Rotating central objects with hard surfaces: A pseudo-Newtonian potential for relativistic accretion disks

Department of Physics and Centre for Theoretical Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302, India

Corresponding author: sghosh@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de

Received: 14 January 2003
Accepted: 31 March 2003

Abstract

Here we furnish a pseudo-Newtonian potential for accretion disk modeling around rotating central objects having a hard surface. Thus, the potential may be useful to describe the accretion disk around rotating neutron stars and strange stars. The potential can describe the general relativistic effects in accretion disks properly, essentially studying the relativistic hydrodynamics of disks. To understand the fluid dynamics of the accretion disk around rotating central objects with a hard surface, it is necessary to incorporate the rotation of the central object, which affects the inner edge of the disk. We derive our potential, starting from the Hartle Thorne metric. The potential can reproduce all the essential properties of general relativity with a error at most, for slowly rotating neutron/strange stars.