arXiv subjects

Yasufumi Kojima

Publications and source records attributed to Yasufumi Kojima.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Axisymmetric force-free magnetosphere in the exterior of a neutron star

Magnetar magnetospheres gradually become twisted due to shearing by footpoint motion. The axisymmetric solutions for the force-free field with a power-law current model are calculated by taking into account general relativistic effects. Here we show how the magnetic energy and helicity are accumulated along a sequence of equilibria. In a strongly twisted case, a magnetic flux rope, in which a large amount of toroidal field is confined, detaches in the vicinity of the star. It is found this kind of magnetic field line structure is easily produced due to strong relativistic effects compared with the results in flat spacetime. Although the structure is not inherent to the relativity, the confinement is possible even for a smaller power-law index. There is an upper bound on the energy and helicity stored in the magnetosphere. When the helicity is further accumulated, a catastrophic event such as a giant flare may occur.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Outgoing electromagnetic power induced from pair plasma falling into a rotating black hole

We examine energy conversion from accreting pair plasma to outgoing Poynting flux by black hole rotation. Our approach is based on a two-fluid model consisting of collisionless pair plasma. The electric potential is not constant along magnetic field lines, unlike an ideal magnetohydrodynamics approximation. We show how and where longitudinal electric fields and toroidal magnetic fields are generated by the rotation, whereas they vanish everywhere for radial flow in a split monopole magnetic field in a Schwarzschild black hole. Outgoing electromagnetic power in a steady state is calculated by applying the WKB method to the perturbation equations for a small spin parameter. In our model, the luminosity has a peak in the vicinity of the black hole, but is damped toward the event horizon and infinity. The power at the peak is of the same order as that in the Blandford--Znajek process, although the physical mechanism is different.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Regular and Chaotic Motion in General Relativity: The Case of a Massive Magnetic Dipole

Circular motion of particles, dust grains and fluids in the vicinity of compact objects has been investigated as a model for accretion of gaseous and dusty environment. Here we further discuss, within the framework of general relativity, figures of equilibrium of matter under the influence of combined gravitational and large-scale magnetic fields, assuming that the accreted material acquires a small electric charge due to interplay of plasma processes and photoionization. In particular, we employ an exact solution describing the massive magnetic dipole and we identify the regions of stable motion. We also investigate situations when the particle dynamics exhibits the onset of chaos. In order to characterize the measure of chaoticness we employ techniques of Poincaré surfaces of section and of recurrence plots.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Numerical simulation of oscillating magnetospheres with resistive electrodynamics

We present a model of the magnetosphere around an oscillating neutron star. The electromagnetic fields are numerically solved by modeling electric charge and current induced by the stellar torsional mode, with particular emphasis on outgoing radiation passing through the magnetosphere. The current is modeled using Ohm's law, whereby an increase in conductivity results in an increase in the induced current. As a result, the fields are drastically modified, and energy flux is thereby enhanced. This behavior is however localized in the vicinity of the surface since the induced current disappears outwardly in our model, in which the exterior is assumed to gradually approach a vacuum.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Regular and chaotic orbits near a massive magnetic dipole

Within the framework of Bonnor's exact solution describing a massive magnetic dipole, we study the motion of neutral and electrically charged test particles. In dependence on the Bonnor spacetime parameters, we determine regions enabling the existence of stable circular orbits confined to the equatorial plane and of those levitating above the equatorial plane. Constructing Poincaré surfaces of section and recurrence plots, we also investigate the dynamics of particles moving along general off-equatorial trajectories bound in effective potential wells forming around the stable circular orbits. We demonstrate that the motion in the Bonnor spacetime is not integrable. This extends previous investigations of generalized Störmer's problem into the realm of exact solutions of Einstein-Maxwell equations, where the gravitational and electromagnetic effects play a comparable role on the particle motion.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Magnetic field decay with Hall drift in neutron star crusts

The dynamics of magnetic field decay with Hall drift is investigated. Assuming that axisymmetric magnetic fields are located in a spherical crust with uniform conductivity and electron number density, long-term evolution is calculated up to Ohmic dissipation. The nonlinear coupling between poloidal and toroidal components is explored in terms of their energies and helicity. Nonlinear oscillation by the drift in strongly magnetized regimes is clear only around the equipartition between two components. Significant energy is transferred to the poloidal component when the toroidal component initially dominates. However, the reverse is not true. Once the toroidal field is less dominant, it quickly decouples due to a larger damping rate. The polar field at the surface is highly distorted from the initial dipole during the Hall drift timescale, but returns to the initial dipole in a longer dissipation timescale, since it is the least damped one.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Multi-wavelength emission region of gamma-ray pulsars

