Questions about Accretion disk

In summary: The accretion disk is rotating around the central black hole, and as the disk rotates, the gas in the disk is subject to the laws of physics. The gas in the disk is moving towards the black hole, and the gas in the disk is also moving away from the black hole. The gas in the disk is also moving towards the center of the disk, and the gas in the disk is also moving away from the edge of the disk. The gas in the disk is also moving towards the star, and the gas in the disk is also moving away from the star.
  • #1
Shan K
73
0
I was studying about Accretion disks and found some difficulties regarding some concepts. My questions are

1. For an accretion disk, ## v_r<<c_s ## Why?
2. The conservation of mass equation is derived as,


The mass in an annulus of radius ##\Delta r## is ##2\pi r \Delta r\Sigma ## and it is changing due to the mismatch of mass outflow and inflow which is written as,

$$ \frac{\partial}{\partial t}(2πr\Delta r\Sigma) = v_r(r,t)2πr\Sigma(r,t)−v_r(r+\Delta r,t)2π(r+\Delta r)\Sigma(r+\Delta r,t)\\ \approx-2\pi\Delta r\frac{\partial (r\Sigma v_r)}{\partial r} $$

up to this I have no problem but it further says that this equation in the ## \Delta r\rightarrow0 ## limit gives,

$$r\frac{\partial\Sigma}{\partial t}+\frac{\partial (r\Sigma v_r)}{\partial r}=0$$

and I can't able to derive how that limit gives that equation.

3. The angular momentum conservation equation is derived from the Navier-Stokes equation as,
$$ \frac{\partial \vec{v}}{\partial t}+(\vec{v}.\vec{\nabla})\vec{v}=-\frac{1}{\rho}(\vec{\nabla}P-\vec{\nabla}.\sigma)-\vec{\nabla}\Phi $$

In the axisymmetry assumption and no momentum loss or gain from the ## z ## direction one gets,

$$\Sigma\Big(\frac{\partial v_\phi}{\partial t}+\frac{v_rv_\phi}{r}+v_r\frac{\partial v_\phi}{\partial r}\Big)=\frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r^2 T_{r\phi}) $$

Now my question is, shouldn't the RHS be ## \frac{1}{r}\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r T_{r\phi}) ## instead of ## \frac{1}{r^2}\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r^2 T_{r\phi}) ## because the ## r ## part of ## \vec{\nabla}.\vec{f}## in the cylindrical coordinate is ## \frac{1}{r}\frac{\partial}{\partial r}(r f_r) ##.

Thanks in advance..
 
Last edited:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Can you post the source. I like to check the authors definition of each symbol.

Shan K said:
up to this I have no problem but it further says that this equation in the ## \Delta r\rightarrow0 ## limit gives,

$$r\frac{\partial\Sigma}{\partial t}+\frac{\partial (r\Sigma v_r)}{\partial r}=0$$

and I can't able to derive how that limit gives that equation.

∇r is the "size" of the annulus?? The physical manifestation of that limit could be stated as "if the accretion disc becomes more like a ring or planet". There is no viscous laminar flow if the annulus has no area. could conclude that the mass loss is 0.

Shan K said:
$$ \frac{\partial}{\partial t}(2πr\Delta r\Sigma) = v_r(r,t)2πr\Sigma(r,t)−v_r(r+\Delta r,t)2π(r+\Delta r)\Sigma(r+\Delta r,t)\\ \approx-2\pi\Delta r\frac{\partial (r\Sigma v_r)}{\partial r} $$

up to this I have no problem but it further says that this equation in the ## \Delta r\rightarrow0 ## l
For a generic f(x) = a-b
limitb→a f(x)⇒0

Shan K said:
1. For an accretion disk, ## v_r<<c_s ## Why?

Is that saying the "turbulent velocity is much lower than the speed of sound"? Would be scary if that were no true. Storms on Earth would be quite intense.
 
  • #3
stefan r said:
Can you post the source. I like to check the authors definition of each symbol.
See the attachment I can not understand how to derive equation (2.4) from (2.3).
stefan r said:
Is that saying the "turbulent velocity is much lower than the speed of sound"? Would be scary if that were no true. Storms on Earth would be quite intense.
##v_r## is the radial velocity of the gas in the accretion disk and ##c_s## is the sound speed.
 

Attachments

  • 1981ARA+A..19..137P(3).pdf
    2.2 MB · Views: 353

Related to Questions about Accretion disk

What is an accretion disk?

An accretion disk is a structure formed by the accumulation of material, such as gas and dust, around a central object due to gravity. These disks are commonly found in astrophysical systems, such as around stars, black holes, and protoplanetary disks.

What is the purpose of an accretion disk?

The main purpose of an accretion disk is to provide a mechanism for material to be transferred onto a central object. This can help to explain the growth of objects, such as stars and planets, and also play a crucial role in the release of energy in active galactic nuclei and other high-energy astrophysical processes.

How are accretion disks formed?

Accretion disks are formed through the process of accretion, which is the accumulation of material onto a central object. This material can come from nearby objects, such as a companion star or a cloud of gas and dust, and is pulled in by the gravitational force of the central object.

What is the structure of an accretion disk?

The structure of an accretion disk is typically a rotating, flat disk with the central object at the center. The disk is made up of layers of material, with the innermost layers being hotter and more dense, and the outer layers being cooler and less dense. The exact structure can vary depending on the type of central object and the properties of the accreting material.

What can we learn from studying accretion disks?

Studying accretion disks can provide valuable insights into the processes of star and planet formation, as well as the behavior of objects such as black holes and active galactic nuclei. By studying the properties of accretion disks, scientists can also gain a better understanding of the physical laws and mechanisms that govern the behavior of matter in extreme environments.

Similar threads

  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
854
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
476
Replies
0
Views
250
  • Classical Physics
Replies
1
Views
228
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
980
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
424
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
179
Back
Top