Accretion Disk

An accretion disk is a structure formed by matter, such as gas and dust, spiraling into a massive object like a star, black hole, or white dwarf. As the material moves inward, it heats up and emits light, often visible as a bright, glowing disk. This process occurs because gravity pulls the matter inward, while friction and collisions between particles generate heat. Accretion disks are important in astrophysics because they help us understand how objects gain mass and how energetic phenomena, like quasars or X-ray emissions, originate around compact objects.