dimensionless accretion rates as high as 0.05 and transition from ADAFs to standard thin disks at rather small radii around 20GM/c^2 are required to explain their bright optical continuum emission. We propose that the disk-corona structure is present at least in some AGNs in this sample. The plasmas in the corona are very hot, and the pressure scale-height of the corona H\sim R. Powerful jets with Q_jet \sim L_bol (bolometric luminosity) can form by the large-scale magnetic fields created by dynamo processes in the disk corona of some AGNs. The maximal jet power extractable from the corona Q_jet^max\le 0.6L_c (L_c is the corona luminosity) is expected by this jet formation scenario. The statistic results on the sample of AGNs are consistent with the predictions of this scenario. Finally, the possibility that the jet is driven from a super-Keplerian rotating hot layer located between the corona and the cold disk is discussed. We find that, in principle, this layer can also produce a powerful jet with Q_jet\sim L_bol.

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arXiv2004

No evidence for a different accretion mode for all 3CR FR I radio galaxies

We have analyzed the optical and radio properties of a sample of 3CR FR I radio galaxies which have Hubble Space Telescope imaging capable of detecting optical cores. The jet powers of the FR I radio galaxies are estimated from their low-frequency radio luminosities, and the optical core luminosity is taken as an upper limit on the emission from any unobscured accretion disc. We argue that if the accretion discs in these sources are assumed to be advection dominated accretion flows (ADAFs), or adiabatic inflow-outflow solution (ADIOS) flows, then the Blandford-Znajek mechanism (Blandford & Znajek 1977) provides insufficient power to explain the high radio luminosities of at least a third, and perhaps all, of the sample. We suggest instead that a significant fraction (the 'high-jet-power' third), and perhaps most, of the 3CR FR I radio galaxies have normal accretion discs, but that their optical cores can be hidden, with any HST-detected optical synchrotron emission coming from jets on scales larger than the obscuring material. A normal accretion disc hypothesis, at least for the high-jet-power third of the 3CR FR Is, explains why narrow-line luminosity correlates with radio luminosity. It also explains why one object in the sample (3C 386) has an observed broad-line nucleus. We conclude that there is no evidence to suggest that there is a difference in accretion mode between FR I and FR II radio galaxies.

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arXiv2004

Evidence for anisotropic motion of the clouds in broad-line regions of BL Lacertae objects

The masses of central massive black holes in BL Lac objects are estimated from their host galaxy absolute magnitude at R-band by using the empirical relation between absolute magnitude of host galaxy and black hole mass. Only a small fraction of BL Lac objects exhibit weak broad-line emission, and we derive the sizes of the broad-line regions (BLRs) in these BL Lac objects from the widths of their broad emission lines on the assumption of the clouds being virilized in BLRs. It is found that the sizes of the BLRs in these sources are usually 2-3 orders of magnitude larger than that expected by the empirical correlation between BLR size and optical luminosity defined by a sample of Seyfert galaxies and quasars. We discuss a variety of possibilities and suggest it may probably be attributed to anisotropic motion of the BLR clouds in these BL Lac objects. If the BLR geometry of these sources is disk-like, the viewing angles between the axis and the line of sight are in the range of 2-12 degrees, which is consistent with the unification schemes.

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arXiv2003

Black hole masses and Doppler factors of $γ$-ray active galactic nuclei

The sizes of the broad-line regions (BLRs) in $γ$-ray active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are estimated from their optical continuum luminosity by using the empirical relation between $R_{\rm BLR}$ and $L_{λ,\rm opt}$. Using the broad emission line data, we derive the photon energy density in the relativistic blobs near the massive black holes in AGNs. We calculate the power of the broad-line photons Compton up-scattered by the relativistic electrons in the blobs. Compared with observed $γ$-ray emission data, the Doppler factors $δ$ of the blobs for a sample of 36 $γ$-ray AGNs are derived, which are in the range of $\sim 3-17$. We estimate the central black hole masses of these $γ$-ray AGNs from the sizes of the BLR and the broad line widths. It is found that the black hole masses are in the range of $\sim 10^{8}-10^{10}M_{\odot}$. A significant correlation is found between the Doppler factor $δ$ and the core dominance parameter $R$. The results are consistent with the external radiation Compton (ERC) models for $γ$-ray emission from AGNs. The soft seed photons are probably from the broad-line regions.

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arXiv2003

Jet formation in BL Lacertae objects with different accretion modes

We estimate the masses of massive black holes in BL Lac objects from their host galaxy luminosity. The power of jets and central optical ionizing luminosity for a sample of BL Lac objects are derived from their extended radio emission and the narrow-line emission, respectively. The maximal jet power can be extracted from a standard thin accretion disk/spinning black hole is calculated as a function of dimensionless accretion rate $\dot{m}$ ($\dot{m}=\dot{M}/\dot{M}_{\rm Edd}$). Comparing with the derived jet power, we find that the accretion disks in most BL Lac objects should not be standard accretion disks. For a pure advection dominated accretion flow (ADAF), there is an upper limit on its optical continuum luminosity due to the existence of an upper limit $\dot{m}_{\rm crit}$ on the accretion rate. It is found that a pure ADAF is too faint to produce the optical ionizing luminosity of BL Lac objects derived from their narrow-line luminosity. We propose that an ADAF is present in the inner region of the disk and it becomes a standard thin disk in the outer region in most BL Lac objects, i.e., ADAF+SD(standard disk) scenario. This ADAF+SD scenario can explain both the jet power and optical ionizing continuum emission of these BL Lac objects. The inferred transition radii between the inner ADAF and outer SD are in the range of $40-150 GM_{bh}/c^2$, if the disks are accreting at the rate $\dot{m}=0.01$.

