Accretion Disk Eruptions in the FU Orionis Variable Stars

摘要

The pre-main sequence FU Orionis variables undergo 3-6 mag outburstslasting from decades to centuries. The outbursts occur in a large, self-luminous accre-tion disk surrounding a young star with an age of 1-10 x 10~5yr. Models of thermallyunstable disks generally account for the scale and duration of the outburst. The accre-tion rate through the disk is large enough to add ~ 1% of a solar mass to the centralstar in each outburst. Repetitive eruptions could add ,Z 20% of a solar mass to eachpre-main sequence star in the solar neighborhood.