Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-tnzcf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-13T16:32:53.645Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Wind Accretion by Compact Objects: The “Flip-Flop” Instability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2017

Mario Livio
Mario Livio*
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute 3700 San Martin Drive Baltimore, MD 21218Dept. of Physics, Technion Haifa 32000 Israel

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

The problem of the stability of wind accretion onto compact objects is examined. Recent analytical and numerical calculations show that in two dimensions, Bondi-Hoyle accretion flows are unstable to a “flip-flop” instability. The instability can manifest itself as bursts in the accretion rate and as a random walk-type spin-up, spin-down behaviour of the accreting compact object. The nature of the flow in three dimensions needs further clarification. Possible observational implications are reviewed.

References

Balona, L.A. (1990) M.N.R.A.S. , 245, 273.Google Scholar
Blondin, J.M., Kallman, T.R., Fryxell, B.A. and Taam, R.E. (1990), Ap.J. , 356, 591.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bondi, H. and Hoyle, F. (1944) M.N.R.A.S. , 104, 273.Google Scholar
Cowie, L.L. (1977) M.N.R.A.S. , 180, 491.Google Scholar
Davies, R.E. and Pringle, J.E. (1980) M.N.R.A.S. , 191, 599.Google Scholar
Deeter, J.E., Boynton, P.E., Lamb, F.K. and Zylstra, G. (1989) Ap.J. , 336, 376.Google Scholar
Doll, H. and Brinkmann, W. (1987) Astron. Ap. , 173, 86.Google Scholar
Done, C. Mushotzky, R., Mulchaey, J. and Armand, K.A. (1991) paper present at ‘Structureand Emission Properties of Accretion Disks’, IAU Colloq. 129, Paris.Google Scholar
Fryxell, B.A. and Taam, R.E. (1988) Ap.J. , 335, 862.Google Scholar
van den Heuvel, E.P.J. and Rappaport, S. (1987) in Physics of Be Stars, Slettebak, A. and Snow, T.D. (ed.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 291.Google Scholar
Lamb, D.A. (1988) in Phsyics of Neutron Stars and Black Holes, Tanakka, Y. (eds.), Universal Academy Press, Tokyo, p. 21.Google Scholar
Livio, M. (1988), in ‘The Symbiotic phenomenon’, eds. Mikolajewska, J. et al. (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers), p. 149.Google Scholar
Livio, M. (1991) in ‘Structure and Emission Proporties of Accretion Disks’, IAU Colloq. 129, eds. Bertout, C. et al. (Gif Sur Yvette: Editors Frontieres) p. 263.Google Scholar
Mason, K.D., Hawkins, F. J., Sanford, P.W., Murdin, P. and Savage, A. (1974) Ap.J. , 192, L65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matsuda, T., Inoue, M. and Sawada, K. (1987) M.N.R.A.S. , 226, 785.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matsuda, T., Sekino, N., Sawada, K., Shima, E., Livio, M., Anzer, V. and Börner, G. (1991a), Astron. Ap. , in press.Google Scholar
Matsuda, T. Ishii, T., Sekino, N. Sawada, K., Shima, E., Livio, M. and Anzer, V. (1991b) M.N.R.A.S. , in press.Google Scholar
Nagase, F. (1989) Pub. Astron. Soc. Japan , 41, 1.Google Scholar
Parmar, A.N., White, N.E., Stella, L., Izzo, C. and Ferri, P. (1989) Ap. J. , 338, 359.Google Scholar
Sawada, K., Matsuda, T., Anzer, V., Börner, G. and Livio, M. (1989) Astron. Ap. , 231, 263.Google Scholar
Soker, N. (1990) Ap. J. , 358, 545.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soker, N. (1991) Ap. J. , in press.Google Scholar
Taam, R.E. and Fryxell, B.A. (1988) Ap.J. , 327, L73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taam, R.E., Fryxell, B.A. and Brown, D.A. (1988), Ap.J. , 331, L117.Google Scholar
Taam, R.E., Fu, A. and Fryxell, B.A. (1991) Ap.J. , in press.Google Scholar
Watson, M.G., Warwick, R.S. and Corbett, R.H.D. (1982) M.N.R.A.S. , 199, 915.Google Scholar
White, N.E. (1985) in Interacting Binaries, eds. Eggleton, P.P. and Pringle, J.E., (Dordrecht: Reidel), p. 249.Google Scholar