Séminaire IPAG

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Disk winds in accreting compact objects

jeudi 11 juin 2026 - 11h00

Nicolas Scepi - IPAG
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Disk winds are ubiquitous in accreting systems and are now recognized as a fundamental component of accretion itself. By removing mass, momentum, and energy from the disk, they regulate the flow onto compact objects while also shaping their surrounding environment. Yet their launching mechanism remains uncertain, with radiative, thermal, and magnetic processes all competing to explain the observations. In this seminar, I will present recent numerical studies of radiative and magnetic disk winds in accreting white dwarfs (CVs), X-ray binaries, and active galactic nuclei (AGN). I will discuss why the powerful winds observed in AGN and CVs remain difficult to reproduce with purely radiative driving, and why magnetic fields provide a compelling alternative despite introducing their own challenges. Finally, I will highlight how the study of disk winds is shedding new light on longstanding problems in accretion physics, reinforcing their central role in the evolution and appearance of accreting systems.

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Hôtes : Guillaume Dubus

Salle Manuel Forestini, 414 rue de la piscine, 38400 Saint Martin d'Hères