Accretion Disks in Astrophysics

Accretion disks are swirling rings of gas and dust that form around massive objects like stars, black holes, or young planets. As material falls toward these objects due to gravity, it spirals inward, heating up and emitting light, often in the form of X-rays. This process can create powerful jets and contribute to the growth of the central body. In astrophysical plasmas, the hot, ionized gas in the disks can behave in complex ways, influenced by magnetic fields and turbulence, playing a key role in the evolution of galaxies and stellar systems.