Non-axisymmetric instabilities in shocked adiabatic accretion flows

We investigate the linear stability of a shocked accretion flow on to a black hole in the adiabatic limit. Our linear analyses and numerical calculations show that, despite the post-shock deceleration, the shock is generally unstable to non-axisymmetric perturbations. The simulation results of Molteni, Tóth & Kuznetsov can be well explained by our linear eigenmodes. The mechanism of this instability is confirmed to be based on the cycle of acoustic waves between the corotation radius and the shock. We obtain an analytical formula to calculate the oscillation period from the physical parameters of the flow. We argue that the quasi-periodic oscillation should be a common phenomenon in accretion flows with angular momentum.     

Numerical Simulation of Small Perturbation on an Accretion Disk Due to the Collision of a Star with the Disk Near the Black Hole

In this paper, perturbations of an accretion disk by a star orbiting around a black hole are studied. We report on a numerical experiment, which has been carried out by using a parallel-machine code originally developed by Dönmez (2004). An initially steady state accretion disk near a non-rotating (Schwarzschild) black hole interacts with a “star”, modeled as an initially circular region of increased density. Part of the disk is affected by the interaction. In some cases, a gap develops and shock wave propagates through the disk. We follow the evolution for order of one dynamical period and we show how the non-axisymetric density perturbation further evolves and moves downwards where the material of the disk and the star become eventually accreted onto the central body. When the star perturbs the steady state accretion disk, the disk around the black hole is destroyed by the effect of perturbation. The perturbed accretion disk creates a shock wave during the evolution and it loses angular momentum when the gas hits on the shock waves. Colliding gas with the shock wave is the one of the basic mechanism of emitting the X-rays in the accretion disk. The series of supernovae occurring in the inner disk could entirely destroy the disk in that region which leaves a more massive black hole behind, at the center of galaxies.     

The Radial-Azimuthal Instability of Gas-Pressure-Dominated Accretion Disk with Advection

The radial-azimuthal instability of gas-pressure-dominated accretion disk with advection is examined in this paper. We find that the including of very little advection has significant effects on two acoustic modes, which are no longer complex conjugates of each other. They increase the instability of the O-mode and damp that of the I-mode. We also find that when the azimuthal perturbations are considered, the stability properties of disk are different from that in pure radial perturbation case. The increase of azimuthal wave number will stabilize the acoustic modes but make the viscous mode more unstable and does not change the thermal mode very much for optically thin disk. The I-mode is more stable. The O-mode, viscous mode and thermal mode tend to become more unstable with the increase of azimuthal perturbation wavenumber for optically thick disk. For a geometrically slim, advection-dominated disk, the increasing of azimuthal perturbations make thermal mode more unstable and acoustic mode more stable. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evolutionary processes in protoplanetary accretion disks: the propagation of axisymmetric shock waves

In this paper we investigate both the global and the local hydrodynamics of axisymmetric accretion disks around young stellar objects under the simultaneous action of viscosity, self-gravity and pressure forces. For simplicity, we take for the global model a polytropic equation of state, make the infinitely thin disk approximation and characterize the surface density and temperature profiles in the disk as power laws in the radial distance r from the protostar. We solve the problem of the general density profile of a Keplerian disk showing that self-gravity could not be an important factor for the fast formation of the rocky cores of giant gaseous planets in our solar system. Under the hypothesis that the unperturbed rotation curve of the disk is nearly Keplerian throughout the radial extent, we can estimate with our polytropic model a lower limit for the resulting masses M_d(r) of stable disks up to 100 AU. These masses are in the range of the so-called minimum mass solar nebular (_d/M_s ≈ 0.01–0.02).By adopting a simplified viscosity model, where the height-integrated turbulent dynamical viscosity ν is a function of the surface density σ like η ∝ σ^Γ, we derive in the local shearing sheet model linearized evolution equations for small density perturbations describing both a diffusion process and the propagation of acoustic density waves. We solve a special initial value problem and calculate the appropriate Green's function. The analytical solutions so obtained describe in the case Γ < 0 the successive formation of quasi-stationary ring-shaped density structures in a disk with a definite mode of maximum instability, whereas in the case Γ > Γ_c the density wave equation describes the propagation of an “overstable” ring-shaped acoustic density wavelet to the outer ranges of the accretion disk. Whereas the group velocity of the wave packet is subsonic, the phase velocities of individual wave crests in the wave packet are supersonic. The mode of maximum instability, the growth rate and the number of growing waves in the wavelet are controlled by Γ and α. Our present knowledge concerning turbulent viscosity in protoplanetary disks is not sufficient to decide whether or not the case Γ > Γ_c is realized.The suggested structuring processes in the linear theory should initiate in the non-linear regime the formation of narrow ring-shaped density shock waves moving through the protoplanetary disk. These non-linear waves could produce extremely spatially and temporally heterogeneous temperature regions in the disk. We speculate that ring-shaped density waves, excited by inner boundary conditions and which have dominated the disk's evolution at early times, are responsible both for the fast growth of dust to planetesimals and at least for the rapid accretion of the rocky cores of giant gaseous planets in the protoplanetary accretion disk (shock wave trigger hypothesis). We derive provisional scaling rules for planetary systems regarding the spacing of orbits as a function of the mass ratio of the protoplanetary disk to the protostar. However, further analytical work and linear as well as nonlinear numerical simulations of density waves excited by inner boundary conditions are needed to consolidate the results and speculations of our linear wave mechanics in the future.     

