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Supernova explosions in active galactic nuclear discs

Grishin, Evgeni ; Bobrick, Alexey LU orcid ; Hirai, Ryosuke ; Mandel, Ilya and Perets, Hagai (2021) In Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 507(1). p.156-174
Abstract
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are prominent environments for stellar capture, growth, and formation. These environments may catalyse stellar mergers and explosive transients, such as thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae (SNe). SN explosions in AGN discs generate strong shocks, leading to unique observable signatures. We develop an analytical model that follows the evolution of the shock propagating in the disc until it eventually breaks out. We derive the peak luminosity, bolometric light curve, and breakout time. The peak luminosities may exceed 1045 erg s−1 and last from hours to days. The brightest explosions occur in regions of reduced density: either off-plane, or in discs around low-mass central black holes (⁠∼106 M⊙⁠), or in... (More)
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are prominent environments for stellar capture, growth, and formation. These environments may catalyse stellar mergers and explosive transients, such as thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae (SNe). SN explosions in AGN discs generate strong shocks, leading to unique observable signatures. We develop an analytical model that follows the evolution of the shock propagating in the disc until it eventually breaks out. We derive the peak luminosity, bolometric light curve, and breakout time. The peak luminosities may exceed 1045 erg s−1 and last from hours to days. The brightest explosions occur in regions of reduced density: either off-plane, or in discs around low-mass central black holes (⁠∼106 M⊙⁠), or in starved subluminous AGNs. Explosions in the latter two sites are easier to observe due to a reduced AGN background luminosity. We perform suites of 1D Lagrangian radiative hydrodynamics snec code simulations to validate our results and obtain the luminosity in different bands, and 2D axisymmetric Eulerian hydrodynamics code hormone simulations to study the morphology of the ejecta and its deviation from spherical symmetry. The observed signature is expected to be a bright blue, UV or X-ray flare on top of the AGN luminosity from the initial shock breakout, while the subsequent red part of the light curve will largely be unobservable. We estimate the upper limit for the total event rate to be R≲100 yr−1 Gpc−3 for optimal conditions and discuss the large uncertainties in this estimate. Future high-cadence transient searches may reveal these events. Some existing tidal disruption event candidates may originate from AGN SNe. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Hydrodynamics, Shock waves, (Stars:) circumstellar matter, (Stars:) supernovae: general, Galaxies: active, Transients: supernovae
in
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
volume
507
issue
1
pages
156 - 174
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85112631783
ISSN
1365-2966
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stab1957
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f5ca0fe6-3976-45c0-9026-74e9c50d5bb1
alternative location
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/507/1/156/6319505
https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.09953
date added to LUP
2021-08-28 14:14:04
date last changed
2024-04-20 10:11:05
@article{f5ca0fe6-3976-45c0-9026-74e9c50d5bb1,
  abstract     = {{Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are prominent environments for stellar capture, growth, and formation. These environments may catalyse stellar mergers and explosive transients, such as thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae (SNe). SN explosions in AGN discs generate strong shocks, leading to unique observable signatures. We develop an analytical model that follows the evolution of the shock propagating in the disc until it eventually breaks out. We derive the peak luminosity, bolometric light curve, and breakout time. The peak luminosities may exceed 1045 erg s−1 and last from hours to days. The brightest explosions occur in regions of reduced density: either off-plane, or in discs around low-mass central black holes (⁠∼106 M⊙⁠), or in starved subluminous AGNs. Explosions in the latter two sites are easier to observe due to a reduced AGN background luminosity. We perform suites of 1D Lagrangian radiative hydrodynamics snec code simulations to validate our results and obtain the luminosity in different bands, and 2D axisymmetric Eulerian hydrodynamics code hormone simulations to study the morphology of the ejecta and its deviation from spherical symmetry. The observed signature is expected to be a bright blue, UV or X-ray flare on top of the AGN luminosity from the initial shock breakout, while the subsequent red part of the light curve will largely be unobservable. We estimate the upper limit for the total event rate to be R≲100 yr−1 Gpc−3 for optimal conditions and discuss the large uncertainties in this estimate. Future high-cadence transient searches may reveal these events. Some existing tidal disruption event candidates may originate from AGN SNe.}},
  author       = {{Grishin, Evgeni and Bobrick, Alexey and Hirai, Ryosuke and Mandel, Ilya and Perets, Hagai}},
  issn         = {{1365-2966}},
  keywords     = {{Hydrodynamics; Shock waves; (Stars:) circumstellar matter; (Stars:) supernovae: general; Galaxies: active; Transients: supernovae}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{156--174}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}},
  title        = {{Supernova explosions in active galactic nuclear discs}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1957}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/mnras/stab1957}},
  volume       = {{507}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}