Circumbinary Accretion: From Binary Stars to Massive Binary Black Holes

Understand

We review recent works on the dynamics of circumbinary accretion, including time variability, angular momentum transfer between the disk and the binary, and the secular evolution of accreting binaries.

• These dynamics can impact stellar binary formation/evolution, circumbinary planet formation/migration, and the evolution of (super)massive black-hole binaries.
• We discuss the dynamics and evolution of inclined/warped circumbinary disks and connect with recent observations of protoplanetary disks.
• A special kind of circumbinary accretion involves binaries embedded in "big" disks, which may contribute to the mergers of stellar-mass black holes in AGN disks.