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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.INTRODUCTION

2.EARLY ACCRETION DISK MODELS

3.OBSERVATIONS

3.1.The Big Blue Bump

3.2.Lyman Edges

3.3.Polarization

3.4.Fe K Emission Line and the Lyman Edge

3.5.Variability

3.6.Microlensing

3.7.Double-peaked Line Profiles

4.MORE RECENT ACCRETION DISK MODELS

4.1.The Big Blue Bump

4.2.The Lyman Edge

4.3.Polarization

5.ALTERNATIVES TO STANDARD ACCRETION DISKS

5.1.Thick Disks

5.2.Slim Disks

5.3.Advection-dominated Accretion Flows

5.4.Warped Disks

5.5.Optically Thin Emission and Multiphase Flows

6.SUMMARY AND DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

REFERENCES