2015MNRAS.452.3620C

For compact objects fed by Roche lobe overflow, accretion-generated X-rays irradiating the donor star can alter gas flow towards the Lagrange point thus varying mass transfer. The latest work specific to this topic consists of simple yet insightful two-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations stressing the role of global flow. To explore how a time-varying disc shadow affects mass transfer, I generalize the geometry, employ a robust hydrodynamics solver, and use phase space analysis near the nozzle to include coriolis lift there. Without even exposing the nozzle, a warped disc's shadow can drive mass transfer cycles by shifting the equatorial edges of the irradiation patches in turns: drawing in denser ambient gas before sweeping it into the nozzle. Other important effects remain missing in two-dimensional models, which I discuss along with prospects for more detailed yet efficient models.