Validation and Calibration of Semianalytical Models for the Event Horizon Telescope Observations of Sagittarius A*

Abstract The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) enables the exploration of black hole accretion flows at event-horizon scales. Fitting ray-traced physical models to EHT observations requires the generation of synthetic images, a task that is computationally demanding. This study leverages ALINet , a generative machine learning model, to efficiently produce radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) images as a function of the specified physical parameters. ALINet has previously been shown to be able to interpolate black hole images and their associated physical parameters after training on a computationally tractable set of library images. We utilize this model to estimate the uncertainty introduced by a number of anticipated unmodeled physical effects, including interstellar scattering and intrinsic source variability. We then use this to calibrate physical parameter estimates and their associated uncertainties from RIAF model fits to mock EHT data via a library of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics models.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2025-09-18
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adf6b7
Primary Topic
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Validation and Calibration of Semianalytical Models for the Event Horizon Telescope Observations of Sagittarius A*

Avery E. Broderick, Ali SaraerToosi
The Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
article

Validation and Calibration of Semianalytical Models for the Event Horizon Telescope Observations of Sagittarius A*

Avery E. Broderick, Ali SaraerToosi
article en

Abstract

Abstract The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) enables the exploration of black hole accretion flows at event-horizon scales. Fitting ray-traced physical models to EHT observations requires the generation of synthetic images, a task that is computationally demanding. This study leverages ALINet , a generative machine learning model, to efficiently produce radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) images as a function of the specified physical parameters. ALINet has previously been shown to be able to interpolate black hole images and their associated physical parameters after training on a computationally tractable set of library images. We utilize this model to estimate the uncertainty introduced by a number of anticipated unmodeled physical effects, including interstellar scattering and intrinsic source variability. We then use this to calibrate physical parameter estimates and their associated uncertainties from RIAF model fits to mock EHT data via a library of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics models.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 991(1)
University of Waterloo (CA), Perimeter Institute (CA), University of Toronto (CA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 90%
Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
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Validation and Calibration of Semianalytical Models for the Event Horizon Telescope Observations of Sagittarius A* — Avery E. Broderick, Ali SaraerToosi · The Astrophysical Journal (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS