Effect of magnetic field inclination on black hole jet power and particle acceleration

Rotating black holes are known to launch relativistic jets and accelerate particles if they accrete a magnetized plasma. It remains unclear, however, how the global magnetic field orientation affects the jet powering efficiency. We propose the first kinetic study of a collisionless plasma around a Kerr black hole embedded in a magnetic field that is inclined with respect to the black hole spin axis. Using three-dimensional general relativistic particle-in-cell simulations, we show that while oblique magnetic field configurations significantly reduce the jet power, particle acceleration still remains highly efficient. This suggests that black holes producing a weak jet might still be bright sources of nonthermal radiation and cosmic rays.

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Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2025-08-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555826
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Effect of magnetic field inclination on black hole jet power and particle acceleration

Benoît Cerutti, Kyle Parfrey, Enzo Figueiredo
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
article

Effect of magnetic field inclination on black hole jet power and particle acceleration

Benoît Cerutti, Kyle Parfrey, Enzo Figueiredo
article en

Abstract

Rotating black holes are known to launch relativistic jets and accelerate particles if they accrete a magnetized plasma. It remains unclear, however, how the global magnetic field orientation affects the jet powering efficiency. We propose the first kinetic study of a collisionless plasma around a Kerr black hole embedded in a magnetic field that is inclined with respect to the black hole spin axis. Using three-dimensional general relativistic particle-in-cell simulations, we show that while oblique magnetic field configurations significantly reduce the jet power, particle acceleration still remains highly efficient. This suggests that black holes producing a weak jet might still be bright sources of nonthermal radiation and cosmic rays.

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 700
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (US), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
U.S. Department of Energy, Princeton University, European Commission, Grand Équipement National De Calcul Intensif, European Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 92%
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
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