Observational Manifestations of the Precessional Wave in the Accretion Disk of a Cataclysmic Variable Star (original) (raw)
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Astronomy Reports, 2017
Vertical oscillations of the gas at the outer edge of the accretion disk in a semi-detached binary due to interaction with the stream of matter from the inner Lagrangian point L 1 are considered. Mixing of the matter from the stream from L 1 with matter of the disk halo results in the formation of a system of two diverging shocks and a contact discontinuity, or so-called "hot line". The passage of matter through the region of the hot line leads to an increase in its vertical velocity and a thickening of the disk at phases 0.7−0.8. Subsequently, the matter moving along the outer edge of the disk also experiences vertical oscillations, forming secondary maxima at phases 0.2−0.4. It is shown that, for systems with component mass ratios of 0.6, these oscillations will be amplified with each passage of the matter through the hotline zone, while the observations will be quenched in systems with component mass ratios ∼0.07 and ∼7. The most favorable conditions for the flow of matter from the stream through the edge of the disk arise for component mass ratios ∼0.62. A theoretical relation between the phases of disk thickenings and the component mass ratio of the system is derived.
A method for the study of accretion disk emission in cataclysmic variables
s.d.t, 2011
We have developed a spectrum synthesis method for modeling the ultraviolet (UV) emission from the accretion disk from cataclysmic variables (CVs). The disk is separated into concentric rings, with an internal structure from the Wade & Hubeny disk-atmosphere models. For each ring, a wind atmosphere is calculated in the comoving frame with a vertical velocity structure obtained from a solution of the Euler equation. Using simple assumptions, regarding rotation and the wind streamlines, these one-dimensional models are combined into a single 2.5-dimensional model for which we compute synthetic spectra. We find that the resulting line and continuum behavior as a function of the orbital inclination is consistent with the observations, and verify that the accretion rate affects the wind temperature, leading to corresponding trends in the intensity of UV lines. In general, we also find that the primary mass has a strong effect on the P Cygni absorption profiles, the synthetic emission line profiles are strongly sensitive to the wind temperature structure, and an increase in the mass-loss rate enhances the resonance line intensities. Synthetic spectra were compared with UV data for two high orbital inclination nova-like CVs-RW Tri and V347 Pup. We needed to include disk regions with arbitrary enhanced mass loss to reproduce reasonably well widths and line profiles. This fact and a lack of flux in some high ionization lines may be the signature of the presence of density-enhanced regions in the wind, or alternatively, may result from inadequacies in some of our simplifying assumptions.
The Astrophysical Journal, 2000
We present here numerical hydrodynamic simulations of line-driven accretion disk winds in cataclysmic variable systems. We calculate wind mass-loss rate, terminal velocities, and line profiles for C IV (1550Å) for various viewing angles. The models are 2.5-dimensional, include an energy balance condition, and calculate the radiation field as a function of position near an optically thick accretion disk. The model results show that centrifugal forces produce collisions of streamlines in the disk wind which in turn generate an enhanced density region, underlining the necessity of two dimensional calculations where these forces may be represented. For disk luminosity L disk = L ⊙ , white dwarf mass M wd = 0.6M ⊙ , and white dwarf radii R wd = 0.01R ⊙ , we obtain a wind mass-loss rate ofṀ wind = 8 × 10 −12 M ⊙ yr −1 , and a terminal velocity of ∼ 3000 km s −1. The line profiles we obtain are consistent with observations in their general form, in particular in the maximum absorption at roughly half the terminal velocity for the blue-shifted component, in the magnitudes of the wind velocities implied by the absorption components, in the FWHM of the emission components, and in the strong dependence in inclination angle.
Structure and properties of transition fronts in accretion discs
Monthly Notices of The Royal Astronomical Society, 1999
We use high-resolution time-dependent numerical simulations of accretion discs around white dwarfs to study the structure and properties of transition fronts in the context of the thermal-viscous disc instability model. The thermal structure of cooling and heating fronts is dominated by radiative cooling and viscous heating, respectively, except in a very narrow precursor region in heating fronts where advection and radial transport of energy dominate. Cooling fronts are much broader than heating fronts, but the widths of both types of fronts scale with the local vertical scale height of the disc. We confirm that during a fair fraction of the propagation time of a cooling front, the structure of the inner disc is close to self-similar. The speed of heating fronts is ~ a few km/s, while the speed of cooling fronts is ~ a fraction of a km/s. We show that direct measurements of the speed of transition fronts probably cannot discriminate between various prescriptions proposed for the viscosity parameter alpha. A natural prediction of the disc instability model is that fronts decelerate as they propagate in the disc, independent of the prescription for alpha. Observation of this effect would confirm that dwarf nova outbursts are driven by the thermal-viscous instability. Most of our results also apply to low mass X-ray binaries in which the accreting object is a neutron star or a black hole.
