Magnetically Driven Accretion Flows in the Kerr Metric II: Structure of the Magnetic Field

Abstract

We present a detailed analysis of the magnetic field structure found in general relativistic 3D MHD simulations of accreting tori in the Kerr metric with different black hole spins. Among the properties analyzed are the field strength as a function of position and black hole spin, the shapes of field lines, the degree to which they connect different regions, and their degree of tangling. We investigate prior speculations about the structure of the magnetic fields and discuss how frequently certain configurations are seen in the simulations. We also analyze the distribution of current density, with a view toward identifying possible locations for magnetic energy dissipation.