Spherically symmetric accretion with self-gravitation

The criteria and conditions when the effects of self-gravitation of the cloud in steady spherically symmetric accretion would lead to an actual enhancement in the accretion rate and density distribution are outlined. The role of self-gravitation is not significant for stellar objects accreting from the interstellar medium but it can be for those accreting from dense cold clouds, massive black holes, stellar clusters, galaxies and clusters of galaxies accreting under a wide range of conditions. (author)