JWST Accretion
Ledger

Model-dependent

Computes the IMBH mass above which predicted Bondi/ADAF accretion luminosity would exceed the JWST NIRCam/MIRI bolometric upper limit for Omega Centauri's core. This is a third, independent constraint axis alongside stellar kinematics and pulsar timing.

Model-dependent result The exclusion scales with the assumed ADAF radiative efficiency epsilon. This bound is NOT a peer of the Haberle et al. 2024 kinematic lower bound (≥ 8,200 M-sun) or the Banares-Hernandez et al. 2025 pulsar timing upper bound (≤ 6,000 M-sun). Chen et al. 2025 (arXiv:2511.20945) constrains (mass, accretion) combinations; it does not report a ~20,000 M-sun detection.
Model parameters
0.001
ADAF radiative efficiency (Pesce et al. 2021). Range 10⁻⁴–0.1.
10⁻²¹ kg/m³
Ambient gas density at Bondi radius. GC core: ~10⁻²¹–10⁻²³ kg/m³.
Accretion exclusion limit
709
M-sun (upper limit, accretion axis)
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What this tool computes

Given an ADAF radiative efficiency epsilon, ambient gas density rho_inf, and the JWST NIRCam/MIRI bolometric luminosity upper limit (fixed at 10²⁸ W, Chen et al. 2025), solves for the maximum IMBH mass consistent with non-detection:

M_limit = sqrt(L_limit * c_s³ / (epsilon * 4*pi*G² * rho_inf * c²)) / M_sun

where c_s = 10 km/s (approximate GC-core sound speed). The Bondi accretion model assumes spherical symmetry, steady state, and the ADAF radiative prescription.

Constraint axes (all three)

  • Kinematics (peer-reviewed): Haberle et al. 2024 — IMBH ≥ 8,200 M-sun
  • Pulsar timing (peer-reviewed): Banares-Hernandez et al. 2025 — IMBH ≤ 6,000 M-sun
  • Accretion (model-dependent): this tool — depends on epsilon, rho_inf

The kinematic and timing bounds are in tension. This accretion bound adds a third, independent axis but carries additional model uncertainty.

Citations

  • Chen et al. 2025, arXiv:2511.20945 (accepted ApJ, v2 2026-03-20)
  • Pesce et al. 2021, ApJ 923, 260 (DOI 10.3847/1538-4357/ac2eb3)
  • Haberle et al. 2024, Nature 631, 285 (DOI 10.1038/s41586-024-07511-z)
  • Banares-Hernandez et al. 2025, A&A 693 A104 (DOI 10.1051/0004-6361/202450240)
Tool v1.2.0 · mandate me.omegacentauri/imbh_accretion · register: model-dependent · OCG artifact v0.4.0