Mapping the Outcomes of Stellar Evolution in the Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Fabj, Gaia, Dittmann, Alexander J., Cantiello, Matteo, Perna, Rosalba, Samsing, Johan
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2024
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author Fabj, Gaia
Dittmann, Alexander J.
Cantiello, Matteo
Perna, Rosalba
Samsing, Johan
author_facet Fabj, Gaia
Dittmann, Alexander J.
Cantiello, Matteo
Perna, Rosalba
Samsing, Johan
contents 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 (SMBH) masses, spanning from $10^6$ to $10^9 \rm M_\odot$, 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.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_16050
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Mapping the Outcomes of Stellar Evolution in the Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei
Fabj, Gaia
Dittmann, Alexander J.
Cantiello, Matteo
Perna, Rosalba
Samsing, Johan
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
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 (SMBH) masses, spanning from $10^6$ to $10^9 \rm M_\odot$, 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.
title Mapping the Outcomes of Stellar Evolution in the Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.16050