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Title: The Eccentric Nature of Eccentric Tidal Disruption Events
Abstract Upon entering the tidal sphere of a supermassive black hole, a star is ripped apart by tides and transformed into a stream of debris. The ultimate fate of that debris, and the properties of the bright flare that is produced and observed, depends on a number of parameters, including the energy of the center of mass of the original star. Here we present the results of a set of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations in which a 1 M ⊙ , γ = 5/3 polytrope is disrupted by a 10 6 M ⊙ supermassive black hole. Each simulation has a pericenter distance of r p = r t (i.e., β ≡ r t / r p = 1 with r t the tidal radius), and we vary the eccentricity e of the stellar orbit from e = 0.8 up to e = 1.20 and study the nature of the fallback of debris onto the black hole and the long-term fate of the unbound material. For simulations with eccentricities e ≲ 0.98, the fallback curve has a distinct, three-peak structure that is induced by self-gravity. For simulations with eccentricities e ≳ 1.06, the core of the disrupted star reforms following its initial disruption. Our results have implications for, e.g., tidal disruption events produced by supermassive black hole binaries.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2006684
PAR ID:
10350416
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
924
Issue:
1
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
34
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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