On the stability and evolution of relativistic radiation tori: equations and speculations

Creators: Blandford, R. D.; Jaroszyński, M.; Kumar, S.

Abstract

Equations describing the general relativistic evolution of hypothetical radiation-supported tori in active galactic nuclei are presented and discussed. Equations describing global, non-axisymmetric perturbations of radiation tori are also given. The role of instabilities in transporting angular momentum and heat is examined and some simple prescriptions for use in numerical calculation of the secular evolution of these structures are suggested. In particular, if a sufficiently optically thick torus evolves to become dynamically unstable then a gyrotropic, marginally stable convection zone with angular momentum constant on isentropes may be established. Goldreich–Schubert–Fricke instability should be adequate to maintain a radiative zone in a barotropic state.

Additional Information

© 1985 Royal Astronomical Society. Provided by the NASA Astrophysics Data System. Accepted 1985 February 26. Received 1985 January 28. We thank Martin Rees and Jim Pringle for comments. RB acknowledges support by the National Science Foundation under grant AST82-13001, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, RB also acknowledges hospitality at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, during 1983 July where some of these calculations were carried out. MJ acknowledges an AST grant at the California Institute of Technology where this work was initiated, and the partial support of the Polish Academy of Sciences. SK would like to thank Trinity College, Cambridge, for a research studentship.

Attached Files

Published - mnras215-0667.pdf

Files

mnras215-0667.pdf

Files (1.1 MB)

Name	Size	Download all
mnras215-0667.pdf md5:d1228d382d39b7588c26e4f5d939d99d	1.1 MB	Preview Download

Additional details

	All versions	This version
Views	0	0
Downloads	0	0
Data volume	0 Bytes	0 Bytes