accretion disk

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the rapidly spinning disk of gas that forms around the more compact component of a close binary star system as mass is transferred to the compact companion from the primary star.

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accretion disk Scientific  

1. A spinning disk of gas and dust surrounding a celestial object with an intense gravitational field, such as a star or a black hole. In binary star systems, the gravitational attraction of the denser star can pull matter from the other star into an accretion disk in its own orbit. The material in the accretion disk eventually spirals into the attracting star and adds to its mass. The gas in accretion disks that surround black holes becomes condensed and heated as it is sucked into the hole, emitting x-rays and other radiation that provide evidence for the presence of the black hole.

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Etymology

Origin of accretion disk

First recorded in 1975–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

accretion disk

This finding provides the first direct timing connection between X-ray activity and the powerful winds flowing from the black hole's accretion disk.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

In intermediate polar systems, gas forms a rotating accretion disk while also being drawn toward the white dwarf's magnetic poles.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 8, 2026

Most of the emitted light, for example visible light and X-ray, get blocked by thick layers of cosmic dust and can’t pass through the accretion disk around them.

From Space Scoop ● Mar. 27, 2025

Eventually the entire accretion disk is torn in half, with the black hole first consuming the inner disc and then the outer one.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2024

The MIT-led team has shown that the wobble of the newly created accretion disk is key to working out the central black hole's inherent spin.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024

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