Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system

J. E. Cross; G. Gregori; J. M. Foster; P. Graham; J. M. Bonnet-Bidaud; C. Busschaert; N. Charpentier; C. N. Danson; H. W. Doyle; R. P. Drake; J. Fyrth; E. T. Gumbrell; M. Koenig; C. Krauland; C. C. Kuranz; B. Loupias; C. Michaut; M. Mouchet; S. Patankar; J. Skidmore; C. Spindloe; E. R. Tubman; N. Woolsey; R. Yurchak; E. Falize

doi:10.1038/ncomms11899

Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system

J. E. Cross, G. Gregori, J. M. Foster, P. Graham, J. M. Bonnet-Bidaud, C. Busschaert, N. Charpentier, C. N. Danson, H. W. Doyle, R. P. Drake, J. Fyrth, E. T. Gumbrell, M. Koenig, C. Krauland, C. C. Kuranz, B. Loupias, C. Michaut, M. Mouchet, S. Patankar, J. SkidmoreC. Spindloe, E. R. Tubman, N. Woolsey, R. Yurchak, E. Falize

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Abstract

Astrophysical flows exhibit rich behaviour resulting from the interplay of different forms of energy-gravitational, thermal, magnetic and radiative. For magnetic cataclysmic variable stars, material from a late, main sequence star is pulled onto a highly magnetized (B>10 MG) white dwarf. The magnetic field is sufficiently large to direct the flow as an accretion column onto the poles of the white dwarf, a star subclass known as AM Herculis. A stationary radiative shock is expected to form 100-1,000 km above the surface of the white dwarf, far too small to be resolved with current telescopes. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment showing the evolution of a reverse shock when both ionization and radiative losses are important. We find that the stand-off position of the shock agrees with radiation hydrodynamic simulations and is consistent, when scaled to AM Herculis star systems, with theoretical predictions.

Original language	English
Article number	ncomms11899
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11899
Publication status	Published - 13 Jun 2016

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Cross, J. E., Gregori, G., Foster, J. M., Graham, P., Bonnet-Bidaud, J. M., Busschaert, C., Charpentier, N., Danson, C. N., Doyle, H. W., Drake, R. P., Fyrth, J., Gumbrell, E. T., Koenig, M., Krauland, C., Kuranz, C. C., Loupias, B., Michaut, C., Mouchet, M., Patankar, S., ... Falize, E. (2016). Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system. Nature Communications, 7, Article ncomms11899. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11899

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title = "Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system",

abstract = "Astrophysical flows exhibit rich behaviour resulting from the interplay of different forms of energy-gravitational, thermal, magnetic and radiative. For magnetic cataclysmic variable stars, material from a late, main sequence star is pulled onto a highly magnetized (B>10 MG) white dwarf. The magnetic field is sufficiently large to direct the flow as an accretion column onto the poles of the white dwarf, a star subclass known as AM Herculis. A stationary radiative shock is expected to form 100-1,000 km above the surface of the white dwarf, far too small to be resolved with current telescopes. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment showing the evolution of a reverse shock when both ionization and radiative losses are important. We find that the stand-off position of the shock agrees with radiation hydrodynamic simulations and is consistent, when scaled to AM Herculis star systems, with theoretical predictions.",

author = "Cross, \{J. E.\} and G. Gregori and Foster, \{J. M.\} and P. Graham and Bonnet-Bidaud, \{J. M.\} and C. Busschaert and N. Charpentier and Danson, \{C. N.\} and Doyle, \{H. W.\} and Drake, \{R. P.\} and J. Fyrth and Gumbrell, \{E. T.\} and M. Koenig and C. Krauland and Kuranz, \{C. C.\} and B. Loupias and C. Michaut and M. Mouchet and S. Patankar and J. Skidmore and C. Spindloe and Tubman, \{E. R.\} and N. Woolsey and R. Yurchak and E. Falize",

year = "2016",

month = jun,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms11899",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

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Cross, JE, Gregori, G, Foster, JM, Graham, P, Bonnet-Bidaud, JM, Busschaert, C, Charpentier, N, Danson, CN, Doyle, HW, Drake, RP, Fyrth, J, Gumbrell, ET, Koenig, M, Krauland, C, Kuranz, CC, Loupias, B, Michaut, C, Mouchet, M, Patankar, S, Skidmore, J, Spindloe, C, Tubman, ER, Woolsey, N, Yurchak, R & Falize, E 2016, 'Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system', Nature Communications, vol. 7, ncomms11899. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11899

TY - JOUR

T1 - Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system

AU - Cross, J. E.

AU - Gregori, G.

AU - Foster, J. M.

AU - Graham, P.

AU - Bonnet-Bidaud, J. M.

AU - Busschaert, C.

AU - Charpentier, N.

AU - Danson, C. N.

AU - Doyle, H. W.

AU - Drake, R. P.

AU - Fyrth, J.

AU - Gumbrell, E. T.

AU - Koenig, M.

AU - Krauland, C.

AU - Kuranz, C. C.

AU - Loupias, B.

AU - Michaut, C.

AU - Mouchet, M.

AU - Patankar, S.

AU - Skidmore, J.

AU - Spindloe, C.

AU - Tubman, E. R.

AU - Woolsey, N.

AU - Yurchak, R.

AU - Falize, E.

PY - 2016/6/13

Y1 - 2016/6/13

N2 - Astrophysical flows exhibit rich behaviour resulting from the interplay of different forms of energy-gravitational, thermal, magnetic and radiative. For magnetic cataclysmic variable stars, material from a late, main sequence star is pulled onto a highly magnetized (B>10 MG) white dwarf. The magnetic field is sufficiently large to direct the flow as an accretion column onto the poles of the white dwarf, a star subclass known as AM Herculis. A stationary radiative shock is expected to form 100-1,000 km above the surface of the white dwarf, far too small to be resolved with current telescopes. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment showing the evolution of a reverse shock when both ionization and radiative losses are important. We find that the stand-off position of the shock agrees with radiation hydrodynamic simulations and is consistent, when scaled to AM Herculis star systems, with theoretical predictions.

AB - Astrophysical flows exhibit rich behaviour resulting from the interplay of different forms of energy-gravitational, thermal, magnetic and radiative. For magnetic cataclysmic variable stars, material from a late, main sequence star is pulled onto a highly magnetized (B>10 MG) white dwarf. The magnetic field is sufficiently large to direct the flow as an accretion column onto the poles of the white dwarf, a star subclass known as AM Herculis. A stationary radiative shock is expected to form 100-1,000 km above the surface of the white dwarf, far too small to be resolved with current telescopes. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment showing the evolution of a reverse shock when both ionization and radiative losses are important. We find that the stand-off position of the shock agrees with radiation hydrodynamic simulations and is consistent, when scaled to AM Herculis star systems, with theoretical predictions.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms11899

DO - 10.1038/ncomms11899

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84974713161

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 7

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - ncomms11899

ER -

Laboratory analogue of a supersonic accretion column in a binary star system

Abstract

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