Magnetic Field dragging in accretion discs

TL;DR

This paper investigates how magnetic fields are dragged and evolve within accretion discs, which is crucial for understanding jet formation and disc variability, using a time-dependent MHD model.

Contribution

It extends the Lubow et al (1994) method by incorporating momentum and mass conservation in a time-dependent 1D MHD simulation for accretion discs.

Findings

Magnetic field dragging can be modeled with the extended 1D MHD code.

Variations in disc magnetization influence accretion-ejection transitions.

The model provides insights into magnetic field evolution in accretion discs.

Abstract

Accretion discs are composed of ionized gas in motion around a central object. Sometimes, the disc is the source of powerful bipolar jets along its rotation axis. Theoretical models invoke the existence of a bipolar magnetic field crossing the disc and require two conditions to produce powerful jets: field lines need to be bent enough at the disc surface and the magnetic field needs to be close to equipartition. The work of Petrucci et al (2008) on the variability of X-ray binaries supposes that transitions between pure accretion phases and accretion-ejection phases are due to some variations of the disc magnetization. This rises the problem of the magnetic field dragging in accretion discs. We revisit the method developed by Lubow et al (1994) by including momentum and mass conservation equations in a time-dependent 1D MHD code.