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Abstract The disks of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are expected to be populated by numerous stars, either formed in the outer regions of the disk via gravitational instability or captured from the nearby nuclear star cluster. Regardless of their formation mechanism, these stars experience altered evolutionary paths, mostly shaped by the accretion of dense disk material. In this study, through the comparison of different timescales, we chart the evolutionary outcomes of these AGN stars as a function of disk radius and across a range of supermassive black hole masses, spanning from 106to 109M⊙, for two popular AGN disk models. We find that in the outer regions of the disk, stars evolve similarly to those in the interstellar medium, but in the inner and denser regions, accretion quickly turns low-mass stars into massive stars, and their fate depends on just how quickly they accrete. If accretion occurs at a faster rate than nuclear burning, they can reach a quasi-steady “immortal” state. If stars accrete faster than they can thermally adjust, runaway accretion occurs, potentially preventing a quasi-steady state and altering the disk structure. During the AGN lifetime, in the regions of the disk that produce massive stars, supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may occur within the disk over a wide range of optical depths and ambient densities. Subsequently, in the final phase of the AGN, as the disk becomes depleted, formerly immortal stars will be unable to replenish their fuel, leading to additional SNe and GRBs.
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Can supernova shells feed supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei?
Aims. We simulate shells created by supernovae expanding into the interstellar medium of the nuclear region of a galaxy, and analyze how the shell evolution is influenced by the supernova position relative to the galactic center, by the interstellar matter density, and by the combined gravitational pull of the nuclear star cluster and supermassive black hole (SMBH). Methods. We adopted simplified hydrodynamical simulations using the infinitesimally thin layer approximation in 3D (code RING) and determined whether and where the shell expansion may bring new gas into the inner parsec around the SMBH. Results. The simulations show that supernovae occurring within a conical region around the rotational axis of the galaxy can feed the central accretion disk surrounding the SMBH. For ambient densities between 10 3 and 10 5 cm −3 , the average mass deposited into the central parsec by individual supernovae varies between 10 and 1000 solar masses depending on the ambient density and the spatial distribution of supernova events. Supernovae occurring in the aftermath of a starburst event near a galactic center can supply two to three orders of magnitude more mass into the central parsec, depending on the magnitude of the starburst. The deposited mass typically encounters and joins an accretion disk. The fate of that mass is then divided between the growth of the SMBH and an energetically driven outflow from the disk.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1909554
- PAR ID:
- 10289981
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Volume:
- 644
- ISSN:
- 0004-6361
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- A72
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202038768