Recent obserbations by Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope of gamma-ray pulsars have revealed further details of the structure of the emission region. We investigate the emission region for the multi-wavelength light curve using outer gap model. We assume that gamma-ray and non-thermal X-ray photons are emitted from a particle acceleration region in the outer magnetosphere, and UV/optical photons originate above that region. We also assume that gamma-rays are radiated only by outwardly moving particles, whereas the other photons are produced by particles moving inward and outward. We parametrize the altitude of the emission region. We find that the outer gap model can explain the multi-wavelength pulse behavior. From observational fitting, we also find a general tendency for the altitude of the gamma-ray emission region to depend on the inclination angle. In particular, the emission region for low inclination angle is required to be located in very low altitude, which corresponds to the inner region within the last-open field line of rotating dipole in vacuum. This model suggests a modification of statistics about observed gamma-ray pulsars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Multi-wavelength emission region of gamma-ray emitting pulsars

Using the outer gap model, we investigate the emission region for the multi-wavelength light curve from energetic pulsars. We assume that gamma-ray and non-thermal X-ray photons are emitted from a particle acceleration region in the outer magnetosphere, and UV/optical photons originate above that region. We assume that gamma-rays are radiated only by outwardly moving particles, whereas the other photons are produced by particles moving inward and outward. We parameterize the altitude of the emission region as the deviation from the rotating dipole in vacuum and determine it from the observed multi-wavelength pulse profile using the observationally constrained magnetic dipole inclination angle and viewing angle of the pulsars. We find that the outer gap model can explain the multi-wavelength pulse behavior by a simple distribution of emissivity, and discuss the possibility of further improvement. From observational fitting, we also find a general tendency for the altitude of the gamma-ray emission region to depend on the inclination angle. In particular, the emission region for low inclination angle is required to be located in very low altitude, which corresponds to the inner region within the last-open field line of rotating dipole in vacuum. This model suggests a modification of statistics about observed gamma-ray pulsars. Number of the sources with low inclination and viewing angles increases compared with previous estimate.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Relativistic magnetic reconnection at X-type neutral points

Relativistic effects in the oscillatory damping of magnetic disturbances near two-dimensional X-points are investigated. By taking into account displacement current, we study new features of extremely magnetized systems, in which the Alfvén velocity is almost the speed of light. The frequencies of the least-damped mode are calculated using linearized relativistic MHD equations for wide ranges of the Lundquist number S and the magnetization parameter $σ$. These timescales approach constant values in the large resistive limit: the oscillation time becomes a few times the light crossing time, irrespective of $σ$, and the decay time is proportional to $σ$ and therefore is longer for a highly magnetized system.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Kick velocity induced by magnetic dipole and quadrupole radiation

We examine the recoil velocity induced by the superposition of the magnetic dipole and quadrupole radiation from a pulsar/magnetar born with rapid rotation. The resultant velocity depends on not the magnitude, but rather the ratio of the two moments and their geometrical configuration. The model does not necessarily lead to high spatial velocity for a magnetar with a strong magnetic field, which is consistent with the recent observational upper bound. The maximum velocity predicted with this model is slightly smaller than that of observed fast-moving pulsars.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Mass-dependent evolution of the relation between supermassive black hole mass and host spheroid mass since z ~ 1

We investigate the evolution of supermassive black hole mass (M_BH) and the host spheroid mass (M_sph) in order to track the history of the M_BH-M_sph relationship. The typical mass increase of M_BH is calculated by a continuity equation and accretion history, which is estimated from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity function. The increase in M_sph is also calculated by using a continuity equation and a star formation model, which uses observational data for the formation rate and stellar mass function. We find that the black hole to spheroid mass ratio is expected to be substantially unchanged since z~1.2 for high mass objects (M_BH>10^8.5M_SUN and M_sph>10^11.3M_SUN). In the same redshift range, the spheroid mass is found to increase more rapidly than the black hole mass if M_sph>10^11M_SUN. The proposed mass-dependent model is consistent with the current available observational data in the M_BH-M_sph diagram.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Numerical Construction of Magnetosphere with Relativistic Two-fluid Plasma Flows

