Dynamical aspects of discoidal astrophysical systems

Author(s)

Ronaldo Savioli Sumé Vieira

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin
• Defense date: 2015-05-22

Examining board members

Alberto Vazquez Saa; Júlio César Fabris; Tatiana Alexandrovna Michtchenko; Arlene Cristina Aguilar; Pedro Cunha de Holanda

• Advisor: Alberto Vazquez Saa; Marcus Aloizio Martinez de Aguiar

Abstract

In this work, we analyze dynamical aspects of astrophysical systems containing a prominent discoidal component. We study the motion of test particles (stars) which cross bidimensional, axially symmetric galactic disks, obtaining a formula for the orbits' envelope which depends solely on the disk's surface density. This formula gives us an approximate third integral of motion for the system. We also analyze the stability of equatorial circular orbits in these disks, arriving at the vertical stability condition $\Sigma>0$. This formalism is extended to three-dimensional disks, as well as to general relativity (in which we obtained that the \textit{strong energy condition} is sufficient for vertical stability of circular orbits in infinitesimal disks, in the static and axially symmetric case). We also worked with the post-Newtonian approximation (1PN), obtaining the Hamiltonian formalism for an arbitrary matter distribution, as well as the 1PN corrections to the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies for stationary and axially symmetric configurations, and the approximated third integral of motion for (stationary) infinitesimal disks. Another result obtained was the dependence of the epicyclic frequencies on the Riemannian spacetime curvature for smooth matter-energy distributions, in the static and axially symmetric case. The second part of this thesis corresponds to the results concerning accretion disks. We analyzed the motion of test particles in the Kehagias & Sfetsos metric (spherically symmetric solution to Horava's gravity in the case in which the spacetime is asymptotically flat), in the parameter region in which the singularity is naked. Finally, we studied the thickness of super-Eddington accretion disks, obtained via recent global radiation magnetohydrodynamics simulations in general relativity. The result was compared with slim-disk models for similar accretion rates, leading to the conclusion that the final (stationary) state of accretion flows generated by these simulations is a slim disk, and not a thick disk, as it would be expected by the characteristics of the usually adopted Polish Doughnuts initial configurations (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/00487-9 - Dynamical study of Newtonian and post-Newtonian self-gravitating systems with dark matter
• Grantee: Ronaldo Savioli Sumé Vieira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate