---
_id: '17624'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'A near-equal-mass binary black hole (BH) can clear a central cavity in a
    circumbinary accretion disc; however, previous works have revealed accretion streams
    entering this cavity. Here we use 2D hydrodynamical simulations to study the accretion
    streams and their periodic behaviour. In particular, we perform a suite of simulations,
    covering different binary mass ratios q = M2/M1 in the range 0.003 ≤ q ≤ 1. In
    each case, we follow the system for several thousand binary orbits, until it relaxes
    to a stable accretion pattern. We find the following results: (i) the binary is
    efficient in maintaining a low-density cavity. However, the time-averaged mass
    accretion rate into the cavity, through narrow coherent accretion streams, is
    suppressed by at most a factor of a few compared to a disc with a single BH with
    the same mass; (ii) for q ≳ 0.05, the accretion rate is strongly modulated by
    the binary, and depending on the precise value of q, the power spectrum of the
    accretion rate shows either one, two or three distinct periods; and (iii) for
    q ≲ 0.05, the accretion rate becomes steady, with no time variations. Most binaries
    produced in galactic mergers are expected to have q ≳ 0.05. If the luminosity
    of these binaries tracks their accretion rate, then a periodogram of their light
    curve could help in their identification, and to constrain their mass ratio and
    disc properties.'
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Daniel J.
  full_name: D'Orazio, Daniel J.
  last_name: D'Orazio
- first_name: Zoltán
  full_name: Haiman, Zoltán
  id: 7c006e8c-cc0d-11ee-8322-cb904ef76f36
  last_name: Haiman
- first_name: Andrew
  full_name: MacFadyen, Andrew
  last_name: MacFadyen
citation:
  ama: D’Orazio DJ, Haiman Z, MacFadyen A. Accretion into the central cavity of a
    circumbinary disc. <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>. 2013;436(4):2997-3020.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1787">10.1093/mnras/stt1787</a>
  apa: D’Orazio, D. J., Haiman, Z., &#38; MacFadyen, A. (2013). Accretion into the
    central cavity of a circumbinary disc. <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
    Society</i>. Oxford University Press. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1787">https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1787</a>
  chicago: D’Orazio, Daniel J., Zoltán Haiman, and Andrew MacFadyen. “Accretion into
    the Central Cavity of a Circumbinary Disc.” <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
    Society</i>. Oxford University Press, 2013. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1787">https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1787</a>.
  ieee: D. J. D’Orazio, Z. Haiman, and A. MacFadyen, “Accretion into the central cavity
    of a circumbinary disc,” <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>,
    vol. 436, no. 4. Oxford University Press, pp. 2997–3020, 2013.
  ista: D’Orazio DJ, Haiman Z, MacFadyen A. 2013. Accretion into the central cavity
    of a circumbinary disc. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 436(4),
    2997–3020.
  mla: D’Orazio, Daniel J., et al. “Accretion into the Central Cavity of a Circumbinary
    Disc.” <i>Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</i>, vol. 436, no.
    4, Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 2997–3020, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1787">10.1093/mnras/stt1787</a>.
  short: D.J. D’Orazio, Z. Haiman, A. MacFadyen, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
    Society 436 (2013) 2997–3020.
date_created: 2024-09-05T13:53:11Z
date_published: 2013-10-18T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2024-09-24T08:47:58Z
day: '18'
doi: 10.1093/mnras/stt1787
extern: '1'
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '1210.0536'
intvolume: '       436'
issue: '4'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: ' https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1210.0536'
month: '10'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
page: 2997-3020
publication: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 1365-2966
  - 0035-8711
publication_status: published
publisher: Oxford University Press
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Accretion into the central cavity of a circumbinary disc
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 436
year: '2013'
...