Constraints on the Mass Accretion Rate of Neutrino-Cooled Disks in Gamma-Ray Bursts

TL;DR

This paper unifies the understanding of different black hole accretion disks and finds that neutrino-dominated accretion flows have specific limits on their mass accretion rates, which could explain X-ray flares in gamma-ray bursts.

Contribution

It provides a unified framework for all three known classes of optically thick accretion disks and identifies bounds on the mass accretion rate in NDAFs.

Findings

NDAFs have both a maximum and minimum mass accretion rate at each radius.

The bounds on accretion rates may explain the origin of X-ray flares in gamma-ray bursts.

Unified description of Shakura-Sunyaev, slim disks, and NDAFs.

Abstract

We present a unified description of all the three known classes of optically thick accretion disks around black holes, namely Shakura-Sunyaev disks, slim disks, and neutrino-dominated accretion flows (NDAFs). It is found that NDAFs have both a maximal and a minimal possible mass accretion rate at their each radius. This may be suggestive of an interpretation for the origin of X-ray flares observed in gamma-ray bursts.