Related papers: Precessing warped accretion discs in X-ray binarie…

The theory of radiatively-induced warps in accretion discs is applied to the discs of Be stars. It is found that these discs may develop warps in their inner regions, although once the warp amplitude is large enough then the interaction…

X-ray binaries exhibit complex variability patterns studied in the power-spectrum. These include the broad-band noise (BBN) components and various types of narrow components called quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). There is currently no…

We present a model of an outburst of the soft X-ray transient A0620-003. A two-dimensional time-dependent smoothed particle hydrodynamics scheme is used to simulate the evolution of the accretion disc through a complete outburst. The scheme…

Accretion discs that are tilted with respect to their compact hosts can warp out-of-plane through general relativistic frame-dragging. Warp influences disc dynamics in ways that have been studied extensively, especially as regards…

Stellar companions of accreting neutron stars in ultra compact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) are hydrogen-deficient. Their helium or C/O accretion discs are strongly X-ray irradiated. Both the chemical composition and irradiation determine the…

Warped, precessing accretion discs appear in a range of astrophysical systems, for instance the X-ray binary Her X-1 and in the active nucleus of NGC4258. In a warped accretion disc there are horizontal pressure gradients that drive an…

We present the first local simulations of disc breaking/tearing in a warped accretion disc. Warps can arise due to a misalignment between the disc and the rotation axis of the central object, or a misalignment with the orbital plane of a…

Compact binaries have long been a paradigm for accretion theory. Much of our present view of how accretion occurs comes directly from the comparison of theory with observations of these sources. Since theory differs little for other objects…

In order to provide an explanation for the unexpected radial brightness distribution of the steady accretion discs seen in nova-like variables, Nixon & Pringle (2019) proposed that the accretion energy is redistributed outwards by means of…

We review results on the dynamics of warped gaseous discs. We consider tidal perturbation of a Keplerian disc by a companion star orbiting in a plane inclined to the disc. The perturbation induces the precession of the disc, and thus of any…

We revisit a core prediction of the disc instability model (DIM) applied to X-ray binaries. The model predicts the existence of a critical mass transfer rate, which depends on disc size, separating transient and persistent systems. We…

In this paper we consider the process of alignment of a spinning black hole and a surrounding misaligned accretion disc. We use a simplified set of equations, that describe the evolution of the system in the case where the propagation of…

Despite early theoretical expectations that large-scale, massive outflows would be triggered by accretion onto black holes and neutron stars, their presence was not firmly established until the 2000s. Since then, these accretion disc winds…

The UV emission from X-ray binaries, is more likely to be produced by reprocessing of X-rays by the outer regions of an accretion disk. The structure of the outer disk may be altered due to the presence of X-ray irradiation and we discuss…

A new description of the dynamics of warped accretion discs is presented. A theory of fully nonlinear, slowly varying bending waves is developed, involving a proper treatment of viscous fluid dynamics but neglecting self-gravitation. The…

We numerically study the long-term evolution of the accretion disc around the neutron star in a coplanar Be/X-ray binary with a short period and a moderate eccentricity. From three dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics simulations, we…

An analysis is presented of a numerical investigation of the dynamics and geometry of accretion discs in binary systems with mass ratios q < 0.1, applicable to ultra-compact X-ray binaries, AM CVn stars and very short period cataclysmic…

We explore the linear stability of astrophysical discs exhibiting vertical shear, which arises when there is a radial variation in the temperature or entropy. Such discs are subject to a "vertical-shear instability", which recent nonlinear…

Astrophysical discs are warped whenever a misalignment is present in the system, or when a flat disc is made unstable by external forces. The evolution of the shape and mass distribution of a warped disc is driven not only by external…

I review recent advances in our understanding of accretion disks in transient systems - the dwarf novae and the soft X-ray transients. The primary theme will be the ongoing development of theory in response to the observations. The…