Accretion Shock - Angular Momentum
The velocity field in Model 14A at 0.751 s
showing early disk formation as centrifugal forces begin to halt
accretion near the equator and a toroidal accretion shock forms at
about 550 km. Meanwhile accretion along the polar axis proceeds
relatively uninhibited. The largest infall velocities just outside the
accretion shock in the equator are about 25,000 km/s
and at the pole 55,000 km/s. Material impacting the
disk at high latitude is channeled into the accretion column. Some
circulation in the disk is apparent. Because velocity arrows in this
and subsequent figures have their tails in the zone they represent,
the spherical inner boundary at 50 km is obscured.
Above picture: Gzipped Postscript
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Andrew MacFadyen-
andrew@ucolick.org - October 20, 1998
Kerr Hall 237B - (831)459-2774
Lick Observatory and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
UC Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A.