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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS2021

Circumbinary Disk Accretion into Spinning Black Hole Binaries

Supermassive black hole binaries are likely to accrete interstellar gas through a circumbinary disk.Shortly before merger, the inner portions of this circumbinary disk are subject to general relativisticeffects. To study this regime, we approximate the spacetime metric of close orbiting black holes bysuperimposing two boosted Kerr-Schild terms. After demonstrating the quality of this approximation,we carry out very long-term general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the circumbinarydisk. We consider black holes with spin dimensionless parameters of magnitude 0.9, in one simula-tion parallel to the orbital angular momentum of the binary, but in another anti-parallel. These arecontrasted with spinless simulations. We find that, for a fixed surface mass density in the inner cir-cumbinary disk, aligned spins of this magnitude approximately reduce the mass accretion rate by 14%and counter-aligned spins increase it by 45%, leaving many other disk properties unchanged.

Federico G Lopez Armengol↗
NASA NTRS2008

An Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Mission

Technical progress both in x-ray optics and in polarization-sensitive x-ray detectors, which our groups have pioneered, enables a scientifically powerful - yet inexpensive - dedicated mission for imaging x-ray polarimetry. Such a mission is sufficiently sensitive to measure x-ray (linear) polarization for a broad range of cosmic sources --- particularly those involving neutron stars, stellar black holes, and supermassive black holes (active galactic nuclei). We describe the technical elements, discuss a mission concept, and synopsiz:e the important physical and astrophysical questions such as mission would address.

Weisskopf, Martin C.↗
NASA NTRS2008

An Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Mission

Technical progress both in x-ray optics and in polarization-sensitive x-ray detectors, which our groups have pioneered, enables a scientifically powerful---yet inexpensive---dedicated mission for imaging x-ray polarimetry. Such a mission is sufficiently sensitive to measure x-ray (linear) polarization for a broad range of cosmic sources --particularly those involving neutron stars, stellar black holes, and supermassive black holes (active galactic nuclei). We describe the technical elements, discuss a mission concept, and synopsize the important physical and astrophysical questions such a mission would address.

Weisskopf, Martin C.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX

Gas accreting ont,o black holes and neutron stars form a dynamic system generating X-rays with spectroscopic signatures and varying on time scales determined by the system. The radiation from various parts of these systems is surely polarized and compact sources have been calculated to give rise to net polarization from the unresolved sum of the radiation from the systems. Polarization has been looked to for some time as also bearing the imprint of strong gravity and providing complementary information that could resolve ambiguities between the physical models that can give rise to frequencies, time delays, and spectra. In the cases of both stellar black holes and supermassive black holes the net polarizations predicted for probable disk and corona models are less than 10 needed. This sensitivity can be achieved, even for sources as faint as 1 milliCrab, in the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX (GEMS) mission that uses foil mirrors and Time Projection Chamber detectors. Similarities have been pointed out between the timing and the spectral characteristics of low mass X-ray binaries and stellar black hole sources. Polarization measurements for these sources could play a role in determining the configuration of the disk and the neutron star.

Swank, Jean↗
NASA NTRS2009

GEMS

The prime scientific objectives of the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX, GEMS, are to determine the effects of the spin of black holes, the configurations of the magnetic fields of magnetars, and the structure of the supernova shocks which accelerate cosmic rays. In the cases of both stellar black holes and supermassive black holes, sensitivity to 1% polarization is needed to make diagnostic measurements of the net polarizations predicted for probable disk and corona models. GEMS can reach this goal for several Seyferts and quasars and measure the polarizations of representatives of a variety of other classes of X-ray sources, such as rotation-powered and accretion-powered pulsars. GEMS uses foil mirrors to maximize the collecting area achievable within the SMEX constraints. The polarimeters at the mirror foci are Time Projection Chambers which use the photoelectic effect to measure the polarization of the incident photon. We have built laboratory models with good efficiency and modulation in the 2-10 keV range. An attached small student experiment would add 0.5 keV sensitivity for bright soft sources. The instrument has a point spread function which allows measurement of structures in the brighter nearby supernova remnants. GEMS' Orbital Sciences spacecraft will rotate at a rate of 0.1 revolutions per minute during observations, so that systematic errors due to the detector can be detected and corrected. A program of 35 sources can be observed in 9 months. GEMS is designed for a two year lifetime which will allow a General Observer program that would more than double the number of sources measured. For subsets of black holes, neutron stars and supernova remnants, GEMS will measure the polarization of several sources, solving important questions while establishing the sensitivity required for future missions.

Swank, Jean↗