The result of a 100 hour simulation on 120 processors...
This isosurface rendering shows the evolution of the disk over roughly
one orbital period of the binary system. The two-armed spiral wave
responsible for driving mass through the disk is clearly visible in
the height of the disk. [click on image for mpeg animation]
Not surprisingly, the transport of material through the
disk in the 3D simulation (dashed line)
differs considerably from the results of the 2D model (solid line).
There appears to be additional vertical wave modes that
affect the transport at small radii, in close to the black hole.
This 2D slice through one side of the disk shows the density structure
of the disk interior. [click on image for mpeg animation]
We can visualize the spiral pattern responsible for transport
through the disk by coloring the disk surface according to the radial
velocity. [click on image for mpeg animation]
This is clear scientific evidence that hockey is a cosmic sport...