Satellites in Discs: Regulating the Accretion Luminosity

Abstract

We demonstrate, using a simple analytic model, that the presence of a massive satellite can globally modify the structure and emission properties of an accretion disc to which it is tidally coupled. We show, using two levels of numerical approximation, that the analytic model gives reasonable results. The results are applicable to two astrophysical situations. In the case of an active galactic nucleus, we consider the case of a $\sim 10^3\Msun$ compact companion to the central black-hole and show that it could modulate the emitted spectrum on a timescale of $\sim10^5$ years. In the case of a T Tauri accretion disc, a satellite such as a sub-dwarf or giant planet could modify the disc spectral energy distribution over a substantial fraction of the T Tauri star lifetime.