More Like this

1. Three-dimensional General-relativistic Simulations of Neutrino-driven Winds from Rotating Proto-neutron Stars

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac69da  

   Desai, Dhruv ; Siegel, Daniel M. ; Metzger, Brian D. ( May 2022 , The Astrophysical Journal)

   We explore the effects of rapid rotation on the properties of neutrino-heated winds from proto-neutron stars (PNS) formed in core-collapse supernovae or neutron-star mergers by means of three-dimensional general-relativistic hydrodynamical simulations with M0 neutrino transport. We focus on conditions characteristic of a few seconds into the PNS cooling evolution when the neutrino luminosities obey$L_{{\nu }_e}+L_{{\overline{\nu }}_e}\approx 7\times {10}^{51}$erg s⁻¹, and over which most of the wind mass loss will occur. After an initial transient phase, all of our models reach approximately steady-state outflow solutions with positive energies and sonic surfaces captured on the computational grid. Our nonrotating and slower rotating models (angular velocity relative to Keplerian Ω/Ω_K≲ 0.4; spin periodP≳ 2 ms) generate approximately spherically symmetric outflows with properties in good agreement with previous PNS wind studies. By contrast, our most rapidly spinning PNS solutions (Ω/Ω_K≳ 0.75;P≈ 1 ms) generate outflows focused in the rotational equatorial plane with much higher mass-loss rates (by over an order of magnitude), lower velocities, lower entropy, and lower asymptotic electron fractions, than otherwise similar nonrotating wind solutions. Although such rapidly spinning PNS are likely rare in nature, their atypical nucleosynthetic composition and outsized mass yields could render them important contributors of light neutron-rich nuclei compared to more common slowly rotating PNS birth. Our calculations pave the way to including the combined effects of rotation and a dynamically important large-scale magnetic field on the wind properties within a three-dimensional GRMHD framework.

    

   more » « less
2. Evolutionary roads leading to low effective spins, high black hole masses, and O1/O2 rates for LIGO/Virgo binary black holes

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936528  

   Belczynski, K. ; Klencki, J. ; Fields, C. E. ; Olejak, A. ; Berti, E. ; Meynet, G. ; Fryer, C. L. ; Holz, D. E. ; O’Shaughnessy, R. ; Brown, D. A. ; et al ( April 2020 , Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   All ten LIGO/Virgo binary black hole (BH-BH) coalescences reported following the O1/O2 runs have near-zero effective spins. There are only three potential explanations for this. If the BH spin magnitudes are large, then: (i) either both BH spin vectors must be nearly in the orbital plane or (ii) the spin angular momenta of the BHs must be oppositely directed and similar in magnitude. Then there is also the possibility that (iii) the BH spin magnitudes are small. We consider the third hypothesis within the framework of the classical isolated binary evolution scenario of the BH-BH merger formation. We test three models of angular momentum transport in massive stars: a mildly efficient transport by meridional currents (as employed in the Geneva code), an efficient transport by the Tayler-Spruit magnetic dynamo (as implemented in the MESA code), and a very-efficient transport (as proposed by Fuller et al.) to calculate natal BH spins. We allow for binary evolution to increase the BH spins through accretion and account for the potential spin-up of stars through tidal interactions. Additionally, we update the calculations of the stellar-origin BH masses, including revisions to the history of star formation and to the chemical evolution across cosmic time. We find that we can simultaneously match the observed BH-BH merger rate density and BH masses and BH-BH effective spins. Models with efficient angular momentum transport are favored. The updated stellar-mass weighted gas-phase metallicity evolution now used in our models appears to be key for obtaining an improved reproduction of the LIGO/Virgo merger rate estimate. Mass losses during the pair-instability pulsation supernova phase are likely to be overestimated if the merger GW170729 hosts a BH more massive than 50  M ⊙ . We also estimate rates of black hole-neutron star (BH-NS) mergers from recent LIGO/Virgo observations. If, in fact. angular momentum transport in massive stars is efficient, then any (electromagnetic or gravitational wave) observation of a rapidly spinning BH would indicate either a very effective tidal spin up of the progenitor star (homogeneous evolution, high-mass X-ray binary formation through case A mass transfer, or a spin- up of a Wolf-Rayet star in a close binary by a close companion), significant mass accretion by the hole, or a BH formation through the merger of two or more BHs (in a dense stellar cluster). 

