Examining the mechanism of driving black hole jets by using new data of high-resolution radio observations

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01245
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 16010:Astronomy-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Toma Kenji 東北大学, 学際科学フロンティア研究所, 准教授 (70729011)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ブラックホール / 宇宙ジェット / 活動銀河 / VLBI観測 / PICシミュレーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We performed a unique study on the estimate of spatial distribution of electrons in the jet by using the high-resolution radio images. We performed general relativistic plasma particle simulations, and found that the electron positron pair creation by the gap strong electric field cannot provide a sufficient amount of electrons in the jets. On the other hand, we showed that intermittent magnetic reconnection around the equatorial plane can provide a sufficient amount of electrons in the jets. This is a natural theoretical platform for the particle origin of jets, which is the research target of this project and a long-standing mystery in astrophysics. Furthermore, we joined the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration to contribute to the theoretical interpretation of the M87 black hole shadow, which has been famous in society in April, 2019. We also studied on jet acceleration mechanism by turbulence and analytic formulation of black hole space-time evolution by jet.

Free Research Field

宇宙物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

光さえも出てこられない領域であるブラックホールがいかにしてジェット（噴出流）を駆動するのか？という学術的な基本的問題を観測的に検証するためのステップとして、ジェット中の粒子生成の理論的枠組みを構築することに成功した。また、EHTチームでの共同研究を通して、国籍の違いを越えた協力で一つの目標に到達できることを示せたことは社会的意義を持つ。