Year: 1994
Type: article
Abstract: The spherically symmetric unsteady accretion in the gravitational field of a constant point mass is investigated using self-similar solutions. We consider the adiabatic accretion flow with a power-law density distribution far from the origin. The solutions are treated for all the physically meaningful types of incident similarity flow at r → ∞. We found that a family of self-similar solutions exists for any fixed incident flow. First, we can always obtain a continuous solution with the regime close to free fall near the origin. if we assume, in addition, that an expanding shock wave may form at the centre, we find a range of solutions – with different shock wave similarity positions – to describe the situation. To choose one solution, one should define the boundary conditions at the centre. The most essential result of this treatment is that, as long as the incident flow is fixed, oniy one solution, with a definite law of the shockfront propagation, can be obtained that provides the zero mass flux and hydrostatic equilibrium near the origin. At the other shock wave similarity positions, either the mass flux is non-zero near the origin or the accretion flow is hollow.
Authors: Y. M. Kazhdan, M. Murzina
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2089618992