Poynting-Robertson effect on black-hole-driven winds

TL;DR

This paper derives the Poynting-Robertson effect for high-velocity winds from supermassive black holes, showing it significantly influences wind velocities and should be included in models of AGN outflows.

Contribution

It provides a relativistic derivation of the Poynting-Robertson drag force and demonstrates its impact on ultra-fast outflows in AGNs through a simplified model.

Findings

P-R effect causes a 10-24% reduction in wind velocity.

The derived equations can be implemented in future simulations.

P-R effect is crucial for accurate modeling of high-velocity AGN winds.

Abstract

Layers of ionized plasma, in the form of winds ejected from the accretion disk of Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) are frequently observed in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). Winds with a velocity often exceeding $0.1c$ are called Ultra-Fast-Outflows (UFOs) and thanks to their high power they can play a key role in the co-evolution between the SMBH and the host galaxy. In order to construct a proper model of the properties of these winds, it is necessary to consider special relativistic corrections due to their very high velocities. We present a derivation of the Poynting-Robertson effect (P-R effect) and apply it to the description of the dynamics of UFOs. The P-R effect is a special relativistic correction which breaks the isotropy of the radiation emitted by a moving particle funneling the radiation in the direction of motion. As a result of the conservation of the four-momentum, the emitting particles are subjected to a drag force and decelerate. We provide a derivation of the drag force caused by the P-R effect starting from general Lorentz transformations and assuming isotropic emission in the gas reference frame. Then, we derive the equations to easily implement this drag force in future simulations. Finally, we apply them in a toy model in which the gas particles move radially under the influence of the gravitation force, the radiation pressure and the drag due to the P-R effect. P-R effect plays an important role in determining the velocity profile of the wind. For a wind launched from $r_0=10r_s$ (where $r_S$ stands for the Schwarzschild radius), the asymptotic velocity reached by the wind is between $10$% and $24$% smaller than the one it would possess if we neglect the effect. This shows that the P-R effect should be taken into account when studying the dynamics of high-velocity, photoionized outflows in general.