Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities and turbulence
in accretion disks |
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Authors: | Georg P Schramkowski Ulf Torkelsson |
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Institution: | (1) Sterrekundig Instituut, Postbus 80000, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands , NL |
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Abstract: | In this paper we review the possibilities for
magnetohydrodynamic processes to handle the angular momentum transport
in accretion disks. Traditionally the angular momentum transport has
been considered to be the result of turbulent viscosity in the disk,
although the Keplerian flow in accretion disks is linearly stable towards
hydrodynamic perturbations. It is on the other hand linearly unstable
to some magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities.
The most important instabilities are the Parker and Balbus-Hawley
instabilities that are related to the magnetic buoyancy and the shear
flow, respectively. We discuss these instabilities not only in the
traditional MHD framework, but also in the context of slender flux
tubes, that reduce the complexity of the problem while keeping most of
the stability properties of the complete problem. In the non-linear
regime the instabilities produce turbulence. Recent numerical
simulations describe the generation of magnetic fields by a dynamo in
the resulting turbulent flow. Eventually such a dynamo may generate a
global magnetic field in the disk. The relation of the MHD-turbulence
to observations of accretion disks is still obscure. It is commonly
believed that magnetic fields can be highly efficient in transporting
the angular momentum, but emission lines, short-time scale variability
and non-thermal radiation, which a stellar astronomer would take as
signs of magnetic variability, are more commonly observed during periods
of low accretion rates.
Received October 12, 1995 / Accepted November 16, 1995 |
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Keywords: | : Accretion:accretion disks - Magnetohydrodynamics - Turbulence - Magnetic fields - Novae cataclysmic variables |
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