Origin of Quasi-Periodic Oscillations and Accretion Process in X-Ray Binaries around Quantum Lee-Wick Black Hole

TL;DR

This paper explores how Lee-Wick black hole parameters influence accretion dynamics and quasi-periodic oscillations in X-ray binaries, combining analytical and numerical methods to identify observable signatures of higher-derivative gravity effects.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of accretion and QPOs around Lee-Wick black holes, linking spacetime parameters to observable phenomena through simulations and theoretical calculations.

Findings

Lee-Wick parameters alter ISCO locations and epicyclic frequencies.

Strong Lee-Wick effects lead to denser, asymmetric shock cones.

QPO frequencies shift from low to high with increasing Lee-Wick coupling.

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the accretion dynamics and test particle motion around a non-rotating, spherically symmetric Lee-Wick black hole (BH) to reveal how the model parameters affect orbital stability and the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in X-ray binary systems. The spacetime geometry, characterized by the BH mass and the coupling parameters $S_1$ and $S_2$, includes exponential and oscillatory corrections arising from the Lee-Wick terms. Using the effective potential approach, we derive specific energy, angular momentum, epicyclic frequencies, and the locations of the innermost stable circular orbits (ISCOs) of test particles. In addition to the analytical analysis, we explore the effects of the Lee-Wick spacetime parameters on the shock-cone morphology produced by Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton (BHL) accretion. To this end, we perform general relativistic hydrodynamic simulations in two characteristic regimes: Block-1 (weak Lee-Wick regime) and Block-2 (strong Lee-Wick regime). The results show that Block-1 solutions closely resemble the Schwarzschild case, while Block-2 models develop denser and asymmetric shock cones accompanied by stronger QPOs activity, shifting from low-frequency to high-frequency QPOs. These variations yield distinct observational signatures that may be detectable in high-resolution X-ray timing data. Our analytical and numerical findings demonstrate that the Lee-Wick parameters $S_1$ and $S_2$ cause measurable changes in the morphology of the accretion flow and in the frequency ratios near the BH. This suggests that future multi-wavelength observations could provide an important avenue to test higher-derivative gravity theories.