Novel methodology to obtain transonic solutions for dissipative flows around compact objects

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new implicit-explicit integration methodology to obtain global transonic solutions for dissipative accretion and wind flows around compact objects, overcoming previous numerical challenges.

Contribution

The work presents the first unified approach to derive accretion and wind solutions with realistic viscosity and cooling processes using ImEx schemes.

Findings

Successfully generates all topologies of global solutions

Handles multiple sonic point regimes and shocks

Performs broad parameter space analysis

Abstract

A novel methodology to obtain global transonic solutions around compact objects is reported here. A unified methodology to obtain accretion as well as wind solutions around these objects has been presented. Flows around compact objects are dissipative, and the conservation equations are therefore stiff. In such conditions, obtaining of sonic point(s) and hence, the transonic solution is not trivial. The conserved equations of motion fail to integrate in the presence of realistic viscosity, thereby making it difficult to obtain a global solution. This inhibits one from getting an actual picture of an astrophysical flow. The current work addresses this long-standing issue of obtaining solutions for both accretion and wind. The methodology developed utilises the inner boundary conditions and takes recourse to implicit-explicit (ImEx) integration schemes, to obtain general global transonic accretion and wind solutions. This is the first time such an attempt has been made. Current work considers the different cooling processes like bremsstrahlung, synchrotron and their inverse-Comptonizations, which are found to affect the thermodynamics of the flow. This methodology could successfully generate all topologies of global solutions, multiple sonic point regime, as well as shocks. A broad parameter space study has been done in this work. In an upcoming part II of the paper, a detailed discussion on the spectra and luminosity of the accretion and wind solutions has been presented.