   more » « less
3. 3D MHD simulations of accretion on to stars with tilted magnetic and rotational axes

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1724  

   Romanova, M M ; Koldoba, A V ; Ustyugova, G V ; Blinova, A A ; Lai, D ; Lovelace, R V ( July 2021 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   ABSTRACT We present results of global 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion on to magnetized stars where both the magnetic and rotational axes of the star are tilted about the rotational axis of the disc. We observed that initially the inner parts of the disc are warped, tilted, and precess due to the magnetic interaction between the magnetosphere and the disc. Later, larger tilted discs form with the size increasing with the magnetic moment of the star. The normal vector to the discs are tilted at different angles, from ∼5°–10° up to ∼30°–40°. Small tilts may result from the winding of the magnetic field lines about the rotational axis of the star and the action of the magnetic force which tends to align the disc. Another possible explanation is the magnetic Bardeen–Petterson effect in which the disc settles in the equatorial plane of the star due to precessional and viscous torques in the disc. Tilted discs slowly precess with the time-scale of the order of ∼50 Keplerian periods at the reference radius (∼3 stellar radii). Our results can be applied to different types of stars where signs of tilted discs and/or slow precession have been observed. 

   more » « less
4. Dynamical tides in eccentric binaries containing massive main-sequence stars: analytical expressions

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3698  

   Su, Yubo ; Lai, Dong ( December 2021 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   Tidal evolution of eccentric binary systems containing at least one massive main-sequence (MS) star plays an important role in the formation scenarios of merging compact-object binaries. The dominant dissipation mechanism in such systems involves tidal excitation of outgoing internal gravity waves at the convective-radiative boundary and dissipation of the waves at the stellar envelope/surface. We have derived analytical expressions for the tidal torque and tidal energy transfer rate in such binaries for arbitrary orbital eccentricities and stellar rotation rates. These expressions can be used to study the spin and orbital evolution of eccentric binaries containing massive MS stars, such as the progenitors of merging neutron star binaries. Applying our results to the PSR J0045-7319 system, which has a massive B-star companion and an observed, rapidly decaying orbit, we find that for the standard radius of convective core based on non-rotating stellar models, the B-star must have a significant retrograde and differential rotation in order to explain the observed orbital decay rate. Alternatively, we suggest that the convective core may be larger as a result of rapid stellar rotation and/or mass transfer to the B-star in the recent past during the post-MS evolution of the pulsar progenitor.

    

   more » « less
5. A Theory for Neutron Star and Black Hole Kicks and Induced Spins

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad2353  

   Burrows, Adam ; Wang, Tianshu ; Vartanyan, David ; Coleman, Matthew S. B. ( February 2024 , The Astrophysical Journal)

   Using 20 long-term 3D core-collapse supernova simulations, we find that lower compactness progenitors that explode quasi-spherically due to the short delay to explosion experience smaller neutron star recoil kicks in the ∼100−200 km s⁻¹range, while higher compactness progenitors that explode later and more aspherically leave neutron stars with kicks in the ∼300−1000 km s⁻¹range. In addition, we find that these two classes are correlated with the gravitational mass of the neutron star. This correlation suggests that the survival of binary neutron star systems may in part be due to their lower kick speeds. We also find a correlation between the kick and both the mass dipole of the ejecta and the explosion energy. Furthermore, one channel of black hole birth leaves masses of ∼10M_⊙, is not accompanied by a neutrino-driven explosion, and experiences small kicks. A second channel is through a vigorous explosion that leaves behind a black hole with a mass of ∼3.0M_⊙kicked to high speeds. We find that the induced spins of nascent neutron stars range from seconds to ∼10 ms, but do not yet see a significant spin/kick correlation for pulsars. We suggest that if an initial spin biases the explosion direction, a spin/kick correlation would be a common byproduct of the neutrino mechanism of core-collapse supernovae. Finally, the induced spin in explosive black hole formation is likely large and in the collapsar range. This new 3D model suite provides a greatly expanded perspective and appears to explain some observed pulsar properties by default.

    

   more » « less