On the thermal stability of transonic accretion discs

Abstract

Nonlinear time-dependent calculations have been carried out in order to study the evolution of the thermal instability for optically thick, transonic, slim accretion discs around black holes. In the present calculations we have investigated only the original version of the slim disc model with low viscosity. This version does not yet contain several important non-local effects but our aim is to use it as a standard reference against which to compare the results from forthcoming studies in which additional effects will be added one by one thus giving a systematic way of understanding the contribution from each of them. A range of results for different cases is presented showing a number of interesting features. One preliminary conclusion is that the stabilizing effect of advection seems not to be strong enough in these low viscosity models to allow for limit cycle behaviour to occur.