Accretion Disks: An Overview

Abstract

Accretion disks are complex systems which are not yet entirely understood. Here a short overview is given of accretion disk theory, describing the disks, the thin disk approximation to simplify calculations and a description of the alpha-disk model. The Eddington limit and its role in accretion disks is discussed. Newtonian and Pseudo-Newtonian gravitational potentials are introduced and analyzed. Modeling black hole systems is also covered. Finally, observations of four systems possessing black holes are discussed.