Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Accretion on massive black holes in galactic nuclei

Nature volume 280, pages 214–215 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

STELLAR collisions and/or tidal break-up of stars by a massive black hole1–3 accompanied by subsequent accretion of the released gas onto the hole play a crucial part in most black hole models of quasars and active galactic nuclei. It is usually assumed that an accretion disk forms around the hole due to the large orbital momentum of a disrupting star. However, we show here that the accretion mostly has disk characteristics only when M < Mcr and becomes quasi-spherical when M ≫ Mcr.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hills, J. G. Nature 254, 295–298 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Rees, M. Phys. Scripta 17, 193–200 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ozernoy, L. M. & Reinhardt, M. Astrophys. Space Sci. 59, 171–192 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lydskij, V. V. & Ozernoy, L. M. Pis'ma Astr. Zh. 5, 28–33 (1979).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ichimaru, S. Astrophys. J. 214, 840–855 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lynden-Bell, D. & Pringle, J. E. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 168, 603–637 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G. S. & Blinnikov, S. I. Astr. Astrophys. 59, 111–125 (1977).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gisler, G. R. Astr. Astrophys. 51, 137–150 (1976).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Shields, G. A. & Wheeler, J. C. Astrophys. J. 222, 667–674 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ozernoy, L. M. Astr. Zh. 47, 265–269 (1970).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Condon, J. J. & Dressel, L. L. Astrophys. J. 221, 456–467 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Kerr, F. J. in IAU. Symp. No. 77, 224–225 (1978).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow, USSR

    V. G. GURZADYAN & L. M. OZERNOY

Authors
  1. V. G. GURZADYAN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. M. OZERNOY
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GURZADYAN, V., OZERNOY, L. Accretion on massive black holes in galactic nuclei. Nature 280, 214–215 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/280214a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/280214a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing