Circumbinary Accretion: From Binary Stars to Massive Binary Black Holes

Abstract

We review recent works on the dynamics of circumbinary accretion, including time variability, angular momentum transfer between the disk and the binary, and the secular evolution of accreting binaries. These dynamics impact stellar binary formation/evolution, circumbinary planet formation/migration, and the evolution of (super)massive black hole binaries. We discuss the dynamics and evolution of inclined/warped circumbinary disks and connect with observations of protoplanetary disks. A special kind of circumbinary accretion involves binaries embedded in big disks, which may contribute to the mergers of stellar-mass black holes in AGN disks. Highlights include the following: ▪ Circumbinary accretion is highly variable, being modulated at Pb (the binary period) or ∼5 Pb, depending on the binary eccentricity eb and mass ratio qb. ▪ The inner region of the circumbinary disk can develop coherent eccentric structure, which may modulate the accretion and affect the physical processes (e.g., planet migration) taking place in the disk. ▪ Over long timescales, circumbinary accretion steers binaries toward equal masses, and it does not always lead to binary orbital decay. The secular orbital evolution depends on the binary parameters ( eb and qb) and on the thermodynamic properties of the accreting gas. ▪ A misaligned disk around a low-eccentricity binary tends to evolve toward coplanarity due to viscous dissipation. But when eb is significant, the disk can evolve toward “polar alignment,” with the disk plane perpendicular to the binary plane.