THE RATE OF GAS ACCRETION ONTO BLACK HOLES DRIVES JET VELOCITY
- Department of Physics, 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 1085 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1107 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, Ontario (Canada)
- National Radio Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States)
- NRC Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, Penticton, British Columbia V2A 6J9 (Canada)
Accreting black holes are observed to launch relativistic, collimated jets of matter and radiation. In some sources, discrete ejections have been detected with highly relativistic velocities. These particular sources typically have very high mass accretion rates, while sources lower knot velocities are predominantly associated with black holes with relatively low mass accretion rates. We quantify this behavior by examining knot velocity with respect to X-ray luminosity, a proxy for mass accretion rate onto the black hole. We find a positive correlation between the mass-scaled X-ray luminosity and jet knot velocity. In addition, we find evidence that the jet velocity is also a function of polar angle, supporting the ''spine-sheath'' model of jet production. Our results reveal a fundamental aspect of how accretion shapes mechanical feedback from black holes into their host environments.
- OSTI ID:
- 22364441
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 799, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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