MHD instabilities in accretion mounds – II. 3D simulations

Abstract

We investigate the onset of pressure-driven toroidal-mode instabilities in accretion mounds on neutron stars by 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations using the pluto MHD code. Our results confirm that for mounds beyond a threshold mass, instabilities form finger-like channels at the periphery, resulting in mass-loss from the magnetically confined mound. Ring-like mounds with hollow interior show the instabilities at the inner edge as well. We perform the simulations for mounds of different sizes to investigate the effect of the mound mass on the growth rate of the instabilities. We also investigate the effect of such instabilities on observables such as cyclotron resonant scattering features and timing properties of such systems.