Hot accretion disks in the centers of quasarsHot accretion disks around massive, rotating black holes could exist in the centers of quasars. These hot accretion disks produce copious amounts of e(+)e(-) pairs, gamma-rays and X-rays. Most of the disk models that produce significant amounts of gamma-rays, say 10 percent of the total luminosity, and have an energy flux spectral index at X-rays of order unity, are optically thick to gamma-gamma pair production. Gamma-rays, therefore, more energetic than a few MeV do not escape from the disk but are degraded to lower energy radiation. The application of this picture to specific high-energy spectra of active galactic nuclei and quasars as well as high-energy background is explored. A hot accretion disk around a stellar black hole may also account for the positron source in the center of the Milky Way.
Document ID
19850031205
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kafatos, M. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, Greenbelt, MD; George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States)
Eilek, J. A. (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM, United States)