Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion onto Accretion Disks

We investigate Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion for the case where the central source is a luminous accretion disk. %In classical Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion onto a ``spherical'' source, accretion takes place in an axially symmetric manner around a so-called accretion axis. The accretion rate of the classical Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion onto a non-luminous object and $\Gamma$ the luminosity of the central object normalized by the Eddington luminosity. %If the central object is a compact star with a luminous accretion disk, the radiation field becomes ``non-spherical''. %Although the gravitional field remains spherical. In such a case the axial symmetry around the accretion axis breaks down; the accretion radius $R_{acc}$ generally depends on an inclination angle $i$ between the accretion axis and the symmetry axis of the disk and the azimuthal angle $\phi$ around the accretion axis. %That is, the cross section of accretion changes its shape. Hence, the accretion rate $\dot{M}$, which is obtained by integrating $R_{acc}$ around $\phi$, depends on $i$. % as well as $M$, $\Gamma$, and $v_\infty$. %In the case of an edge-on accretion ($i=90^{\circ}$), The accretion rate is larger than that of the spherical case and approximately expressed as $\dot{M} \sim \dot{M}_{HL} (1-\Gamma)$ for $\Gamma \leq 0.65$ and $\dot{M} \sim \dot{M}_{HL} (2-\Gamma)^2/5$ for $\Gamma \geq 0.65$. %Once the accretion disk forms and the anisotropic radiation fields are produced around the central object,the accretion plane will be maintained automatically (the direction of jets associated with the disk is also maintained). %Thus, the anisotropic radiation field of accretion disks drastically changes the accretion nature, that gives a clue to the formation of accretion disks around an isolated black hole.Comment: 5 figure

A New Parameter In Accretion Disk Model

Taking optically thin accretion flows as an example, we investigate the dynamics and the emergent spectra of accretion flows with different outer boundary conditions (OBCs) and find that OBC plays an important role in accretion disk model. This is because the accretion equations describing the behavior of accretion flows are a set of {\em differential} equations, therefore, accretion is intrinsically an initial-value problem. We argue that optically thick accretion flow should also show OBC-dependent behavior. The result means that we should seriously consider the initial physical state of the accretion flow such as its angular momentum and its temperature. An application example to Sgr A$^*$ is presented.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the Proceeding of "Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics", Aug. 1999, HongKong, Chin

The Accretion Disc Particle Method for Simulations of Black Hole Feeding and Feedback

Black holes grow by accreting matter from their surroundings. However, angular momentum provides an efficient natural barrier to accretion and so only the lowest angular momentum material will be available to feed the black holes. The standard sub-grid model for black hole accretion in galaxy formation simulations - based on the Bondi-Hoyle method - does not account for the angular momentum of accreting material, and so it is unclear how representative the black hole accretion rate estimated in this way is likely to be. In this paper we introduce a new sub-grid model for black hole accretion that naturally accounts for the angular momentum of accreting material. Both the black hole and its accretion disc are modelled as a composite accretion disc particle. Gas particles are captured by the accretion disc particle if and only if their orbits bring them within its accretion radius R_acc, at which point their mass is added to the accretion disc and feeds the black hole on a viscous timescale t_visc. The resulting black hole accretion rate (dM/dt)_BH powers the accretion luminosity L_acc ~ (dM/dt)_BH, which drives black hole feedback. Using a series of controlled numerical experiments, we demonstrate that our new accretion disc particle method is more physically self-consistent than the Bondi-Hoyle method. We also discuss the physical implications of the accretion disc particle method for systems with a high degree of rotational support, and we argue that the M_BH-sigma relation in these systems should be offset from the relation for classical bulges and ellipticals, as appears to be observed.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS; 9 pages, 5 figure

Multi-wavelength diagnostics of accretion in an X-ray selected sample of CTTSs

High resolution X-ray spectroscopy has revealed soft X-rays from high density plasma in Classical T-Tauri stars (CTTSs), probably arising from the accretion shock region. However, the mass accretion rates derived from the X-ray observations are consistently lower than those derived from UV/optical/NIR studies. We aim to test the hypothesis that the high density soft X-ray emission is from accretion by analysing optical accretion tracers from an X-ray selected sample of CTTSs in a homogeneous manner. We analyse optical spectra of a sample of CTTSs and calculate the accretion rates based on measuring optical emission lines. These are then compared to the accretion rates derived from the X-ray spectroscopy. We find that, for each CTTS in our sample, the different optical tracers predict mass accretion rates that agree within the errors, albeit with a spread of ~1 order of magnitude. Typically, mass accretion rates derived from Halpha and HeI 5876 Ang are larger than those derived from Hbeta, Hgamma and OI. When comparisons of the optical mass accretion rates are made to the X-ray derived mass accretion rates, we find that: a) the latter are always lower (but by varying amounts); b) the latter range within a factor of ~2 around 2x10^{-10} M_odot yr^{-1}, despite the fact that the former span a range of ~3 orders of magnitude. We suggest that the systematic underestimation of the X-ray derived mass accretion rates could depend on the density distribution inside the accretion streams, where the densest part of the stream is not visible in the X-ray band because of the absorption by the stellar atmosphere. We also suggest that a non-negligible optical depth of X-ray emission lines produced by post-shock accreting plasma may explain the almost constant mass accretion rates derived in X-rays if the effect is larger in stars with larger optical mass accretion rates.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication by A&

