Convection as a source of viscosity for accretion disks of cataclysmic binaries

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/156330· OSTI ID:6618655

Vila, S C

Following a suggestion by Paczynski we have constructed models for the vertical structure of disks around stars in their late stages of evolution in which the viscosity that allows the angular momentum of the disk to be transported outward is due solely to turbulence produced by convection in the outer layers of the disk.It has been found that convection occurs only for log T/sub e/=3.8 or less, and the rate of mass influx to the central star caused by it cannot be much greater than 10/sup 14/g s/sup -1/ or 10/sup -12/Msunyr/sup -1/.Since accretion disks in dwarf novae are known to have accretion rates greater than 10/sup -/10M/sub sun/yr/sup -1/, it is clear that convection alone cannot provide the source of viscosity required.

• Research Organization: Department of Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania
• OSTI ID: 6618655
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 223:3; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BINARY STARS
CONVECTION
DWARF STARS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS OF STATE
HEAT TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NOVAE
STAR ACCRETION
STAR EVOLUTION
STAR MODELS
STARS
TURBULENCE
VISCOSITY