Spherically Symmetric Accretion onto a Compact Object through a Standing Shock: The Effects of General Relativity in the Schwarzschild Geometry

TL;DR

This paper derives steady-state, adiabatic solutions for spherically symmetric accretion onto a compact object through a standing shock, incorporating general relativity effects in Schwarzschild geometry, relevant for weak or failed supernovae.

Contribution

It extends previous Newtonian models by including relativistic effects, providing new solutions for accretion flows near compact objects in supernova scenarios.

Findings

Velocity approaches zero near the Schwarzschild radius.

Solutions can model accretion onto neutron stars or black holes.

Relativistic effects are significant in weak or failed supernovae.

Abstract

A core-collapse supernova is generated by the passage of a shockwave through the envelope of a massive star, where the shock wave is initially launched from the ``bounce'' of the neutron star formed during the collapse of the stellar core. Instead of successfully exploding the star, however, numerical investigations of core-collapse supernovae find that this shock tends to ``stall'' at small radii ($\lesssim$ 10 neutron star radii), with stellar material accreting onto the central object through the standing shock. Here, we present time-steady, adiabatic solutions for the density, pressure, and velocity of the shocked fluid that accretes onto the compact object through the stalled shock, and we include the effects of general relativity in the Schwarzschild metric. Similar to previous works that were carried out in the Newtonian limit, we find that the gas ``settles'' interior to the stalled shock; in the relativistic regime analyzed here, the velocity asymptotically approaches zero near the Schwarzschild radius. These solutions can represent accretion onto a material surface if the radius of the compact object is outside of its event horizon, such as a neutron star; we also discuss the possibility that these solutions can approximately represent the accretion of gas onto a newly formed black hole following a core-collapse event. Our findings and solutions are particularly relevant in weak and failed supernovae, where the shock is pushed to small radii and relativistic effects are large.