Spherically symmetric accretion near the Eddington limit

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/156530· OSTI ID:6775100

Vitello, P A.J.

Steady, spherically symmetric accretion onto a compact object near the Eddington limiting luminosity is considered for an optically thick, ionized hydrogen plasma. Solutions assuming LTE are treated in detail, with non--LTE flows being briefly discussed. In contrast to previous treatments, we find that the spectrum peak for free-fall type flows is likely to be in the X-ray regime and not at optical or UV energies. There also exist settling type solutions for which these latter type spectra are more realistic. An analysis of convection and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities is also given. There appear to be a number of differnt regimes in the solutions which depend rather sensitively on the boundary conditions. The different solutions have been classified in a way that should prove useful both for building detailed models, and for a further analysis of the stabilities of these flows.

• Research Organization: Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University; and Center for Astrophysics, Harvard College Observatory
• OSTI ID: 6775100
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 225:3; 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
BINARY STARS
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
DWARF STARS
EDDINGTON THEORY
EQUILIBRIUM
FLUID FLOW
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
INSTABILITY
LTE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
NEUTRON STARS
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY
STAR ACCRETION
STAR EVOLUTION
STAR MODELS
STARS
WHITE DWARF STARS