scholarly journals Modelling hystereses observed during dwarf nova outbursts

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. A1 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-M. Hameury ◽  
C. Knigge ◽  
J.-P. Lasota ◽  
F.-J. Hambsch ◽  
R. James

Context. Although the disc instability model is widely accepted as the explanation for dwarf nova outbursts, it is still necessary to compare its predictions to observations because many of the constraints on angular momentum transport in accretion discs are derived from the application of this model to real systems. Aims. We test the predictions of the model concerning the multicolour time evolution of outbursts for two well-observed systems, SS Cyg and VW Hyi. Methods. We calculate the multicolour evolution of dwarf nova outbursts using the disc instability model and taking into account the contribution from the irradiated secondary, the white dwarf and the hot spot. Results. Observations definitely show the existence of a hysteresis in the optical colour–magnitude diagram during the evolution of dwarf nova outbursts. We find that the disc instability model naturally explains the existence and the orientation of this hysteresis. For the specific cases of SS Cyg and VW Hyi, the colour and magnitude ranges covered during the evolution of the system are in reasonable agreement with observations. However, the observed colours are bluer than observed near the peak of the outbursts, as in steady systems, and the amplitude of the hysteresis cycle is smaller than observed. The predicted colours significantly depend on the assumptions made for calculating the disc spectrum during rise, and on the magnitude of the secondary irradiation for the decaying part of the outburst. Conclusions. Improvements in the spectral disc models are strongly needed if the system evolution in the UV is to be addressed.

1997 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 210-214
Author(s):  
Ulf Torkelsson ◽  
Axel Brandenburg ◽  
Åke Nordlund ◽  
Robert F. Stein

AbstractThe shearing box has rapidly become the accepted way to investigate turbulence in Keplerian shear flows. In this paper we discuss to what extent and in which way the outcome of the shearing box is affected by the adopted boundary conditions, and how the shearing box can be modified to capture more of the physics of an accretion disc. The original shearing box model is too symmetric to generate a net accretion flow, but the symmetry can be broken by including the main effects of the cylindrical geometry of the real disc. However the quantitative change in the resulting angular momentum transport is small.


2000 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 617-620
Author(s):  
John M. Porter

AbstractIt is assumed that the dynamics of Be star discs is dominated by the effects of viscous stresses. By examining angular momentum transport in discs, we show that many, if not all observed Be star discs should be accretion discs unless (i) the disc is acted upon by another agent (e.g. magnetic fields or the stellar radiation field), or (ii) the disc cools significantly as it flows outwards.


2001 ◽  
Vol 200 ◽  
pp. 410-414
Author(s):  
Günther Rüdiger ◽  
Udo Ziegler

Properties have been demonstrated of the magneto-rotational instability for two different applications, i.e. for a global spherical model and a box simulation with Keplerian background shear flow. In both nonlinear cases a dynamo operates with a negative (positive) α-effect in the northern (southern) disk hemisphere and in both cases the angular momentum transport is outwards. Keplerian accretion disks should therefore exhibit large-scale magnetic fields with a dipolar geometry of the poloidal components favoring jet formation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A133
Author(s):  
N. Scepi ◽  
G. Lesur ◽  
G. Dubus ◽  
J. Jacquemin-Ide

Context. Dwarf novæ (DNe) and low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) show eruptions that are thought to be due to a thermal-viscous instability in their accretion disk. These eruptions provide constraints on angular momentum transport mechanisms. Aims. We explore the idea that angular momentum transport could be controlled by the dynamical evolution of the large-scale magnetic field. We study the impact of different prescriptions for the magnetic field evolution on the dynamics of the disk. This is a first step in confronting the theory of magnetic field transport with observations. Methods. We developed a version of the disk instability model that evolves the density, the temperature, and the large-scale vertical magnetic flux simultaneously. We took into account the accretion driven by turbulence or by a magnetized outflow with prescriptions taken, respectively, from shearing box simulations or self-similar solutions of magnetized outflows. To evolve the magnetic flux, we used a toy model with physically motivated prescriptions that depend mainly on the local magnetization β, where β is the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure. Results. We find that allowing magnetic flux to be advected inwards provides the best agreement with DNe light curves. This leads to a hybrid configuration with an inner magnetized disk, driven by angular momentum losses to an MHD outflow, sharply transiting to an outer weakly-magnetized turbulent disk where the eruptions are triggered. The dynamical impact is equivalent to truncating a viscous disk so that it does not extend down to the compact object, with the truncation radius dependent on the magnetic flux and evolving as Ṁ−2/3. Conclusions. Models of DNe and LMXB light curves typically require the outer, viscous disk to be truncated in order to match the observations. There is no generic explanation for this truncation. We propose that it is a natural outcome of the presence of large-scale magnetic fields in both DNe and LMXBs, with the magnetic flux accumulating towards the center to produce a magnetized disk with a fast accretion timescale.


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