Relativistic Accretion into a Reissner-Nordstr\"om Black Hole Revisited

Abstract

The accretion of relativistic and non-relativistic fluids into a Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole is revisited. The position of the critical point, the flow velocity at this point and the accretion rate are only slightly affected with respect to the Schwarzschild case when the fluid is non-relativistic. On the contrary, relativistic fluids cross the critical point always subsonically. In this case, the sonic point is located near the event horizon, which is crossed by the fluid with a velocity less than the light speed. The accretion rate of relativistic fluids by a Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole is reduced with respect to those estimated for uncharged black holes, being about 60% less for the extreme case (charge-to-mass ratio equal to one).