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arXiv · 2507.12651

MESA-QUEST: Modeling Quasi-Stars in MESA

Claire B. Campbell·Andrew D. Santarelli·Matthew E. Caplan
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Abstract

Supermassive black hole formation remains an unsolved problem. Quasi-stars have been suggested as a viable heavy-seeding mechanism. In this work, we implement methods for modeling quasi-stars previously used with the Cambridge STARS code into the 1D stellar evolution code MESA. The computational capabilities of MESA allow for more detailed simulations of quasi-star evolution due to its modularity and the ease of implementing of new physical processes and controls. Our implementation, the MESA Quasi-star Evolutionary Simulation Toolkit (MESA-QUEST), is available in a publicly accessible repository.

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Claire B. Campbell, Andrew D. Santarelli, Matthew E. Caplan. 2025-07-16. MESA-QUEST: Modeling Quasi-Stars in MESA. https://doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172%2Fadef33

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