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The nature of accretion disks of close binary stars: overreflection instability and developed turbulence

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© 2008 Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk and P N Lebedev Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
, , Citation A M Fridman and D V Bisikalo 2008 Phys.-Usp. 51 551 DOI 10.1070/PU2008v051n06ABEH006583

1063-7869/51/6/551

Abstract

The current status of the physics of accretion disks in close binary stars is reviewed, with an emphasis on the hydrodynamic overreflection instability, which is a factor leading to the accretion disk turbulence. The estimated turbulent viscosity coefficients are in good agreement with observations and explain the high angular momentum transfer rate and the measured accretion rate. Based on the observations, a power-law spectrum for the developed turbulence is obtained.

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10.1070/PU2008v051n06ABEH006583