We present a numerical model in which a cold pair plasma is ejected with relativistic speed through a polar cap region and flows almost radially outside the light cylinder. Stationary axisymmetric structures of electromagnetic fields and plasma flows are self-consistently calculated. In our model, motions of positively and negatively charged particles are assumed to be determined by electromagnetic forces and inertial terms, without pair creation and annihilation or radiation loss. The global electromagnetic fields are calculated by the Maxwell's equations for the plasma density and velocity, without using ideal MHD condition. Numerical result demonstrates the acceleration and deceleration of plasma due to parallel component of the electric fields. Numerical model is successfully constructed for weak magnetic fields or highly relativistic fluid velocity, i.e, kinetic energy dominated outflow. It is found that appropriate choices of boundary conditions and plasma injection model at the polar cap should be explored in order to extend present method to more realistic pulsar magnetosphere, in which the Poynting flux is dominated.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Collimation of a spherical collisionless particles stream in Kerr space-time

We examine the propagation of collisionless particles emitted from a spherical shell to infinity. The number distribution at infinity, calculated as a function of the polar angle, exhibits a small deviation from uniformity. The number of particles moving from the polar region toward the equatorial plane is slightly larger than that of particles in the opposite direction, for an emission radius $ > 4.5M$ in extreme Kerr space-time. This means that the black hole spin exerts an anti-collimation effect on the particles stream propagating along the rotation axis. We also confirm this property in the weak field limit. The quadrupole moment of the central object produces a force toward the equatorial plane. For a smaller emission radius $r<4.5M$, the absorption of particles into the black hole, the non-uniformity and/or the anisotropy of the emission distribution become much more important.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Amplification of azimuthal modes with odd wave numbers during dynamical bar-mode growth in rotating stars

Nonlinear growth of the bar-mode deformation is studied for a differentially rotating star with supercritical rotational energy. In particular, the growth mechanism of some azimuthal modes with odd wave numbers is examined by comparing a simplified mathematical model with a realistic simulation. Mode coupling to even modes, i.e., the bar mode and higher harmonics, significantly enhances the amplitudes of odd modes, unless they are exactly zero initially. Therefore, other modes which are not axially symmetric cannot be neglected at late times in the growth of the unstable bar-mode even when starting from an almost axially symmetric state.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

The correlation of black hole mass with metallicity index of host spheroid

We investigate the correlation between the mass of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and metal abundance, using existing data sets. The SMBH mass $M_{bh}$ is well correlated with integrated stellar feature of Mgb. For 28 galaxies, the best-fit $M_{bh}$-Mgb relation has a small scatter, which is an equivalent level with other well-known relation, such as a correlation between the stellar velocity dispersion and the mass. An averaged iron index $<$Fe$>$ also positively correlates with $M_{bh}$, but the best-fit $M_{bh}$-$<$Fe$>$ relation has a larger scatter. The difference comes from the synthesis and evolution mechanisms, and may be important for the SMBH and star formation history in the host spheroid.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

Faraday resonance in dynamical bar instability of differentially rotating stars

We investigate the nonlinear behaviour of the dynamically unstable rotating star for the bar mode by three-dimensional hydrodynamics in Newtonian gravity. We find that an oscillation along the rotation axis is induced throughout the growth of the unstable bar mode, and that its characteristic frequency is twice as that of the bar mode, which oscillates mainly along the equatorial plane. A possibility to observe Faraday resonance in gravitational waves is demonstrated and discussed.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Tidal effects on magnetic gyration of a charged particle in Fermi coordinates

We examine the gyration motion of a charged particle, viewed from a reference observer falling along the Z axis into a Schwarzschild black hole. It is assumed that the magnetic field is constant and uniform along the Z axis, and that the particle has a circular orbit in the X-Y plane far from the gravitational source. When the particle as well as the reference observer approaches the black hole, its orbit is disrupted by the tidal force. The final plunging velocity increases in the non-relativistic case, but decreases if the initial circular velocity exceeds a critical value, which is approximately 0.7c. This toy model suggests that disruption of a rapidly rotating star due to a velocity-dependent tidal force may be quite different from that of a non-relativistic star. The model also suggested that collapse of the orbit after the disruption is slow in general, so that the particle subsequently escapes outside the valid Fermi coordinates.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2005

Behavior of Torsional Alfven Waves and Field Line Resonance on Rotating Magnetars

Torsional Alfven waves are likely excited with bursts in rotating magnetars. These waves are probably propagated through corotating atmospheres toward a vacuum exterior. We have studied the physical effects of the azimuthal wave number and the characteristic height of the plasma medium on wave transmission. In this work, explicit calculations were carried out based on the three-layered cylindrical model. We found that the coupling strength between the internal shear and the external Alfven modes is drastically enhanced, when resonance occurs in the corotating plasma cavity. The spatial structure of the electromagnetic fields in the resonance cavity is also investigated when Alfven waves exhibit resonance.

astro-ph↗