Isothermal, Compton-heated coronae above accretion disks

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Astrophysical Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/170388· OSTI ID:6389871

Ostriker, E C; Mckee, C F; Klein, R I ^[1]

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1. California, University, Berkeley (United States) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore (United States)

The structure of Compton-heated coronae above accretion disks is studied here by using analytic and numerical approaches are used here to determine the direct and scattered radiation reaching the base of the corona for a range of central source luminosities. It is found that the outer region of the corona is unaffected by multiple scattering in the interior, provided that the luminosity of the central source is sufficient below the Eddington limit. How attenuation and scattering by the corona affects the strength of chromospheric emission lines is determined, as is the condition for which the irradiation due to the central source exceeds the locally generated flux from the disk. Finally, it is shown that the stability analysis for irradiated accretion disks of Tuchman et al. is not substantially altered by the corona. 29 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6389871
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (United States) Vol. 377; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

660000* -- Physics-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCRETION DISKS
ANALYTIC FUNCTIONS
ATMOSPHERES
ATTENUATION
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
FUNCTIONS
GALAXY NUCLEI
HEATING
INTERACTIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOTHERMAL PROCESSES
LUMINOSITY
MORPHOLOGY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION HEATING
SCATTERING
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR CHROMOSPHERES
STELLAR CORONAE