First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows
We present the largest 3D particle-in-cell shearing-box simulations of turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability, for the first time employing the realistic proton-to-electron mass ratio. We investigate the energy partition between relativistically hot electrons and subrelativistic ions...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbca4 |
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| author | Evgeny A. Gorbunov Fabio Bacchini Vladimir Zhdankin Gregory R. Werner Mitchell C. Begelman Dmitri A. Uzdensky |
| author_facet | Evgeny A. Gorbunov Fabio Bacchini Vladimir Zhdankin Gregory R. Werner Mitchell C. Begelman Dmitri A. Uzdensky |
| author_sort | Evgeny A. Gorbunov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present the largest 3D particle-in-cell shearing-box simulations of turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability, for the first time employing the realistic proton-to-electron mass ratio. We investigate the energy partition between relativistically hot electrons and subrelativistic ions in turbulent accreting plasma, a regime relevant to collisionless, radiatively inefficient accretion flows around supermassive black holes such as those targeted by the Event Horizon Telescope. We provide a simple empirical formula to describe the measured heating ratio between ions and electrons, which can be used for more accurate global modeling of accretion flows with standard fluid approaches such as general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c2d2e94ba93f482a9d1720f379fbf778 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-c2d2e94ba93f482a9d1720f379fbf7782025-08-20T03:39:44ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019821L2810.3847/2041-8213/adbca4First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion FlowsEvgeny A. Gorbunov0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9073-8591Fabio Bacchini1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7526-8154Vladimir Zhdankin2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3816-7896Gregory R. Werner3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9039-9032Mitchell C. Begelman4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0936-8488Dmitri A. Uzdensky5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8792-6698Centre for Mathematical Plasma Astrophysics , Department of Mathematics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium ; evgeny.gorbunov@kuleuven.beCentre for Mathematical Plasma Astrophysics , Department of Mathematics, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium ; evgeny.gorbunov@kuleuven.be; Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy , Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence, Ringlaan 3, 1180 Uccle, BelgiumDepartment of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, WI 53706, USACenter for Integrated Plasma Studies, Department of Physics, University of Colorado , 390 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0390, USAJILA, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology , 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA; Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado , 391 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0391, USACenter for Integrated Plasma Studies, Department of Physics, University of Colorado , 390 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0390, USA; Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford , Parks Rd., Oxford, OX1 3PU, UKWe present the largest 3D particle-in-cell shearing-box simulations of turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability, for the first time employing the realistic proton-to-electron mass ratio. We investigate the energy partition between relativistically hot electrons and subrelativistic ions in turbulent accreting plasma, a regime relevant to collisionless, radiatively inefficient accretion flows around supermassive black holes such as those targeted by the Event Horizon Telescope. We provide a simple empirical formula to describe the measured heating ratio between ions and electrons, which can be used for more accurate global modeling of accretion flows with standard fluid approaches such as general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbca4AccretionAstronomical simulationsSupermassive black holesPlasma astrophysicsPlasma physics |
| spellingShingle | Evgeny A. Gorbunov Fabio Bacchini Vladimir Zhdankin Gregory R. Werner Mitchell C. Begelman Dmitri A. Uzdensky First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows The Astrophysical Journal Letters Accretion Astronomical simulations Supermassive black holes Plasma astrophysics Plasma physics |
| title | First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows |
| title_full | First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows |
| title_fullStr | First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows |
| title_full_unstemmed | First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows |
| title_short | First-principles Measurement of Ion and Electron Energization in Collisionless Accretion Flows |
| title_sort | first principles measurement of ion and electron energization in collisionless accretion flows |
| topic | Accretion Astronomical simulations Supermassive black holes Plasma astrophysics Plasma physics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbca4 |
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