Shock waves in astrophysical gaseous disks: Effects of finite disk thickness and of vertical motions
Abstract
A proper quasi-two-dimensional model of thin astrophysical gaseous disks must take into account the generation of vertical motions in the disk, and finite and variable disk thickness. Using such a quasi-two-dimensional model, we consider the existence of a steady-state shock wave generated by a nonaxisymmetric distribution of the gravitational field in the disk. We find conditions under which the shock front cannot be in steady state in the vicinity of a gravitational potential well. The significant differences between the results that we obtained using this model and standard quasi-two-dimensional models, which assume either constant disk thickness or vertical hydrostatic equilibrium, lend support to the conclusion that the latter are improper. We discuss applications of the results in the theory of galactic shock waves in spiral galaxies and shock waves in accretion disks.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy Letters
- Pub Date:
- April 1999
- Bibcode:
- 1999AstL...25..215K