Trans-Magnetosonic Accretion in a Black Hole Magnetosphere

Abstract

We present the critical conditions for hot trans-fast magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) flows in a stationary and axisymmetric black-hole magnetosphere. To accrete onto the black hole, the MHD flow injected from a plasma source with low velocity must pass through the fast magnetosonic point after passing through the ``inner'' or ``outer'' Alfven point. We find that a trans-fast MHD accretion solution related to the inner Alfven point is invalid when the hydrodynamical effects on the MHD flow dominate at the magnetosonic point, while the other accretion solution related to the outer Alfven point is invalid when the total angular momentum of the MHD flow is seriously large. When both regimes of the accretion solutions are valid in the black hole magnetosphere, we can expect the transition between the two regimes. The variety of these solutions would be important in many highly energetic astrophysical situations.