A Universal Scaling for the Energetics of Relativistic Jets From Black Hole Systems (1212.3343v2)

Abstract: Black holes generate collimated, relativistic jets which have been observed in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), microquasars, and at the center of some galaxies (active galactic nuclei; AGN). How jet physics scales from stellar black holes in GRBs to the supermassive ones in AGNs is still unknown. Here we show that jets produced by AGNs and GRBs exhibit the same correlation between the kinetic power carried by accelerated particles and the gamma-ray luminosity, with AGNs and GRBs lying at the low and high-luminosity ends, respectively, of the correlation. This result implies that the efficiency of energy dissipation in jets produced in black hole systems is similar over 10 orders of magnitude in jet power, establishing a physical analogy between AGN and GRBs.

Universal Scaling for the Energetics of Relativistic Jets in Black Hole Systems

In the paper of high-energy astrophysical phenomena, relativistic jets from black hole systems stand out due to their impact on the surrounding environment. These phenomena span diverse astrophysical contexts, including gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Understanding the universal properties of these jets constitutes a significant challenge, particularly in elucidating how jet physics scales across different black hole masses. The paper under examination provides a comprehensive analysis of the scaling relations between the energetics of these jets across multiple orders of magnitude in jet power.

Key Findings and Methodology

The authors present empirical evidence supporting a universal correlation between the kinetic power of jets, denoted as $P_{\text{jet}}$, and the gamma-ray luminosity $L^{\rm iso}$ for both AGNs and GRBs. Remarkably, the efficiency of energy dissipation in jets remains consistent across a span of ten orders of magnitude in jet power, suggesting a fundamental physical similarity between the jets of stellar-mass black holes in GRBs and those of supermassive black holes in AGNs.

The analysis draws on data from a sample comprising 234 blazars and 54 GRBs, utilizing gamma-ray and radio observations to estimate $L^{\rm iso}$ and $P_{\text{jet}}$. The isotropic gamma-ray luminosity is derived from gamma-ray energy flux measurements, while kinetic power estimates for blazars rely on correlations with radio luminosities. For GRBs, $P_{\text{jet}}$ is computed using radio and X-ray afterglow data. Notably, the authors apply a correction for the beaming effects to derive collimation-corrected luminosities $L$.

The resulting power-law correlation between $P_{\text{jet}}$ and $L$ is shown to be consistent across the sampled black hole systems. The relation $$P_{\text{jet}} \approx 4.6 \times 10^{47} \left( L/10^{47} \right)^{0.98} \ {\rm erg \; s}^{-1}$$ holds within the measurement uncertainties, reinforcing the universality of jet energetics.

Implications and Future Directions

These findings suggest that the processes governing the formation and energy dissipation of jets do not significantly depend on the mass of the central black hole, implying a common mechanism underpinning jet production across different astrophysical environments. This offers a profound insight into the co-evolution of black holes and their host galaxies, impacting our understanding of large-scale cosmic structure formation.

The consistent radiative efficiency observed, with jets converting between 3% and 15% of their power into high-energy radiation, challenges earlier lower estimates for AGNs and aligns well with both theoretical predictions and GRB observations. Future work building on these results may focus more closely on the microphysical processes in relativistic jets, leveraging the insights from numerical simulations that highlight the efficiency of electron heating in magnetized shocks.

In the expanding landscape of astrophysics, these results hold promise for bridging the understanding between diverse classes of relativistic outflows, from local microquasars to distant extragalactic phenomena. Further refinement of observational techniques and models could provide more detailed constraints on the underlying jet physics, fostering a more unified theoretical framework for relativistic astrophysics.