Zero Energy Rotating Accretion Flows near a Black Hole

Abstract

We characterize the nature of thin, axisymmetric, inviscid, accretion flows of cold adiabatic gas with zero specific energy in the vicinity of a black hole by the specific angular momentum. Using two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations in cylindrical geometry, we present various regimes in which the accretion flows behave distinctly differently. When the flow has a small angular momentum $(\lambda\lsim\lambda_b)$, most of the material is accreted into the black hole forming a quasi-spherical flow or a simple disk-like structure around it. When the flow has a large angular momentum (typically, larger than the marginally bound value, $\lambda\gsim\lambda_{mb}$), almost no accretion into the black hole occurs. Instead, the flow produces a stable standing shock with one or more vortices behind it and is deflected away at the shock as a conical outgoing wind of higher entropy. If the flow has an angular momentum somewhat smaller than $\lambda_{mb}$ $(\lambda_{u}\lsim\lambda\lsim\lambda_{mb})$, a fraction (typically, $5-10$\%) of the incoming material is accreted into the black hole, but the the flow structure formed is similar to that as for $\lambda\gsim\lambda_{mb}$. Some of the deflected material is accreted back into the black hole, while the rest is blown away as an outgoing wind. These two cases with $\lambda\gsim\lambda_u$ correspond those studied in the previous works by Molteni, Lanzafame, \& Chakrabarti (1994) and Ryu \etal (1995). However, the flow with an angular momentum close to the marginally stable value $(\lambda_{ms})$ is found to be unstable. More specifically, if $\lambda_b\lsim\lambda\sim\lambda_{ms}\lsim\lambda_u$, the flow displays a distinct periodicity in the sense that the inner part of the disk is built and