A Global 3D Radiation MHD Simulation of Super-Eddington Accretion Disks

We study how black holes can accrete above the Eddington limit using a global three dimensional radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulation without ad-hoc assumptions. The simulation reaches an accretion rate ~ 220L_Edd/c^2 and forms a radiation driven outflow along the rotation axis. The radiative luminosity of this flow is ~ 10L_Edd. This yields a radiative efficiency ~ 4.5%, which is comparable to the value in a standard thin disk model. In our simulation, vertical advection of radiation caused by magnetic buoyancy transports energy faster than photon diffusion, allowing a significant fraction of the photons to escape from the surface of the disk before being advected into the black hole. We contrast our results with the lower radiative efficiencies inferred in slim disk model, which neglect vertical advection. The results have important implications for the growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe, tidal disruption events and ultra-luminous X-ray sources.