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arXiv2002

The radiation properties of an accretion disk with a non-zero torque on its inner edge

The structure of the inner edge of the accretion disk around a black hole can be altered, if the matter inside the marginally stable orbit is magnetically connected to the disk. In this case, a non-zero torque is exerted on its inner edge, and the accretion efficiency $ε$ can be much higher than that in the standard accretion disk model. We explore the radiation properties of an accretion disk at its sonic point around a black hole with a time-steady torque exerted on the inner edge of the disk. The local structure of the accretion flow at the sonic point is investigated in the frame of general relativity. It is found that the accretion flow will be optically thin at its sonic point for most cases, if the additional accretion efficiency $δε$ caused by the torque is as high as $\sim$10 %. The results imply that the variable torque may trigger transitions of the flow between different accretion types.

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arXiv2002

Evidence for the evolutionary sequence of blazars: different types of accretion flows in BL Lac objects

The limits on the mass of the black hole in 23 BL Lac objects are obtained from their luminosities of the broad emission line Hβon the assumption that broad emission lines are emitted from clouds ionized by the radiation of the accretion disk surrounding a black hole. The distribution of line luminosity L_{Hβ} of all these BL Lac objects suggests a bimodal nature, although this cannot be statistically proven on the basis of the present, rather small sample. We found that standard thin disks are probably in the sources with L_{Hβ}>10^{41} erg s^{-1}. The central black holes in these sources have masses of 10^{8-10} M_\odot, if the matter is accreting at the rate of 0.025 {\dot M}_{\rm Edd}. For the sources with L_{Hβ}<10^{41} erg s^{-1}, the accretion flows have transited from standard thin disk type to the ADAF type. The lower limits on the mass of the black hole in these sources are in the range of 1.66-24.5\times 10^{8} M_\odot. The results support the evolutionary sequence of blazars: FSRQ\to LBL\to HBL.

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arXiv2002

The jet power extracted from a magnetized accretion disc

We consider the power of a relativistic jet accelerated by the magnetic field of an accretion disc. It is found that the power extracted from the disc is mainly determined by the field strength and configuration of the field far from the disc. Comparing with the power extracted from a rotating black hole, we find that the jet power extracted from a disc can dominate over that from the rotating black hole. But in some cases, the jet power extracted from a rapidly rotating hole can be more important than that from the disc even if the poloidal field threading the hole is not significantly larger than that threading the inner edge of the disc. The results imply that the radio-loudness of quasars may be governed by its accretion rate which might be regulated by the central black hole mass. It is proposed that the different disc field generation mechanisms might be tested against observations of radio-loud quasars if their black hole masses are available.

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arXiv2001

Relation between radio core length and black hole mass for active galactic nuclei

We explore the relation between the linear length of radio core and the central black hole mass for a sample of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs). An empirical relation between the size of the broad line region (BLR) and optical luminosity is used to estimate the size of the BLR. The black hole mass is derived from $\rm H_β$ line width and the radius of the BLR on the assumption that the clouds in BLRs are orbiting with Keplerian velocities. A significant intrinsic correlation is found between the linear length of the core and the black hole mass, which implies that the jet formation is closely related with the central black hole. We also find a strong correlation between the black hole mass and the core luminosity.

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arXiv2001

Instability of an accretion disk with a magnetically driven wind

We present a linear analysis of the stability of accretion disks in which angular momentum is removed by the magnetic torque exerted by a centrifugally driven wind. The effects of the dependence of the wind torque on field strength and inclination, the sub-Keplerian rotation due to magnetic forces, and the compression of the disk by the field are included. A WKB dispersion relation is derived for the stability problem. We find that the disk is always unstable if the wind torque is strong. At lower wind torques instability also occurs provided the rotation is close to Keplerian. The growth time scale of the instability can be as short as the orbital time scale. The instability is mainly the result of the sensitivity of the mass flux to changes in the inclination of the field at the disk surface. Magnetic diffusion in the disk stabilizes if the wind torque is small.

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arXiv2001

On the masses of black-holes in radio-loud quasars

The central black-hole masses of a sample of radio-loud quasars are estimated by using the data of $H_β$ line-width and the optical continuum luminosity. The vast majority of the quasars in this sample have black-hole masses larger than $10^{8} M_{\odot}$, while a few quasars may contain relatively smaller black-holes. We found a significant anti-correlation between the radio-loudness and the central black-hole mass. It might imply that the jet formation is governed by the black-hole mass.

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arXiv2000

Relation between blue/UV continuum shape and the ratio of radio to optical emission for B3-VLA quasars

The low frequency radio luminosity is believed to be an indicator of jet power, while the optical/UV emission is probably from accretion discs in the nuclei of steep-spectrum radio quasars. We present a correlation between the ratio of radio to optical luminosities and the continuum spectral index in blue/UV bands, which might indicate that the continuum shape in blue/UV bands is related to the ratio of jet to accretion power. The results may imply that the spectra and structure of accretion discs are probably affected by the interactions between jets and discs.

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