Accretion onto Planetary Mass Companions of Low-Mass Young Stars

Measurements of accretion rates onto planetary mass objects may distinguish between different planet formation mechanisms, which predict different accretion histories. In this Letter, we use \HST/WFC3 UVIS optical photometry to measure accretion rates onto three accreting objects, GSC06214-00210 b, GQ Lup b, and DH Tau b, that are at the planet/brown dwarf boundary and are companions to solar mass stars. The excess optical emission in the excess accretion continuum yields mass accretion rates of $10^{-9}$ to $10^{-11}$ \Msol/yr for these three objects. Their accretion rates are an order of magnitude higher than expected from the correlation between mass and accretion rates measured from the UV excess, which is applicable if these wide planetary mass companions formed by protostellar core fragmentation. The high accretion rates and large separation from the central star demonstrate the presence of massive disks around these objects. Models for the formation and evolution of wide planetary mass companions should account for their large accretion rates. High ratios of H$\alpha$ luminosity over accretion luminosity for objects with low accretion rates suggest that searches for H$\alpha$ emission may be an efficient way to find accreting planets.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Evolution of Massive Protostars via Disk Accretion

Mass accretion onto (proto-)stars at high accretion rates > 10^-4 M_sun/yr is expected in massive star formation. We study the evolution of massive protostars at such high rates by numerically solving the stellar structure equations. In this paper we examine the evolution via disk accretion. We consider a limiting case of "cold" disk accretion, whereby most of the stellar photosphere can radiate freely with negligible backwarming from the accretion flow, and the accreting material settles onto the star with the same specific entropy as the photosphere. We compare our results to the calculated evolution via spherically symmetric accretion, the opposite limit, whereby the material accreting onto the star contains the entropy produced in the accretion shock front. We examine how different accretion geometries affect the evolution of massive protostars. For cold disk accretion at 10^-3 M_sun/yr the radius of a protostar is initially small, about a few R_sun. After several solar masses have accreted, the protostar begins to bloat up and for M \simeq 10 M_sun the stellar radius attains its maximum of 30 - 400 R_sun. The large radius about 100 R_sun is also a feature of spherically symmetric accretion at the same accreted mass and accretion rate. Hence, expansion to a large radius is a robust feature of accreting massive protostars. At later times the protostar eventually begins to contract and reaches the Zero-Age Main-Sequence (ZAMS) for M \simeq 30 M_sun, independent of the accretion geometry. For accretion rates exceeding several 10^-3 M_sun/yr the protostar never contracts to the ZAMS. The very large radius of several 100s R_sun results in a low effective temperature and low UV luminosity of the protostar. Such bloated protostars could well explain the existence of bright high-mass protostellar objects, which lack detectable HII regions.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figure

Pulsed Accretion in the T Tauri Binary TWA 3A

TWA 3A is the most recent addition to a small group of young binary systems that both actively accrete from a circumbinary disk and have spectroscopic orbital solutions. As such, it provides a unique opportunity to test binary accretion theory in a well-constrained setting. To examine TWA 3A's time-variable accretion behavior, we have conducted a two-year, optical photometric monitoring campaign, obtaining dense orbital phase coverage (~20 observations per orbit) for ~15 orbital periods. From U-band measurements we derive the time-dependent binary mass accretion rate, finding bursts of accretion near each periastron passage. On average, these enhanced accretion events evolve over orbital phases 0.85 to 1.05, reaching their peak at periastron. The specific accretion rate increases above the quiescent value by a factor of ~4 on average but the peak can be as high as an order of magnitude in a given orbit. The phase dependence and amplitude of TWA 3A accretion is in good agreement with numerical simulations of binary accretion with similar orbital parameters. In these simulations, periastron accretion bursts are fueled by periodic streams of material from the circumbinary disk that are driven by the binary orbit. We find that TWA 3A's average accretion behavior is remarkably similar to DQ Tau, another T Tauri binary with similar orbital parameters, but with significantly less variability from orbit to orbit. This is only the second clear case of orbital-phase-dependent accretion in a T Tauri binary.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure