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Universal to black hole X-ray binaries, the high-frequency soft lag gets longer during the hard-to-intermediate state transition, evolving from ${\lesssim}1~{\rm ms}$ to ${\sim}10~{\rm ms}$. The soft lag production mechanism is thermal disk reprocessing of non-thermal coronal irradiation. X-ray reverberation models account for the light-travel time delay external to the disk, but assume instantaneous reprocessing of the irradiation inside the electron scattering-dominated disk atmosphere. We model this neglected scattering time delay as a random walk within an $\alpha$-disk atmosphere, with approximate opacities. To explain soft lag trends, we consider a limiting case of the scattering time delay that we dub the thermalization time delay, $t_{\rm th}$; this is the time for irradiation to scatter its way down to the effective photosphere, where it gets thermalized, and then scatter its way back out. We demonstrate that $t_{\rm th}$ plausibly evolves from being inconsequential for low mass accretion rates $\dot{m}$ characteristic of the hard state, to rivaling or exceeding the light-travel time delay for $\dot{m}$ characteristic of the intermediate state. However, our crude model confines $t_{\rm th}$ to a narrow annulus near peak accretion power dissipation, so cannot yet explain in detail the anomalously long-duration soft lags associated with larger disk radii. We call for time-dependent models with accurate opacities to assess the potential relevance of a scattering delay., Comment: Published 2022 November 21, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 940, L22, 8pp

The two established techniques for measuring black hole spin in X-ray binaries often yield conflicting results, which must be resolved before either method may be deemed robust. In practice, black hole spin measurements based on fitting the accretion disc continuum effectively do not marginalize over the colour correction factor $f_{\mathrm{col}}$. This factor parametrizes spectral hardening of the disc continuum by the disc atmosphere, whose true properties are poorly constrained. We incorporate reasonable systematic uncertainties in $f_{\mathrm{col}}$ into the eight (non-maximal) black hole spin measurements vetted by the disc continuum fitting community. In most cases, an $f_{\mathrm{col}}$ uncertainty of $\pm$0.2-0.3 dominates the black hole spin error budget. We go on to demonstrate that plausible departures in $f_{\mathrm{col}}$ values from those adopted by the disc continuum fitting practitioners can bring the discrepant black hole spins into agreement with those from iron line modeling. Systematic uncertainties in $f_{\mathrm{col}}$, such as the effects of strong magnetization, should be better understood before dismissing their potentially dominant impact on the black hole spin error budget., Comment: Minor changes in proofs stage; Data and code are available on GitHub: https://github.com/gregsalvesen/bhspinf

Of the known microquasars, V4641 Sgr boasts the most severe lower limit (> 52{\deg}) on the misalignment angle between the relativistic jet axis and the binary orbital angular momentum. Assuming the jet and black hole spin axes coincide, we attempt to explain the origin of this extreme spin-orbit misalignment with a natal kick model, whereby an aligned binary system becomes misaligned by a supernova kick imparted to the newborn black hole. The model inputs are the kick velocity distribution, which we measure customized to V4641 Sgr, and the immediate pre/post-supernova binary system parameters. Using a grid of binary stellar evolution models, we determine post-supernova configurations that evolve to become consistent with V4641 Sgr today and obtain the corresponding pre-supernova configurations by using standard prescriptions for common envelope evolution. Using each of these potential progenitor system parameter sets as inputs, we find that a natal kick struggles to explain the origin of the V4641 Sgr spin-orbit misalignment. Consequently, we conclude that evolutionary pathways involving a standard common envelope phase followed by a supernova kick are highly unlikely for V4641 Sgr. An alternative interpretation is that the jet axis does not reliably trace the black hole spin axis. Our results raise concerns about compact object merger statistics gleaned from binary population synthesis models, which rely on unverified prescriptions for common envelope evolution and natal kicks. We also challenge the spin-orbit alignment assumption routinely invoked to measure black hole spin magnitudes., Comment: Salvesen & Pokawanvit, 2020, MNRAS, 495, 2179-2204

We present the Spectroscopic Time-Resolving Observatory for Broadband Energy X-rays (STROBE-X), a probe-class mission concept selected for study by NASA. It combines huge collecting area, high throughput, broad energy coverage, and excellent spectral and temporal resolution in a single facility. STROBE-X offers an enormous increase in sensitivity for X-ray spectral timing, extending these techniques to extragalactic targets for the first time. It is also an agile mission capable of rapid response to transient events, making it an essential X-ray partner facility in the era of time-domain, multi-wavelength, and multi-messenger astronomy. Optimized for study of the most extreme conditions found in the Universe, its key science objectives include: (1) Robustly measuring mass and spin and mapping inner accretion flows across the black hole mass spectrum, from compact stars to intermediate-mass objects to active galactic nuclei. (2) Mapping out the full mass-radius relation of neutron stars using an ensemble of nearly two dozen rotation-powered pulsars and accreting neutron stars, and hence measuring the equation of state for ultradense matter over a much wider range of densities than explored by NICER. (3) Identifying and studying X-ray counterparts (in the post-Swift era) for multiwavelength and multi-messenger transients in the dynamic sky through cross-correlation with gravitational wave interferometers, neutrino observatories, and high-cadence time-domain surveys in other electromagnetic bands. (4) Continuously surveying the dynamic X-ray sky with a large duty cycle and high time resolution to characterize the behavior of X-ray sources over an unprecedentedly vast range of time scales. STROBE-X's formidable capabilities will also enable a broad portfolio of additional science., Comment: 50 pages, Probe class mission concept study report submitted to NASA for Astro2020 Decadal Survey

