Self-Similar Accretion Flows with Convection

We consider height-integrated equations of an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF), assuming that there is no mass outflow. We include convection through a mixing length formalism. We seek self-similar solutions in which the rotational velocity and sound speed scale as R^{-1/2}, where R is the radius, and consider two limiting prescriptions for the transport of angular momentum by convection. In one limit, the transport occurs down the angular velocity gradient, so convection moves angular momentum outward. In the other, the transport is down the specific angular momentum gradient, so convection moves angular momentum inward. We also consider general prescriptions which lie in between the two limits. When convection moves angular momentum outward, we recover the usual self-similar solution for ADAFs in which the mass density scales as rho ~ R^{-3/2}. When convection moves angular momentum inward, the result depends on the viscosity coefficient alpha. If alpha>alpha_{crit1} ~ 0.05, we once again find the standard ADAF solution. For alpha<alpha_{crit}, however, we find a non-accreting solution in which rho ~ R^{-1/2}. We refer to this as a "convective envelope" solution or a "convection-dominated accretion flow". Two-dimensional numerical simulations of ADAFs with values of alpha<0.03 have been reported by several authors. The simulated ADAFs exhibit convection. By virtue of their axisymmetry, convection in these simulations moves angular momentum inward, as we confirm by computing the Reynolds stress. The simulations give rho ~ R^{-1/2}, in good agreement with the convective envelope solution. The R^{-1/2} density profile is not a consequence of mass outflow.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures, final version accepted for publication in ApJ, a new appendix was added and 3 figs were modifie

Slim accretion discs: a model for ADAF-SLE transitions

We numerically construct slim, global, vertically integrated models of optically thin, transonic accretion discs around black holes, assuming a regularity condition at the sonic radius and boundary conditions at the outer radius of the disc and near the black hole. In agreement with several previous studies, we find two branches of shock-free solutions, in which the cooling is dominated either by advection, or by local radiation. We also confirm that the part of the accretion flow where advection dominates is in some circumstances limited in size: it does not extend beyond a certain outer limiting radius. New results found in our paper concern the location of the limiting radius and properties of the flow near to it. In particular, we find that beyond the limiting radius, the advective dominated solutions match on to Shapiro, Lightman & Eardley (SLE) discs through a smooth transition region. Therefore, the full global solutions are shock-free and unlimited in size. There is no need for postulating an extra physical effect (e.g. evaporation) for triggering the ADAF-SLE transition. It occurs due to standard accretion processes described by the classic slim disc equations.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, MNRAS accepte

Convection-Dominated Accretion Flows

Non-radiating, advection-dominated, accretion flows are convectively unstable. We calculate the two-dimensional (r-theta) structure of such flows assuming that (1) convection transports angular momentum inwards, opposite to normal viscosity and (2) viscous transport by other mechanisms (e.g., magnetic fields) is weak (alpha << 1). Under such conditions convection dominates the dynamics of the accretion flow and leads to a steady state structure that is marginally stable to convection. We show that the marginally stable flow has a constant temperature and rotational velocity on spherical shells, a net flux of energy from small to large radii, zero net accretion rate, and a radial density profile proportional to r^{-1/2}, flatter than the r^{-3/2} profile characteristic of spherical accretion flows. This solution accurately describes the full two-dimensional structure of recent axisymmetric numerical simulations of advection-dominated accretion flows.Comment: final version accepted by ApJ; discussion expanded, references adde

The Magnetohydrodynamics of Convection-Dominated Accretion Flows

Radiatively inefficient accretion flows onto black holes are unstable due to both an outwardly decreasing entropy (`convection') and an outwardly decreasing rotation rate (the `magnetorotational instability'; MRI). Using a linear magnetohydrodynamic stability analysis, we show that long-wavelength modes are primarily destabilized by the entropy gradient and that such `convective' modes transport angular momentum inwards. Moreover, the stability criteria for the convective modes are the standard Hoiland criteria of hydrodynamics. By contrast, shorter wavelength modes are primarily destabilized by magnetic tension and differential rotation. These `MRI' modes transport angular momentum outwards. The convection-dominated accretion flow (CDAF) model, which has been proposed for radiatively inefficient accretion onto a black hole, posits that inward angular momentum transport and outward energy transport by long-wavelength convective fluctuations are crucial for determining the structure of the accretion flow. Our analysis suggests that the CDAF model is applicable to a magnetohydrodynamic accretion flow provided the magnetic field saturates at a sufficiently sub-equipartition value (plasma beta >> 1), so that long-wavelength convective fluctuations can fit inside the accretion disk. Numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations are required to determine whether such a sub-equipartition field is in fact obtained.Comment: 17 pages including 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. New appendix and figure were added; some changes of the text were made in response to the referee

Statistical theory of thermal instability

A new statistical approach is presented to study the thermal instability process of optically thin unmagnetized plasma. In this approach the time evolution of mass distribution function over temperature is calculated. This function characterizes the statistical properties of the multiphase medium of arbitrary spaced three-dimensional structure of arbitrary temperature perturbations. We construct our theory under the isobarical condition (P=const over space), which is satisfied in the short wavelength limit. The developed theory is illustrated in the case of thermal instability of a slowly expanding interstellar cloud. Numerical solutions of equations of the statistical theory are constucted and compared with hydrodynamical solutions. The results of both approaches are identical in the short wavelength range when the isobarity condition is satisfied. Also the limits of applicability of the statistical theory are estimated. The possible evolution of initial spectrum of perturbations is discussed. The proposed theory and numerical models can be relevant to the formation of the two-phases medium in the ~1pc region around quasars. Then small warm (T~10000K) clouds are formed as the result of thermal instability in an expanded gas fragment, which is a product of either a star-star or star-accretion disk collision.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, submitted to MNRA

