Polarized quasi-periodic oscillations reveal kink instability in magnetized jets of black holes

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Jiashi, Tian, Pengfu, Wang, Wei
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Chen, Jiashi
Tian, Pengfu
Wang, Wei
author_facet Chen, Jiashi
Tian, Pengfu
Wang, Wei
contents The dynamics and instability of the magnetized jets connected to jet acceleration are complicated and are not yet well understood. Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) as special timing features in black hole systems can directly probe dynamics and structure of accreting and outflow materials. Recently, GHz-band radio polarization oscillations in a stellar-mass black hole are reported, and the physical origin is unclear. We propose that the QPOs in both radio flux and linear polarization will be connected to kink instability in relativistic magnetized jets. The simulations are performed to fit the observed curves of radio flux and linear polarization modulations, in addition, the kink instability model well explains the anti-correlation between flux and linear polarization. These polarized QPOs provide evidence for kink stability in relativistic jets, a phenomenon of significant theoretical importance for understanding the magnetic field configuration near the black hole, as well as for particle acceleration in jets.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_06294
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Polarized quasi-periodic oscillations reveal kink instability in magnetized jets of black holes
Chen, Jiashi
Tian, Pengfu
Wang, Wei
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
The dynamics and instability of the magnetized jets connected to jet acceleration are complicated and are not yet well understood. Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) as special timing features in black hole systems can directly probe dynamics and structure of accreting and outflow materials. Recently, GHz-band radio polarization oscillations in a stellar-mass black hole are reported, and the physical origin is unclear. We propose that the QPOs in both radio flux and linear polarization will be connected to kink instability in relativistic magnetized jets. The simulations are performed to fit the observed curves of radio flux and linear polarization modulations, in addition, the kink instability model well explains the anti-correlation between flux and linear polarization. These polarized QPOs provide evidence for kink stability in relativistic jets, a phenomenon of significant theoretical importance for understanding the magnetic field configuration near the black hole, as well as for particle acceleration in jets.
title Polarized quasi-periodic oscillations reveal kink instability in magnetized jets of black holes
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.06294