A general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic model of high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in black hole low-mass X-ray binaries

Abstract

We suggest a possible explanation for the high frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in black hole (BH) low-mass X-ray binaries. By solving the perturbation general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic equations, we find two stable modes of the Alfvén wave in the accretion disks with toroidal magnetic fields. We suggest that these two modes may lead to the double high frequency QPOs if they are produced in the transition region between the inner advection-dominated accretion flow and the outer thin disk. This model naturally accounts for the 3:2 relation for the upper and lower frequencies of the QPOs, and the relation between the BH mass and QPO frequency. © 2010 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.