arXiv subjects

Gareth F. Kennedy

Publications and source records attributed to Gareth F. Kennedy.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2016

Star-disc interaction in galactic nuclei: orbits and rates of accreted stars

We examine the effect of an accretion disc on the orbits of stars in the central star cluster surrounding a central massive black hole by performing a suite of 39 high-accuracy direct N-body simulations using state-of-the art software and accelerator hardware, with particle numbers up to 128k. The primary focus is on the accretion rate of stars by the black hole (equivalent to their tidal disruption rate for black holes in the small to medium mass range) and the eccentricity distribution of these stars. Our simulations vary not only the particle number, but disc model (two models examined), spatial resolution at the centre (characterised by the numerical accretion radius) and softening length. The large parameter range and physically realistic modelling allow us for the first time to confidently extrapolate these results to real galactic centres. While in a real galactic centre both particle number and accretion radius differ by a few orders of magnitude from our models, which are constrained by numerical capability, we find that the stellar accretion rate converges for models with N > 32k. The eccentricity distribution of accreted stars, however, does not converge. We find that there are two competing effects at work when improving the resolution: larger particle number leads to a smaller fraction of stars accreted on nearly-circular orbits, while higher spatial resolution increases this fraction. We scale our simulations to some nearby galaxies and find that the expected boost in stellar accretion (or tidal disruption, which could be observed as X-ray flares) in the presence of a gas disc is about a factor of 10. Even with this boost, the accretion of mass from stars is still a factor of ~ 100 slower than the accretion of gas from the disc. Thus, it seems accretion of stars is not a major contributor to black hole mass growth.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Application of three-body stability to globular clusters: I. The stability radius

The tidal radius is commonly determined analytically by equating the tidal field of the galaxy to the gravitational potential of the cluster. Stars crossing this radius can move from orbiting the cluster centre to independently orbiting the galaxy. In this paper, the stability radius of a globular cluster is estimated using a novel approach from the theoretical standpoint of the general three-body problem. This is achieved by an analytical formula for the transition radius between stable and unstable orbits in a globular cluster. A stability analysis, outlined by Mardling, is used here to predict the occurrence of unstable stellar orbits in the outermost region of a globular cluster in a distant orbit around a galaxy. It is found that the eccentricity of the cluster-galaxy orbit has a far more significant effect on the stability radius of globular clusters than previous theoretical results of the tidal radius have found. A simple analytical formula is given for determining the transition between stable and unstable orbits, which is analogous to the tidal radius for a globular cluster. The stability radius estimate is interior to tidal radius estimates and gives the innermost region from which stars can random walk to their eventual escape from the cluster. The time-scale for this random walk process is also estimated using numerical three-body scattering experiments.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Application of three-body stability to globular clusters: II. Observed velocity dispersions

The velocity dispersion profile in globular clusters (GCs) is explained here without having to rely on dark matter or a modification of Newtonian dynamics (MOND). The flattening of the velocity dispersion at large radii in certain Milky Way GCs, or lack thereof, is explained by recourse to the stability of the three-body problem in Newtonian dynamics. The previous paper in this series determined an analytical formula for the transition radius between stable and unstable orbits for a star in a GC. This stability boundary is used here to predict where the velocity dispersion profile is expected to flatten in GCs, given known orbital parameters of the GC-galaxy orbit. Published observational data for the velocity dispersion as a function of radius of 15 Milky Way GCs with approximately known orbital parameters are used here. We find that the stability boundary predicts flattening in the majority of clusters. While observational uncertainties in the orbital parameters prevent MOND from being ruled out entirely for some clusters, it is not the preferred model in any cluster. Based on the results of this study, we recommend further velocity dispersion observations and orbital determination for NGC 6171 and NGC 6341 as these are promising candidates for distinguishing Newtonian and MOND models. In particular, NGC 6171 may already be showing evidence of the chaotic diffusion of stars leading to flattening at the predicted stability boundary.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

Tidal disruptions of separated binaries in galactic nuclei

Several galaxies have exhibited X-ray flares that are consistent with the tidal disruption of a star by a central supermassive black hole. In theoretical treatments of this process it is usually assumed that the star was initially on a nearly parabolic orbit relative to the black hole. Such an assumption leads in the simplest approximation to a $t^{-5/3}$ decay of the bolometric luminosity and this is indeed consistent with the relatively poorly sampled light curves of such flares. We point out that there is another regime in which the decay would be different: if a binary is tidally separated and the star that remains close to the hole is eventually tidally disrupted from a moderate eccentricity orbit, the decay is slower, typically $\sim t^{-1.2}$. As a result, careful sampling of the light curves of such flares could distinguish between these processes and yield insight into the dynamics of binaries as well as single stars in galactic centres. We explore this process using three-body simulations and analytic treatments and discuss the consequences for present-day X-ray detections and future gravitational wave observations.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

The star capture model for fueling quasar accretion disks

Although the powering mechanism for quasars is now widely recognized to be the accretion of matter in a geometrically thin disk, the transport of matter to the inner region of the disk where luminosity is emitted remains an unsolved question. Miralda-Escudé & Kollmeier (2005) proposed a model whereby quasars are fuelled when stars are captured by the accretion disk as they plunge through the gas. Such plunging stars can then be destroyed and deliver their mass to the accretion disk. Here we present the first detailed calculations for the capture of stars originating far from the accretion disk near the zone of influence of the central black hole. In particular we examine the effect of adding a perturbing mass to a fixed stellar cusp potential on bringing stars into the accretion disk where they can be captured. The work presented here will be discussed in detail in an upcoming publication Kennedy et al. (2010).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2009

Signatures of resonant terrestrial planets in long-period systems

The majority of extrasolar planets discovered to date have significantly eccentric orbits, some if not all of which may have been produced through planetary migration. During this process, any planets interior to such an orbit would therefore have been susceptible to resonance capture, and hence may exhibit measurable orbital period variations. Here we summarize the results of our investigation into the possibility of detecting low-mass planets which have been captured into the strong 2:1 resonance. Using analytical expressions together with simulated data we showed that it is possible to identify the existence of a low-mass companion in the internal 2:1 resonance by estimating the time-dependant orbital period for piecewise sections of radial velocity data. This works as long as the amplitude of modulation of the orbital period is greater than its uncertainty, which in practice means that the system should not be too close to exact resonance. Here we provide simple expressions for the libration period and the change in the observed orbital period, these being valid for arbitrary eccentricities and planet masses. They in turn allow one to constrain the mass and eccentricity of a companion planet if the orbital period is sufficiently modulated.

astro-ph.EP↗