X射线脉冲星周期的变化与吸积盘边界的K-H不稳定性

本文在中子星磁层与吸积盘之间引入了一个速度、密度、压强和磁场都连续变化的有限厚度的剪切层,以代替Anzer理论中的切向间断面,用磁流体力学方法讨论了中子星磁层与吸积盘交界处等离子体可压缩情况下平面波扰动的K-H不稳定性。结果表明,K-H不稳定性依然存在,径向波矢扰动成为不稳定的主要模式。文中特别讨论了剪切层厚度取值对中子星自转的影响,表明适当调节剪切层厚度就可解释X射线脉冲星周期的变化。将此模型应用到脉冲X射线源Her X-1上,得到较好的结果。     

原太阳吸积盘结构

计算了粘滞演化阶段原太阳吸积盘结构。采用稳态标准吸积盘模型来描述盘中湍动粘滞；忽略其径向能量传输，将垂直结构作为一维问题处理。假设盘作Keplerian较差旋转，处于流体力学平衡和局域热平衡，盘由粘滞耗散加热，能量通过对流和辐射向外传输。结果表明，对温度敏感的不透明度是决定盘结构的重要因素；原太阳吸积盘为冷的薄盘，盘中热对流不稳定性由外而内，由上而下地终结；行星的形成应首先开始于对流终结的区域。     

Physics of the primitive solar accretion disk

The theory of viscous accretion disks developed by Lynden-Bell and Pringle has been applied to the evolution of the primitive solar nebula. The additional physical input needed to determine the structure of the disk is described. A series of calculations was carried out using a steady flow approximation to explore the effects on the disk properties of variations in such parameters as the angular momentum and accretion rate of the infalling material from a collapsing interstellar cloud fragment. The more detailed evolutionary calculations involved five cases with various combinations of parameters. It was concluded that the late stages of evolution of the disks would be dominated by the effects of mass loss from the expansion of a hot disk corona into space, and the effects of this were included in the evolutionary calculations. A new theory of comet formation is formulated upon these results. The most important result is the conclusion, which appears to be inescapable, that the primitive solar accretion disk was repeatedly unstable against axisymmetric perturbations, in which rings would form and collapse upon themselves, with the subsequent formation of giant gaseous protoplanets.     

Magnetic star-disk interaction in classical T Tauri systems

We simulate the impact of a dipolar stellar magnetic field rooted in a classical T Tauri star on the accretion disk and the halo above using a 2.5D finite difference code. The gas is assumed resistive, and inside the disk accretion is driven by a Shakura-Sunyaev-type eddy viscosity. The rotational shear between the star and the Keplerian disk causes the magnetic field to be wound up and stretched outwards, away from the star. Part of the field lines open and an outflow is launched. Direct disk disruption by the Lorentz force only occurs for sufficient field strength. For our model system with a solar-mass central star, an accretion rate of 10^-7M⊙/a, and a viscosity parameter α_SS=0.01, a field strength of 1 kG, measured at the poles on the surface of the star, was found insufficient for disk disruption.     

