Accretion disc viscosity: how big is alpha?

Accretion disc viscosity: how big is alpha?

We consider observational and theoretical estimates of the accretion disc viscosity parameter α. We find that in thin, fully ionized discs, the best observational evidence suggests a typical range α∼ 0.1–0.4, whereas the relevant numerical simulations tend to derive estimates for α which are an orde...

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Veröffentlicht in:Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2007-04, Vol.376 (4), p.1740-1746
Hauptverfasser: King, A. R., Pringle, J. E., Livio, M.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
accretion
accretion discs
accretion, accretion discs
Astronomy
Astrophysics
Earth, ocean, space
Estimating techniques
Exact sciences and technology
Mathematical models
Simulation
Stars & galaxies
Theory
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:We consider observational and theoretical estimates of the accretion disc viscosity parameter α. We find that in thin, fully ionized discs, the best observational evidence suggests a typical range α∼ 0.1–0.4, whereas the relevant numerical simulations tend to derive estimates for α which are an order of magnitude smaller. We discuss possible reasons for this apparent discrepancy.
ISSN:0035-8711
1365-2966
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11556.x