Two-dimensional models of hydrodynamical accretion flows into black holes

We present a systematic numerical study of two-dimensional axisymmetric accretion flows around black holes. The flows have no radiative cooling and are treated in the framework of the hydrodynamical approximation. The models calculated in this study cover the large range of the relevant parameter space. There are four types of flows, determined by the values of the viscosity parameter $\alpha$ and the adiabatic index $\gamma$: convective flows, large-scale circulations, pure inflows and bipolar outflows. Thermal conduction introduces significant changes to the solutions, but does not create a new flow type. Convective accretion flows and flows with large-scale circulations have significant outward-directed energy fluxes, which have important implications for the spectra and luminosities of accreting black holes.Comment: 43 pages, 23 figures, submitted to Ap

Hard X-ray emitting black hole fed by accretion of low angular momentum matter

Observed spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and luminous X-ray binaries in our Galaxy suggest that both hot (~10^9 K) and cold (~10^6 K) plasma components exist close to the central accreting black hole. Hard X-ray component of the spectra is usually explained by Compton upscattering of optical/UV photons from optically thick cold plasma by hot electrons. Observations also indicate that some of these objects are quite efficient in converting gravitational energy of accretion matter into radiation. Existing theoretical models have difficulties in explaining the two plasma components and high intensity of hard X-rays. Most of the models assume that the hot component emerges from the cold one due to some kind of instability, but no one offers a satisfactory physical explanation for this. Here we propose a solution to these difficulties that reverses what was imagined previously: in our model the hot component forms first and afterward it cools down to form the cold component. In our model, accretion flow has initially a small angular momentum, and thus it has a quasi-spherical geometry at large radii. Close to the black hole, the accreting matter is heated up in shocks that form due to the action of the centrifugal force. The hot post-shock matter is very efficiently cooled down by Comptonization of low energy photons and condensates into a thin and cold accretion disk. The thin disk emits the low energy photons which cool the hot component.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, submitted to ApJ Let

X-ray Images of Hot Accretion Flows

We consider the X-ray emission due to bremsstrahlung processes from hot, low radiative-efficiency accretion flows around supermassive and galactic black holes. We calculate surface brightness profiles and Michelson visibility functions for a range of density profiles, rho ~ r^(-3/2+p), with 0 < p < 1, to allow for the presence of outflows. We find that although the 1 keV emitting region in these flows can always extend up to 10^6 Schwarzschild radii (R_S), their surface brightness profiles and visibility functions are strongly affected by the specific density profile. The advection-dominated solutions with no outflows (p=0) lead to centrally peaked profiles with characteristic sizes of only a few tens of R_S. Solutions with strong outflows (p~1) lead to flat intensity profiles with significantly larger characteristic sizes of up to 10^6 R_S. This implies that low luminosity galactic nuclei, such as M87, may appear as extended X-ray sources when observed with current X-ray imaging instruments. We show that X-ray brightness profiles and their associated visibility functions may be powerful probes for determining the relevant mode of accretion and, in turn, the properties of hot accretion flows. We discuss the implications of our results for observations with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the planned X-ray interferometer MAXIM.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, accepted by The Astrophysical Journal, minor change

Synchrotron Radiation From Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flow Simulations: Applications to Sgr A*

We calculate synchrotron radiation in three-dimensional pseudo-Newtonian magnetohydrodynamic simulations of radiatively inefficient accretion flows. We show that the emission is highly variable at optically thin frequencies, with order of magnitude variability on time-scales as short as the orbital period near the last stable orbit; this emission is linearly polarized at the 20-50 % level due to the coherent toroidal magnetic field in the flow. At optically thick frequencies, both the variability amplitude and polarization fraction decrease significantly with decreasing photon frequency. We argue that these results are broadly consistent with the observed properties of Sgr A* at the Galactic Center, including the rapid infrared flaring.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Three-dimensional MHD Simulations of Radiatively Inefficient Accretion Flows

We present three-dimensional MHD simulations of rotating radiatively inefficient accretion flows onto black holes. In the simulations, we continuously inject magnetized matter into the computational domain near the outer boundary, and we run the calculations long enough for the resulting accretion flow to reach a quasi-steady state. We have studied two limiting cases for the geometry of the injected magnetic field: pure toroidal field and pure poloidal field. In the case of toroidal field injection, the accreting matter forms a nearly axisymmetric, geometrically-thick, turbulent accretion disk. The disk resembles in many respects the convection-dominated accretion flows found in previous numerical and analytical investigations of viscous hydrodynamic flows. Models with poloidal field injection evolve through two distinct phases. In an initial transient phase, the flow forms a relatively flattened, quasi-Keplerian disk with a hot corona and a bipolar outflow. However, when the flow later achieves steady state, it changes in character completely. The magnetized accreting gas becomes two-phase, with most of the volume being dominated by a strong dipolar magnetic field from which a thermal low-density wind flows out. Accretion occurs mainly via narrow slowly-rotating radial streams which `diffuse' through the magnetic field with the help of magnetic reconnection events.Comment: 35 pages including 3 built-in plots and 14 separate jpg-plots; version accepted by Ap