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Abstract Relativistic jets from a Kerr black hole (BH) following the core collapse of a massive star (“collapsar”) is a leading model for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). However, the two key ingredients for a Blandford–Znajek-powered jet—rapid rotation and a strong magnetic field—seem mutually exclusive. Strong fields in the progenitor star’s core transport angular momentum outward more quickly, slowing down the core before collapse. Through innovative multidisciplinary modeling, we first use MESA stellar evolution models followed to core collapse to explicitly show that the small length scale of the instabilities—likely responsible for angular momentum transport in the core (e.g., Tayler–Spruit)—results in a lownetmagnetic flux fed to the BH horizon, far too small to power GRB jets. Instead, we propose a novel scenario in which collapsar BHs acquire their magnetic “hair” from their progenitor proto–neutron star (PNS), which is likely highly magnetized from an internal dynamo. We evaluate the conditions for the BH accretion disk to pin the PNS magnetosphere to its horizon immediately after the collapse. Our results show that the PNS spin-down energy released before collapse matches the kinetic energy of Type Ic-BL supernovae, while the nascent BH’s spin and magnetic flux produce jets consistent with observed GRB characteristics. We map our MESA models to 3D general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations and confirm that accretion disks confine the strong magnetic flux initiated near a rotating BH, enabling the launch of successful GRB jets, whereas a slower-spinning BH or one without a disk fails to do so.
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This content will become publicly available on February 14, 2026
Energy Extraction from a Black Hole by a Strongly Magnetized Thin Accretion Disk
Abstract The presence of a strong, large-scale magnetic field in an accretion flow leads to the extraction of the rotational energy of the black hole (BH) through the Blandford–Znajek (BZ) process, believed to power relativistic jets in various astrophysical sources. We study rotational energy extraction from a BH surrounded by a highly magnetized thin disk by performing a set of 3D global GRMHD simulations. We find that the saturated flux threading the BH has a weaker dependence on BH spin, compared to highly magnetized hot (geometrically thick) accretion flows. Also, we find that only a fraction (10%–70%) of the extracted BZ power is channeled into the jet, depending on the spin parameter. The remaining energy is potentially used to launch winds or contribute to the radiative output of the disk or corona. Our simulations reveal that the presence of a strong magnetic field enhances the radiative efficiency of the disk, making it more luminous than its weakly magnetized counterpart or the standard disk model. We attribute this excess luminosity primarily to the enhanced magnetic dissipation in the intra-ISCO region. Our findings have implications for understanding X-ray corona formation and BH spin measurements, and interpreting BH transient phenomena.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2307983
- PAR ID:
- 10596787
- Publisher / Repository:
- AAS Journals
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Volume:
- 980
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0004-637X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 203
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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