The Stability of Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion in Three Dimensions

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

The gravitational accretion of gas onto a compact star moving supersonically through a uniform ambient medium is dynamically unstable in the restricted case of two-dimensional planar geometry (a cylindrical star). Numerical simulations in 3D (e.g., the series of papers by Ruffert) show some hint of instability, but not the dramatic flip-flop seen in 2D planar simulations. We extend the recent 2D numerical simulations of Blondin and Pope (2009) to 3D using the overset spherical grid approach developed by Kageyama and Sato (2004). Using this grid geometry on current supercomputers allows us to simulate the smallest accretors studied in previous 3D work, but with an order of magnitude higher spatial resolution. For an ideal gas with a ratio of specific heats of 5/3, we find relatively minor time variability in the subsonic flow between the head of the accretion bow shock and the accreting star. Overall the bow shock and mass accretion rate remain nearly constant in time, with negligible angular momentum accreted onto the compact star.

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