paper

Theory and astrophysical consequences of a magnetized torus around a rapidly rotating black hole

arXiv:astro-ph/0212297 · doi:10.1086/345900

Abstract

(Abbrev.) We analyze the topology, lifetime, and emissions of a torus around a black hole formed in hypernovae and black hole-neutron star coalescence. The torus is ab initio uniformly magnetized, represented by two counter oriented current-rings, and develops a state of suspended accretion against a "magnetic wall" around the black hole. Magnetic stability of the torus gives rise to a new fundamental limit EB/Ek<0.1 for the ratio of poloidal magnetic field energy-to-kinetic energy. The lifetime of rapid spin of the black hole is effectively defined by the timescale of dissipation of black hole-spin energy in the horizon, and satisfies T= 40s (MH/7MSun)(R/6MH)^4(0.03MH/MT) for a black hole of mass MH surrounded by a torus of mass MT and radius R. The torus converts a major fraction Egw/Erot=0.1 into gravitational radiation through a finite number of multipole mass-moments, and a smaller fraction into MeV neutrinos and baryon-rich winds. At a source distance of 100Mpc, these emissions over N=2e4 periods give rise to a characteristic strain amplitude \sqrt{N}hchar=6e-21. We argue that torus winds create an open magnetic flux-tube on the black hole, which carries a minor and standard fraction Ej/Erot=1e-3 in baryon-poor outflows to infinity. We identify this baryon poor output of tens of seconds with GRBs with contemporaneous and strongly correlated emissions in gravitational radiation, conceivably at multiple frequencies. Ultimately, this leaves a black hole binary surrounded by a supernova remnant.

To appear in ApJ (44p)

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