Astrophysical naturally moderated classical positron beam interaction with nonlinear waves in nonextensive astrophysical plasmas

The positron acoustic shock and solitary wave are explored in nonextensive electron-positron-ion plasma. The plasma system under-consideration, consists of a classical positron beam, q distributed electrons and positively charged bulky ions constitute a neutralizing background. The nonlinear Korteweg-de Vries and Burger equations are derived by employing the standard reductive perturbation method. The positron acoustic wave in linear limit is also discussed for dissipative as well as nondissipative cases of nonextensive plasmas. The plasma parameters such as, the concentration of neutralizing ions background, beam velocity, temperature and q parameter of the nonextensive electrons are noticed to significantly affect the positron acoustic shock and solitary waves. Our findings may be helpful in the understanding of laboratory beam plasma interaction experiments as well as the astrophysical nonextensive plasmas interacting with positron beam.     

Effects of Toroidal Magnetic Fields on the Thermal Instability of Thin Accretion Disks

The standard thin disk model predicts that when the accretion rate is moderately high, the disk is radiation–pressure-dominated and thermally unstable. However, observations indicate the opposite, namely the disk is quite stable. We present an explanation in this work by taking into account the role of the magnetic field which was ignored in the previous analysis.     

A simplified model for a nonlinear tidal effect on accretion disks in CVs

This paper investigates the tidal effect on accretion disk in CVs and sets up a simplified model in which the secondary's gravitation is substituted by a mean tidal torque. We find that a linear tidal torque will not be able to maintain an equilibrium disk. By using the result of the radius of the equilibrium disk approximately equals to the tidal radius, which was obtained by using the two dimensional numerical simulation invoking nonlinear tidal effect, we give the modified tidal dissipation function for our simplified model which could be used to interpret the outburst of the dwarf nova with tidal effect. The paper also shows that the radius of an equilibrium disk with a torus is slightly small than the Lubow-Shu radius, and the tidal effect may also cause the cycle of quiescence-superoutburst in addition to the cycle of quiescence-outbursts-superoutburst.     

A granular flow model for dense planetary rings

We study the viscosity of a differentially rotating particle disk in the limiting case where the particles are densely packed and their collective behavior resembles that of a liquid. The pressure tensor is derived from the equations of hydrodynamics and from a simple kinetic model of collisions described by Haff (1983). We find that density waves and narrow circular rings are unstable if the liquid approximation applies. The resulting development of nonlinear perturbations may give rise to “splashing” of the ring material in the vertical direction. These results may help in understanding the origin of the ellipticities of ringlets, the nonaxisymmetric features near the outer edge of the Saturnian B ring, and the unexplained residuals in kinematic models of the Saturnian and Uranian rings.     

吸积盘随机振荡光度功率谱密度中低频准周期振荡现象的研究

采用含有频率涨落噪声和指数形式关联随机力作用的广义朗之万(Langevin)方程模型描述黑洞吸积盘的垂向振荡,推导出吸积盘随机振荡光度功率谱密度的解析表达式,并讨论了系统参数对功率谱密度中低频准周期振荡(Low Frequency Quasi-Periodic Oscillations,LFQPOs)现象的影响。研究结果发现选取合适的系统参数时,功率谱密度曲线上出现了一个基频和一个二次谐频的共振双峰低频准周期振荡,基频峰对应的中心频率为吸积盘振荡的特征频率;随机力关联时间决定了基频峰的高度和宽度,频率噪声强度和粘滞阻尼只对二次谐频峰产生影响。结果说明吸积盘的随机振荡模型可以作为低频准周期振荡起源的一种解释。     

Shock structures in dusty plasma in the presence of strong electrostatic interaction

The fluid approach is employed to investigate theoretically the effect of strong electrostatic interaction on the dust acoustic (DA) shock waves near to the liquid-crystal phase transition in strongly coupled dusty plasma. The strong electrostatic interaction is modeled by effective electrostatic temperature which is considered as a dynamical variable. It is shown that the nonlinear evolution of dust acoustic shock waves in the present model is governed by a Burger equation, the coefficients in which are modified by strong coupling effect. Then, it is shown that how the perturbation of the effective electrostatic temperature modifies the basic properties of the DA shock waves.     

