Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Bondi--Hoyle Accretion

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:11060041,
            doi = {10.48660/11060041},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/11060041},
            author = {Penner, Jason},
            keywords = {Particle Physics},
            language = {en},
            title = {Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Bondi--Hoyle Accretion},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2011},
            month = {jun},
            note = {PIRSA:11060041 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

I present a relativistic study of axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic Bondi--Hoyle accretion onto a moving Kerr black hole. The equations of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics are solved using high resolution shock capturing methods, involving the use of linearised Riemann solvers. In this study I use the ideal MHD limit, which assumes no viscosity and infinite conductivity. The fluid flow is completely specified by the adiabatic constant $Gamma$, the asymptotic speed of sound $c_s^infty$, and the plasma beta parameter $beta_P$. In particular I restrict the investigation to asymptotically supersonic flows where $v_infty ge c_rms^infty$. To determine the stability of the flow I measure the accretion rates of the energy, and mass. The models presented in this study exhibit a matter density depletion in the downstream region of the black hole which tends to vacuum in convergence tests. This is a feature due to the presence of the magnetic field, more specifically the magnetic pressure, which is not seen in purely hydrodynamic studies. The models investigated present a tendency towards a steady state, which is in agreement with previous studies performed by Font and Iban'ez (1998) using a purely hydrodynamic model.