Kinetic and Two-Temperature Plasma Physics of Black Hole Accretion Disks and X-ray Coronae
Abstract: Understanding the plasma physics of accretion disks and coronae around black holes is crucial for interpreting the radiation observed from these systems. However, these plasmas span several different physical regimes. They can be highly collisional and well-described by a single temperature, or collisionless with nonthermal particles that have been accelerated to high energies. My work brings small-scale kinetic and two-temperature physics into the global setting of the accretion disk/corona system. I first use particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations to understand turbulence and particle acceleration in a collisionless, magnetized plasma. Next, I build an analytic model using prescriptions from PIC simulations to demonstrate an observable power-law from within the plunging region of a black hole. Finally, I use general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations to examine the impact of two-temperature physics on the radial structure of the full accretion disk.