Vertically stratified shearing box simulations of magnetorotational turbulence commonly exhibit a so-called butterfly diagram of quasi-periodic azimuthal field reversals. However, in the presence of hydrodynamic convection, field reversals no longer occur. Instead, the azimuthal field strength fluctuates quasi-periodically while maintaining the same polarity, which can either be symmetric or antisymmetric about the disc midplane. Using data from the simulations of Hirose et al. (2014), we demonstrate that the lack of field reversals in the presence of convection is due to hydrodynamic mixing of magnetic field from the more strongly magnetized upper layers into the midplane, which then annihilate field reversals that are starting there. Our convective simulations differ in several respects from those reported in previous work by others, in which stronger magnetization likely plays a more important role than convection., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Motivated by indirect observational evidence for strongly magnetized accretion discs around black holes, and the novel theoretical properties of such solutions, we investigate how a strong magnetization state can develop and persist. To this end, we perform local simulations of accretion discs with an initially purely toroidal magnetic field of equipartition strength. We demonstrate that discs with zero net vertical magnetic flux and realistic boundary conditions cannot sustain a strong toroidal field. However, a magnetic pressure-dominated disc can form from an initial configuration with a sufficient amount of net vertical flux and realistic boundary conditions. Our results suggest that poloidal flux is a necessary prerequisite for the sustainability of strongly magnetized accretion discs., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; Accepted to MNRAS

Strongly magnetized accretion discs around black holes have attractive features that may explain enigmatic aspects of X-ray binary behaviour. The structure and evolution of these discs are governed by a dynamo-like mechanism, which channels part of the accretion power liberated by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) into an ordered toroidal magnetic field. To study dynamo activity, we performed three-dimensional, stratified, isothermal, ideal magnetohydrodynamic shearing box simulations. The strength of the self-sustained toroidal magnetic field depends on the net vertical magnetic flux, which we vary across almost the entire range over which the MRI is linearly unstable. We quantify disc structure and dynamo properties as a function of the initial ratio of mid-plane gas pressure to vertical magnetic field pressure, $\beta_0^{\rm mid} = p_{\rm gas} / p_B$. For $10^5 \geq \beta_0^{\rm mid} \geq 10$ the effective $\alpha$-viscosity parameter scales as a power-law. Dynamo activity persists up to and including $\beta_0^{\rm mid} = 10^2$, at which point the entire vertical column of the disc is magnetic pressure-dominated. Still stronger fields result in a highly inhomogeneous disc structure, with large density fluctuations. We show that the turbulent steady state $\beta^{\rm mid}$ in our simulations is well-matched by the analytic model of Begelman et al. (2015) describing the creation and buoyant escape of toroidal field, while the vertical structure of the disc can be broadly reproduced using this model. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for observed properties of X-ray binaries., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables; Accepted to MNRAS

We present an accretion cycle which can explain state transitions and other observed phenomena in black hole X-ray binaries. This model is based on the process of disc tearing, where individual rings of gas break off the disc and precess effectively independently. This occurs when the Lense-Thirring effect is stronger than the local disc viscosity. We discuss implications of this model for quasi-periodic oscillations and the disc-jet-corona coupling. We also speculate on applying this model to active galactic nuclei and other accreting systems., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Accepted to MNRAS

We perform a suite of two- and three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with the Athena code of the non-driven Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the subsonic, weak magnetic field limit. Focusing the analysis on the non-linear turbulent regime, we quantify energy transfer on a scale-by-scale basis and identify the physical mechanisms responsible for energy exchange by developing the diagnostic known as spectral energy transfer function analysis. At late times when the fluid is in a state of MHD turbulence, magnetic tension mediates the dominant mode of energy injection into the magnetic reservoir, whereby turbulent fluid motions twist and stretch the magnetic field lines. This generated magnetic energy turbulently cascades to smaller scales, while being exchanged backwards and forwards with the kinetic energy reservoir, until finally being dissipated. Incorporating explicit dissipation pushes the dissipation scale to larger scales than if the dissipation were entirely numerical. For scales larger than the dissipation scale, we show that the physics of energy transfer in decaying MHD turbulence is robust to numerical effects., Comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Constraining the accretion flow geometry of black hole binaries in outburst is complicated by the inability of simplified multi-colour disc models to distinguish between changes in the inner disc radius and alterations to the emergent spectrum, parameterised by the phenomenological colour correction factor, f_col. We analyse Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of the low mass Galactic black hole X-ray binary, GX 339-4, taken over seven epochs when the source was experiencing a state transition. The accretion disc component is isolated using a pipeline resulting in robust detections for disc luminosities, 0.001 < L_disc / L_Edd < 0.5. Assuming that the inner disc remains situated at the innermost stable circular orbit over the course of a state transition, we measure the relative degree of change in f_col required to explain the spectral evolution of the disc component. A variable f_col that increases by a factor of ~ 2.0 - 3.5 as the source transitions from the high/soft state to the low/hard state can adequately explain the observed disc spectral evolution. For the observations dominated by a disc component, the familiar scaling between the disc luminosity and effective temperature, L_disc ~ T_eff^4, is observed; however, significant deviations from this relation appear when GX 339-4 is in the hard intermediate and low/hard states. Allowing for an evolving f_col between spectral states, the L_disc-T_eff^4 law is recovered over the full range of disc luminosities, although this depends heavily on the physically conceivable range of f_col. We demonstrate that physically reasonable changes in f_col provide a viable description for multiple state transitions of a black hole binary without invoking radial motion of the inner accretion disc., Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS