Radiation of Accretion Discs in Strong Gravity

TL;DR

This thesis develops computational tools to model spectral features of X-ray sources near Kerr black holes, incorporating relativistic effects, and applies these tools to observational data and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces new relativistic codes for modeling accretion disc spectra, including polarization and non-stationary emission, integrated into spectral fitting software.

Findings

Fitted XMM-Newton data of Seyfert galaxy MCG-6-30-15

Simulated emission from orbiting X-ray spots near black holes

Computed polarization of accretion disc emission

Abstract

In this thesis a computational tool for modelling spectral features of X-ray sources in a strong gravitational field is developed. Six transfer functions, the gravitational and Doppler shift, lensing, emission angle, relative time delay, change of the polarization angle and azimuthal emission angle, have been computed for light rays emitted from the equatorial plane of the Kerr black hole and received by an observer at infinity. The values of these functions for different angular momenta of the black hole and inclination angles of the observer in Kerr ingoing coordinates have been stored in the form of tables in a FITS file. Graphical representations of the results are shown as an atlas of contour figures of these functions. For the modelling of the spectra of an accretion disc, several general relativistic codes have been developed. Some of them can be used inside a more general spectral fitting package XSPEC for routine fitting of the data measured by X-ray satellites. These are the models for the relativistic emission lines, Compton reflection and for the general use as a relativistic extension of existing models (convolution models). Other components of the tool have extended features for studying non-stationary emission from accretion discs and polarimetry. The newly developed codes have been employed in several applications: data from XMM-Newton observations of Seyfert galaxy MCG-6-30-15 have been fitted, emission from an X-ray illuminated spot orbiting near a black hole was simulated, and polarization from an accretion disc illuminated by a primary source located above the black hole was computed.