Scale-invariant jet suppression across the black hole mass scale

David Garofalo*, Chandra B. Singh

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalLetterpeer-review

Abstract

We provide a schematic framework for understanding observations of jet suppression in soft state black hole X-ray binaries based on the Blandford-Payne process and the net magnetic flux threading the black hole. Due to the geometrical thinness of soft state disks, mass-loading of field lines is ineffective compared to both geometrically thick disks as well as thin disks with greater black hole threading flux, a simple physical picture that allows us to understand the weakness of jets in radiatively efficient thin disks accreting in the prograde direction around high-spinning black holes. Despite a simplicity that forbids insights into the complexity of turbulent-driven evolution or the physics of the observed short-term time variability, we show how the breadth of this framework is such that it can serve as a coarse-grained foundation for understanding black hole accretion and jet formation across the mass scale.

Original languageEnglish
Article number97
Pages (from-to)1-5
Number of pages5
JournalAstrophysics and Space Science
Volume361
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Mar 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Active galaxies
  • Jet suppression
  • X-ray binaries

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