Photon damping of waves in accretion disks

MHD turbulence is generally believed to have two important functions in accretion disks: it transports angular momentum outward, and the energy in its shortest wavelength modes is dissipated into the heat that the disks radiate. The authors examine a pair of mechanisms that may play an important role in regulating the amplitude and spectrum of this turbulence: photon diffusion and viscosity. They demonstrate that in radiation pressure-dominated disks, photon damping of compressive MHD waves is so rapid that it likely dominates all other dissipation mechanisms

Duke Scholars

Author Jeffrey L. Krolik Electrical and Computer Engineering