Why wouldn't an accretion disk orbiting a giant star get as hot as an accretion disk orbiting a compact object?
1 Answer
Jan 30, 2017
The particles in an accretion disc around a small compact object are moving faster and have more energy.
Explanation:
As with anything orbiting around body, the smaller the orbit the faster the object travels. Particles in an accretion disc around a large star will be travelling relatively slowly
Particles in an accretion disc around a compact objects will be travelling much faster. As a result collisions between particles will have more energy and will generate more heat. Also, gravitational effects from the compact body will provide additional heating effects.
