[Colloquium] [Astro] Radiation Magnetohydrodynamics of Accretion Flows onto Compact Objects

Omer Blaes, UCSB 

Title: Radiation Magnetohydrodynamics of Accretion Flows onto Compact Objects

Abstract: In this colloquium I will discuss a variety of fun astrophysical phenomena involving infall of matter onto compact objects (black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs) that involve the coupling of two pieces of (largely classical) physics:  (1) magnetized electrically conducting fluids, and (2) energy and momentum exchange between photons and matter. After discussing the basics of these pieces of physics, I will show you how they interact in nontrivial ways in astrophysics, including opacity-driven convection enhancing magnetorotational turbulent stresses in accretion disks, photon bubbles in magnetized neutron star accretion columns, and compressive bulk Comptonization in high luminosity flows onto supermassive black holes.

[Colloquium]