A Method for the Study of Accretion Disk Emission in Cataclysmic Variables. I. The Model
Astrophysical Journal, 2011
We have developed a spectrum synthesis method for modeling the UV emission from the accretion disk from cataclysmic variables (CVs). The disk is separated into concentric rings, with an internal structure from the Wade & Hubeny disk-atmosphere models. For each ring, a wind atmosphere is calculated in the co-moving frame with a vertical velocity structure obtained from a solution of the Euler equation. Using simple assumptions, regarding rotation and the wind streamlines, these 1D models are combined into a single 2.5D model for which we compute synthetic spectra. We find that the resulting line and continuum behavior as a function of the orbital inclination is consistent with the observations, and verify that the accretion rate affects the wind temperature, leading to corresponding trends in the intensity of UV lines. In general, we also find that the primary mass has a strong effect on the P-Cygni absorption profiles, the synthetic emission line profiles are strongly sensitive to the wind temperature structure, and an increase in the mass loss rate enhances the resonance line intensities. Synthetic spectra were compared with UV data for two high orbital inclination nova-like CVs - RW Tri and V347 Pup. We needed to include disk regions with arbitrary enhanced mass loss to reproduce reasonably well widths and line profiles. This fact and a lack of flux in some high ionization lines may be the signature of the presence of density enhanced regions in the wind, or alternatively, may result from inadequacies in some of our simplifying assumptions.
The role of accretion disks in the formation of massive stars
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2010
We present radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the collapse of massive pre-stellar cores. We treat frequency dependent radiative feedback from stellar evolution and accretion luminosity at a numerical resolution down to 1.27 AU. In the 2D approximation of axially symmetric simulations, it is possible for the first time to simulate the whole accretion phase of several 10 5 yr for the forming massive star and to perform a comprehensive scan of the parameter space. Our simulation series show evidently the necessity to incorporate the dust sublimation front to preserve the high shielding property of massive accretion disks. Our disk accretion models show a persistent high anisotropy of the corresponding thermal radiation field, yielding to the growth of the highest-mass stars ever formed in multi-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations. Non-axially symmetric effects are not necessary to sustain accretion. The radiation pressure launches a stable bipolar outflow, which grows in angle with time as presumed from observations. For an initial mass of the pre-stellar host core of 60, 120, 240, and 480 M⊙ the masses of the final stars formed in our simulations add up to 28.2, 56.5, 92.6, and at least 137.2 M⊙ respectively.
Mass accretion to young stars triggered by flaring activity in circumstellar discs
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2011
Young low-mass stars are characterized by ejection of collimated outflows and by circumstellar disks which they interact with through accretion of mass. The accretion builds up the star to its final mass and is also believed to power the mass outflows, which may in turn remove the excess angular momentum from the star-disk system. However, although the process of mass accretion is a critical aspect of star formation, some of its mechanisms are still to be fully understood. A point not considered to date and relevant for the accretion process is the evidence of very energetic and frequent flaring events in these stars. Flares may easily perturb the stability of the disks, thus influencing the transport of mass and angular momentum. Here we report on three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic modeling of the evolution of a flare with an idealized non-equilibrium initial condition occurring near the disk around a rotating magnetized star. The model takes into account the stellar magnetic field, the gravitational force, the viscosity of the disk, the magnetic-field-oriented thermal conduction (including the effects of heat flux saturation), the radiative losses from optically thin plasma, and the coronal heating. We show that, during its first stage of evolution, the flare gives rise to a hot magnetic loop linking the disk to the star. The disk is strongly perturbed by the flare: disk material evaporates under the effect of the thermal conduction and an overpressure wave propagates through the disk. When the overpressure reaches the opposite side of the disk, a funnel flow starts to develop there, accreting substantial disk material onto the young star from the side of the disk opposite to the flare.
On the possible turbulence mechanism in accretion disks in nonmagnetic binary stars
Physics-Uspekhi, 2014
The arising of turbulence in gas-dynamic (non-magnetic) accretion disks is a major issue of modern astrophysics. Such accretion disks should be stable against the turbulence generation, in contradiction to observations. Searching for possible instabilities leading to the turbulization of gas-dynamic disks is one of the challenging astrophysical problems. In 2004, we showed that in accretion disks in binary stars the so-called precessional density wave forms and induces additional density and velocity gradients in the disk. Linear analysis of the fluid instability of an accretion disk in a binary system revealed that the presence of the precessional wave in the disk due to tidal interaction with the binary companion gives rise to instability of radial modes with the characteristic growth time of tenths and hundredths of the binary orbital period. The radial velocity gradient in the precessional wave is shown to be responsible for the instability. A perturbation becomes unstable if the velocity variation the perturbation wavelength scale is about or higher than the sound speed. Unstable perturbations arise in the inner part of the disk and, by propagating towards its outer edge, lead to the disk turbulence with parameters corresponding to observations (the Shakura-Sunyaev parameter α 0.01).