Three-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamical Accretion Flows into Black Holes

Abstract

Outflows and convective motions in accretion flows have been intensively discussed recently in the context of advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) based on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamical simulations. We, however, point that without proper treatments of the disk magnetic fields, a major source of viscosity, one can never derive general, firm conclusions concerning the occurrence of outflows and convection. We analyzed the 3D MHD numerical simulation data of magnetized accretion flows initially threaded by weak toroidal magnetic fields, finding large-scale convective motions dominating near the black hole. In contrast, outflows occur only temporarily and are not very significant in our simulations. If there grow strong vertical fields somehow, however, formation of bi-polar jets is inevitable. It is claimed that radiation could be dominant at the outermost zones of the convective disks because of outward energy flow by convection, however, this is no longer the case in convective MHD flows, since accretion energy can be released via magnetic reconnection in the inner parts. Such reconnection leads to sporadic flare events, thus producing substantial variability in out-going radiation.