Stellar Astrophysics
Planetary Sciences
Cosmology
Extragalactic Astrophysics
Theoretical & Computational Astrophysics
Galactic Evolution
Theory Group : Stellar Astrophysics : Gamma-ray Bursts
Theory of Gamma-ray Bursts
Helioseismology
Tidal Interaction
Accretion Disks
Patrick Crumley, Pawan Kumar, Chris Lindner, Milos Milosavljevic, Rodolfo Santana
 | Professor Research Interests Gamma-ray bursts; helioseismology; binary stars; tidal interaction; accretion disks; cosmology. Group Areas | |
 | Associate Professor Research Interests Massive black holes; the Galactic center; galaxy formation; galaxy clusters; plasma astrophysics. Group Areas Clusters of Galaxies, Theoretical & Computational Astrophysics, Black Holes & AGN | |
 | Graduate Student | |
| Graduate Student Group Areas | |
| Graduate Student | |
The formation of a thick accretion disk around the black hole at the center of a collapsing star. A parcel of gas which has a circular orbit about the axis of rotation of the star at a radius r before core collapse (red dashed line), goes into free-fall after core collapse (solid red line), colliding with its counterpart from the opposite side of the equatorial plane (blue dashed and solid lines) at a distance req and forming a disk in the equatorial (x-y) plane (light gray). After the parcels of gas collide, they fall further toward the black hole (black) until their angular momentum allows them to become centrifugally supported in an accretion disk (dark gray). The set of axes is shown for orientation; in our calculations, the origin of this coordinate system is at the center of the star.
from
Mass Fall-back and Accretion in the Central Engine of Gamma-Ray Bursts astro-ph