= Accretion disk
{wiki}
= Accretion disc
{synonym}
An \b[accretion disk] is an orbiting flow in which stresses permit matter to move inward by transporting <angular momentum> to other matter or an outflow. Simply losing heat is insufficient for gas that retains too much <angular momentum> to reach the center. The stresses also dissipate orbital <energy>, potentially producing strong radiation. A spreading ring illustrates the exchange: some material can accrete while a smaller fraction moves outward carrying the required <angular momentum>.<Dynamics of Astrophysical Discs by Gordon I. Ogilvie>[Lecture4, sections4.1–4.2: advected flux, internal torque and disk evolution]{ref}
Back to article page