The thermal-viscous disk instability model in the AGN context

• Published in: Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) Vol. 496; no. 2; pp. 413 - 421
• Main Authors: Hameury, J.-M., Viallet, M., Lasota, J.-P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Les Ulis EDP Sciences 01.03.2009
• Subjects: accretion; accretion disks; Astronomy; Astrophysics; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; galaxies: active; instabilities; Sciences of the Universe; stars: dwarf novae; Soft X radiation; Black holes; accretion, accretion disks; Accretion rate; Cosmic x-ray sources; Thermal instabilities; Long term variation; Dwarf novae; Accretion disks; instabilities; Mass transfer; Active galaxies; Transient X ray source; stars: dwarf novae; Low-mass stars; galaxies: active; Active galaxy nuclei; Galaxy nuclei; Cosmology; Cataclysmic variable stars; Models; Dwarf stars; Mach number; accretion; Astrophysics - Galaxy Astrophysics; accretion disks

Context. Accretion disks in AGN should be subject to the same type of instability as in cataclysmic variables (CVs) or in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), which leads to dwarf nova and soft X-ray transient outbursts. It has been suggested that this thermal/viscous instability can account for the lon...