Binney (2003) has argued that two-temperature radiatively inefficient accretion flow models are unphysical because the electron-ion equipartition time is much shorter than the accretion time. I show that this conclusion is incorrect because it relies on a misidentification of the electron-ion equipartition time. I also clarify what requirements must, in fact, be satisfied to maintain a two-temp...

The accretion-powered, X-ray pulsar 4U 1626-67 has recently shown an abrupt torque reversal accompanied by a dramatic spectral transition and a relatively small luminosity change. The time-averaged X-ray spectrum during spin-down is considerably harder than during spin-up. The observed torque reversal can be explained by an accretion flow transition triggered by a gradual change in the mass acc...

We present low-resolution Keck I/LRIS spectra spanning from 3200–9000 Å of nine young brown dwarfs and three low-mass stars in the TW Hya Association and in Upper Sco. The optical spectral types of the brown dwarfs range from M5.5-M8.75, though two have near-IR spectral types of early L-dwarfs. We report new accretion rates derived from excess Balmer continuum emission for the low-mass stars TW...

About half of the binary systems are close enough to each other for mass to be exchanged between them at some point in their evolution, yet the accretion mechanism in wind accreting binaries is not well understood. We study the dynamical effects of gravitational focusing by a binary companion on winds from late-type stars. In particular, we investigate the mass transfer and formation of accreti...

A brief summary of the properties of astrophysical black holes is presented. Various modes of accretion are distinguished, corresponding to accretion at rates from well below to well above the Eddington rate. The importance of mass loss is emphasized when the accreting gas cannot radiate and it is asserted that a strong wind is likely to be necessary to carry off mass, angular momentum and ener...

We derive a viscosity from gravitational instability in self-gravitating accretion disks, which has the required properties to account for the observed fast formation of the first super-massive black holes in highly redshifted quasars and for the cosmological evolution of the black hole-mass distribution. Subject headings: accretion, accretion disks — hydrodynamics — turbulence — galaxies: acti...

We re-derive the equation for vertical hydrodynamical equilibrium of stationary thin and slim accretion disks in the Kerr spacetime. All the previous derivations have been unsatisfactory, yielding unphysical singularities. Our equation is non-singular, more general, and simpler than those previously derived. Subject headings: accretion, accretion disks — black hole physics — hydrodynamics — rel...

A fraction of neutrino emission from GRB accretion disks annihilates above the disk, creating e+plasma that can drive GRB explosions. We calculate the efficiency of this annihilation using the recent detailed model of hyper-accretion disks around Kerr black holes. Our calculation is fully relativistic and based on a geodesic-tracing method. We find that the efficiency is a well-defined function...