This article is cited in 43 papers

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS

Flow structure in magnetic close binary stars

A. G. Zhilkin^ab, D. V. Bisikalo^a, A. A. Boyarchuk<sup>a

a</sup> Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences
^b Chelyabinsk State University

Abstract: The current understanding of mass exchange processes between close binary system (CBS) components is reviewed, with particular attention on the mass flow structure and accretion disk physics. Using 3D MHD calculation results, the variation of key accretion disk characteristics with the accretor magnetic field is studied and the magnetic field generation process is analyzed. In particular, it is shown that the quasi-periodic process of toroidal magnetic field generation in disks results in alternating accretion and decretion regimes in the inner regions of the disk. By treating MHD flows in CBSs self-consistently, disk formation conditions are established and a separation criterion between intermediate-polar and polar flows is found. The possibility of using MHD simulation results for explaining observations is discussed.

PACS: 52.30.-q, 97.10.Gz, 97.80.-d

Received: May 17, 2011
Revised: July 14, 2011
Accepted: July 15, 2011

DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0182.201202a.0121

 English version: Physics–Uspekhi, 2012, 55:2, 115–136

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