Particle Acceleration in Collisionless Magnetically Arrested Disks

Vos, Jesse; Cerutti, Benoît; Mościbrodzka, Monika; Parfrey, Kyle

doi:10.1103/5wwb-7t2n

Particle Acceleration in Collisionless Magnetically Arrested Disks

Journal Article · Wed Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/5wwb-7t2n· OSTI ID:2586648

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Radboud Univ., Nijmegen (Netherlands)
Univ. Grenoble Alpes (France)
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

We present the first collisionless realization of two-dimensional axisymmetric black hole accretion consistent with a persistent magnetically arrested disk state. The accretion flow, consisting of an ion-electron disk plasma combined with magnetospheric pair creation effects, is simulated using first-principles general-relativistic particle-in-cell methods. The simulation is evolved over significant dynamical timescales during which a quasisteady accretion state is reached with several magnetic flux eruption cycles. We include a realistic treatment of inverse Compton scattering and pair production, which allows for studying the interaction between the collisionless accretion flow and pair-loaded jet. Our findings indicate that magnetic flux eruptions associated with equatorial magnetic reconnection within the black hole magnetosphere and the formation of spark gaps are locations of maximal particle acceleration. Flux eruptions, starting near the central black hole, can trigger Kelvin-Helmholtz-like vortices at the jet-disk interface that facilitate efficient mixing between disk and jet plasma in this region. Transient periods of increased pair production following magnetic flux eruptions and reconnection events are responsible for most of the highly accelerated particles.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Dutch Research Council (NWO); European Research Council (ERC); Grand Équipement National De Calcul Intensif; USDOE; USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-09CH11466

OSTI ID:: 2586648

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 135; ISSN 1079-7114; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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