Astrophysical Accretion as an Analogue Gravity Phenomena

In recent years, strong analogies have been established between the physics of acoustic perturbations in an inhomogeneous dynamical fluid system, and some kinematic features of space-time in general relativity. An effective metric, referred to as the `acoustic metric', which describes the geometry of the manifold in which acoustic perturbations propagate, can be constructed. This effective geometry can capture the properties of curved space-time in general relativity. Physical models constructed utilizing such analogies are called `analogue gravity models'. Classical analogue gravity effect may be observed when acoustic perturbations propagate through a inhomogeneous transonic classical fluid. The acoustic horizon, which resembles a black hole event horizon in many ways, is generated at the transonic point in the fluid flow. The acoustic horizon is essentially a null hyper surface, generators of which are the acoustic null geodesics, i.e. the phonons. The acoustic horizon emits acoustic radiation with quasi thermal phonon spectra, which is analogous to the actual Hawking radiation. The temperature of the radiation emitted from the acoustic horizon is referred to as the analogue Hawking temperature. It has been demonstrated that, in general, the transonic accretion in astrophysics can be considered as an example of the classical analogue gravity model naturally found in the Universe.Comment: 56 pages, 11 figures, revtex4. Send email request to the author for high resolution version of the manuscrip