Jets from Spinning Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei

Abstract

Relativistic jets are highly collimated plasma outflows that can be present in extragalactic radio sources, which are associated with active galactic nuclei (AGN). Observations give strong support for the idea that a supermassive black hole, surrounded by an accretion disk, is harbored in the center of an AGN. The jet power can be generally provided by the accretion disk, by the black hole rotation, or both. Such powerful jets can also be sites of the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs).<br /> The main aim of the research in this thesis was to improve the current understanding of the mechanisms of jet formation from rapidly-spinning black holes in the framework of General Relativity and General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics, as well as the production of UHECRs in AGN jets. The work contains (i) a "Magnetic Connection Model for Launching Relativistic Jets from Kerr Black Holes", (ii) a model for "Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Ray Contribution from the Spin-Down Power of Black Holes," and (iii) "General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of Jet Formation from Kerr Black Holes."