On the origin of episodic accretion in dwarf novae

Charles F. Gammie; Kristen Menou

doi:10.1086/311091

On the origin of episodic accretion in dwarf novae

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We show that dwarf nova disks in quiescence have rather low magnetic Reynolds numbers, of order 10³. Numerical simulations of magnetized accretion disks suggest that under these conditions magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and the associated angular momentum transport is sharply reduced. This could be the physical origin of episodic accretion in dwarf nova disks. If so, the standard disk instability model needs to be revised.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L75-L78
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	492
Issue number	1 PART II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/311091
State	Published - 1998
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Accretion, accretion disks
MHD
Novae, cataclysmic variables
Turbulence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Online availability

10.1086/311091

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title = "On the origin of episodic accretion in dwarf novae",

abstract = "We show that dwarf nova disks in quiescence have rather low magnetic Reynolds numbers, of order 103. Numerical simulations of magnetized accretion disks suggest that under these conditions magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and the associated angular momentum transport is sharply reduced. This could be the physical origin of episodic accretion in dwarf nova disks. If so, the standard disk instability model needs to be revised.",

keywords = "Accretion, accretion disks, MHD, Novae, cataclysmic variables, Turbulence",

author = "Gammie, {Charles F.} and Kristen Menou",

note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to S. Balbus, J.-M. Hameury, J. Hawley, S. Kenyon, J.-P. Lasota, R. Narayan, E. Quataert, J. Raymond, H. Vanhala, and E. Vishniac for helpful comments. P. Hoeflich provided a code for calculating electron abundances. This work was supported by NASA grant NAGW 5-2837. K. M. was supported by an SAO predoctoral fellowship and a French Higher Education Ministry grant.",

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doi = "10.1086/311091",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "492",

pages = "L75--L78",

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publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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T1 - On the origin of episodic accretion in dwarf novae

AU - Gammie, Charles F.

AU - Menou, Kristen

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to S. Balbus, J.-M. Hameury, J. Hawley, S. Kenyon, J.-P. Lasota, R. Narayan, E. Quataert, J. Raymond, H. Vanhala, and E. Vishniac for helpful comments. P. Hoeflich provided a code for calculating electron abundances. This work was supported by NASA grant NAGW 5-2837. K. M. was supported by an SAO predoctoral fellowship and a French Higher Education Ministry grant.

PY - 1998

Y1 - 1998

N2 - We show that dwarf nova disks in quiescence have rather low magnetic Reynolds numbers, of order 103. Numerical simulations of magnetized accretion disks suggest that under these conditions magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and the associated angular momentum transport is sharply reduced. This could be the physical origin of episodic accretion in dwarf nova disks. If so, the standard disk instability model needs to be revised.

AB - We show that dwarf nova disks in quiescence have rather low magnetic Reynolds numbers, of order 103. Numerical simulations of magnetized accretion disks suggest that under these conditions magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and the associated angular momentum transport is sharply reduced. This could be the physical origin of episodic accretion in dwarf nova disks. If so, the standard disk instability model needs to be revised.

KW - Accretion, accretion disks

KW - MHD

KW - Novae, cataclysmic variables

KW - Turbulence

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On the origin of episodic accretion in dwarf novae

Abstract

Keywords

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