The radial–azimuthal instability of a hot two-temperature accretion disc with advection

The radial–azimuthal instability of a hot two-temperature accretion disc with advection is examined in this paper. We find that the inclusion of very little advection has significant effects on two acoustic modes for a geometrically thin, cooling-dominated two-temperature disc, but has no effect on acoustic modes for a geometrically slim, cooling-dominated two-temperature disc. We also find that, when azimuthal perturbations are considered, the stability properties of the disc are different from those in the pure radial perturbation case. An increase of the azimuthal wavenumber will stabilize the acoustic modes but make the viscous and thermal modes more unstable for a geometrically thin, cooling-dominated two-temperature disc. It makes the thermal mode more unstable and the acoustic mode more stable, but only affects the instability of the viscous mode for short-wavelength perturbations for a geometrically slim, cooling-dominated two-temperature disc. For a geometrically slim, advection-dominated two-temperature disc, the increase of the azimuthal perturbation makes the I- and O-modes more stable and the thermal mode more unstable, but has no effect on the viscous mode.     

Arbitrary Amplitude Ion Acoustic Solitary Waves in An Unmagnetized Two Electron Population Ultra-Relativistic Dense Plasmas

The nonlinear wave structure of arbitrary amplitude ion acoustic solitary waves (IASWs) are studied in the Sagdeev’s pseudopotential framework for an ultra-relativistic degenerate dense plasma comprising cold and hot electrons and inertial ultra-cold ions. By employing standard normal-mode analysis the dispersion relation for linear waves is studied. The numerical results are presented to understand the features of ion acoustic solitary wave structures. It is shown that the present plasma model supports IASWs having positive potential well. Also, it is found that the small amplitude rarefactive double layer solution can exist in such a plasma system in some parametric region. It is shown that solitary structures and double layers are affected by relevant plasma parameters.     

Standing shocks in magnetized dissipative accretion flow around black holes

We explore the global structure of the accretion flow around a Schwarzschild black hole where the accretion disc is threaded by toroidal magnetic fields. The accretion flow is optically thin and advection dominated. The synchrotron radiation is considered to be the active cooling mechanism in the flow. With this, we obtain the global transonic accretion solutions and show that centrifugal barrier in the rotating magnetized accretion flow causes a discontinuous transition of the flow variables in the form of shock waves. The shock properties and the dynamics of the post-shock corona are affected by the flow parameters such as viscosity, cooling rate and strength of the magnetic fields. The shock properties are investigated against these flow parameters. We further show that for a given set of boundary parameters at the outer edge of the disc, accretion flow around a black hole admits shock when the flow parameters are tuned for a considerable range.     

Planar and nonplanar ion acoustic shock waves with nonthermal electrons and positrons

The nonlinear propagation of ion acoustic shock waves (IASWs) are studied in an unmagnetized plasma consisting of nonthermal electrons, nonthermal positrons, and singly charged adiabatically hot positive ions, whose dynamics is governed by the two dimensional nonplanar Kadomstev-Petviashvili-Burgers (KPB) equation. The shock solution of the KPB equations is obtained numerically. The effects of several parameters and ion kinematic viscosities on the properties of ion acoustic shock waves are discussed in planar and nonplanar geometry. It is shown that the ion acoustic shock wave propagating in cylindrical/spherical geometry with transverse perturbation will be deformed as time goes on. Also, it is seen that the strength and the steepness of the IASWs increases with increasing β, the nonthermal parameter.     

Spherical electron acoustic solitary waves in plasma with suprathermal electrons

A reductive perturbation technique is employed to solve the fluid-Poisson equations in spherical geometry describing a weakly nonlinear electron–acoustic (EA) waves in unmagnetized plasma consisting of stationary ions, cold electrons and kappa distributed hot electrons. It is shown that a variable coefficient Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation governs the evolution of scalar potential describing propagation of EA waves. The influence of suprathermality and geometry effects on propagation of EA solitary waves is investigated. We found that when electrons evolve toward their thermodynamic equilibrium, EA solitons are generated with large amplitudes. Also it is shown that EA solitary structures can be significantly modified by transverse perturbations.