  Steady state, spherically symmetric accretion flows are well understood in
terms of the Bondi solution. Spherical symmetry however, is necessarily an
idealized approximation to reality. Here we explore the consequences of
deviations away from spherical symmetry, first through a simple analytic model
to motivate the physical processes involved, and then through hydrodynamical,
numerical simulations of an ideal fluid accreting onto a Newtonian gravitating
object. Specifically, we consider axisymmetric, large-scale, small amplitude
deviations in the density field such that the equatorial plane is over dense as
compared to the polar regions. We find that the resulting polar density
gradient dramatically alters the Bondi result and gives rise to steady state
solutions presenting bipolar outflows. As the density contrast increases, more
and more material is ejected from the system, attaining speeds larger than the
local escape velocities for even modest density contrasts. Interestingly,
interior to the outflow region, the flow tends locally towards the Bondi
solution, with a resulting total mass accretion rate through the inner boundary
$choking$ at a value very close to the corresponding Bondi one. Thus, the
numerical experiments performed suggest the appearance of a maximum achievable
accretion rate, with any extra material being ejected, even for very small
departures from spherical symmetry.
