The Disk-Jet Connection in Microquasars and AGN

Abstract

We propose a new model for the disk-jet connection in black hole x-ray transients and active galactic nuclei. In our model, the inner part of the accretion disk around the central black hole switches between two states. In one state, the accretion energy is dissipated locally (some within the disk, some within a corona) to produce the observed disk luminosity. In the second state, the accretion energy is deposited into the bulk flow of a relativistic jet. We associate the transition between the two states with the generation of a global, poloidal magnetic field. We show that this model can explain the observed behavior of black hole accretors.