Theory of disk accretion onto supermassive black holes

Abstract

Accretion onto supermassive black holes produces both the dramatic phenomena associated with active galactic nuclei and the underwhelming displays seen in the Galactic Center and most other nearby galaxies. I review selected aspects of the current theoretical understanding of black hole accretion, emphasizing the role of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and gravitational instabilities in driving the actual accretion and the importance of the efficacy of cooling in determining the structure and observational appearance of the accretion flow. Ongoing investigations into the dynamics of the plunging region, the origin of variability in the accretion process, and the evolution of warped, twisted, or eccentric disks are summarized.

Mostly introductory review, to appear in "Supermassive black holes in the distant Universe", ed. A.J. Barger, Kluwer Academic Publishers, in press

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Acceleration and Substructure Constraints in a Quasar Outflow
• Differences in the AGN Populations of Groups and Clusters: Clues to AGN Evolution
• Black-hole spectroscopy: quasinormal modes, ringdown stability and the pseudospectrum
• In quest of axionic hairs in quasars
• What Kinds of Accretion Disks Are There in the Nuclei of Radio Galaxies?
• Angular momentum transport by thermal emission in black hole accretion disks