arXiv subjects

Noam Soker

Publications and source records attributed to Noam Soker.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

The rotational shear in pre-collapse cores of massive stars

We evolve stellar models to study the rotational profiles of the pre-explosion cores of single massive stars that are progenitors of core collapse supernovae (CCSNe), and find large rotational shear above the iron core that might play an important role in the jet feedback explosion mechanism by amplifying magnetic fields before and after collapse. Initial masses of 15 Mo and 30 Mo and various values of the initial rotation velocity are considered, as well as a reduced mass-loss rate along the evolution and the effect of core-envelope coupling through magnetic fields. We find that the rotation profiles just before core collapse differ between models, but share the following properties. (1) There are narrow zones of very large rotational shear adjacent to convective zones. (2) The rotation rate of the inner core is slower than required to form a Keplerian accretion disk. (3) The outer part of the core and the envelope have non-negligible specific angular momentum compared to the last stable orbit around a black hole (BH). Our results suggest the feasibility of magnetic field amplification which might aid a jet-driven explosion leaving behind a neutron star. Alternatively, if the inner core fails in exploding the star, an accretion disk from the outer parts of the core might form and lead to a jet-driven CCSN which leaves behind a BH.

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arXiv2017

Energy transport by convection in the common envelope evolution

We argue that outward transport of energy by convection and photon diffusion in a common envelope evolution (CEE) of giant stars substantially reduces the fraction of the recombination energy of hydrogen and helium that is available for envelope removal. We base our estimate on the properties of an unperturbed asymptotic giant branch (AGB) spherical model, and on some simple arguments. Since during the CEE the envelope expands and energy removal by photon diffusion becomes more efficient, our arguments underestimate the escape of recombination energy. We hence strengthen earlier claims that recombination energy does not contribute much to common envelope removal. A large fraction of the energy that jets deposit to the envelope, on the other hand, might be in the form of kinetic energy of the expanding and buoyantly rising hot bubbles. These rapidly rising bubbles remove mass from the envelope. We demonstrate this process by conducting a three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulation where we deposit hot gas in the location of a secondary star that orbits inside the envelope of a giant star. Despite the fact that we do not include the large amount of gravitational energy that is released by the in-spiraling secondary star, the hot bubbles alone remove mass at a rate of about 0.1 Mo/yr, which is much above the regular mass loss rate.

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arXiv2017

Accounting for planet-shaped planetary nebulae

By following the evolution of several observed exoplanetary systems we show that by lowering the mass loss rate of single solar-like stars during their two giant branches, these stars will swallow their planets at the tip of their asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. This will most likely lead the stars to form elliptical planetary nebulae (PNe). Under the traditional mass loss rate these stars will hardly form observable PNe. Stars with a lower mass loss rate as we propose, about 15 per cent of the traditional mass loss rate of single stars, leave the AGB with much higher luminosities than what traditional evolution produces. Hence, the assumed lower mass loss rate might also account for the presence of bright PNe in old stellar populations. We present the evolution of four exoplanetary systems that represent stellar masses in the range of 0.9-1.3 Mo. The justification for this low mass loss rate is our assumption that the stellar samples that were used to derive the traditional average single-star mass loss rate were contaminated by stars that suffer binary interaction.

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arXiv2017

A summary of two meetings on the role of jets in interacting stellar binaries

In relation to two meetings on stellar binary systems in July 2017, I summarize my view that in the majority of strongly interacting stellar binary systems jets play decisive roles. In the meeting The Physics of Evolved Stars II: The role of Binarity (Nice, July 10-13, 2017) many talks and posters were concentrated on the shaping of circumstellar matter, with some significant new results, like the observations of wide jets launched from binary systems. In the meeting The Impact of Binaries on Stellar Evolution (ESO Garching, July 3-7, 2017), both in the opening and the summary talks the speakers mentioned that "Textbooks need most likely to be rewritten". I made my point that some new chapters were already written, although researchers do not read them but rather keep referring to the `old textbooks'. For example, too many speakers and authors keep referring only to the single degenerate and double degenerate scenarios for the progenitors of SNe Ia. Researchers must refer also to the `new textbook chapter' on the core degenerate (CD) scenario. Other examples involve the role of jets. Jets lead to a new evolutionary phase, that of the grazing envelope evolution (GEE), that should be considered alongside the older ones, e.g., the common envelope evolution, Roche lobe overflow (RLOF), and wind mass loss and accretion. I discuss how the GEE can solve some puzzling binary systems. We should also consider the role of jets as an extra energy source to remove the common envelope and in powering intermediate luminosity optical transients (ILOTs). One strong advantage of jets is that in many cases they operate through a negative feedback mechanism, hence preventing the need for a fine tuning. The operation of the jet feedback mechanism (JFM) connects also binary evolution to explosion of massive stars as core collapse supernovae.

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arXiv2017

An outburst powered by the merging of two stars inside the envelope of a giant

We conduct three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of energy deposition into the envelope of a red giant star as a result of the merger of two close main sequence stars or brown dwarfs, and show that the outcome is a highly non-spherical outflow. Such a violent interaction of a triple stellar system can explain the formation of `messy', i.e., lacking any kind of symmetry, planetary nebulae (PNe) and similar nebulae around evolved stars. We do not simulate the merging process, but simply assume that after the tight binary system enters the envelope of the giant star the interaction with the envelope causes the two components, stars or brown dwarfs, to merge and liberate gravitational energy. We deposit the energy over a time period of about nine hours, which is about one per cent of the orbital period of the merger product around the centre of the giant star. The ejection of the fast hot gas and its collision with previously ejected mass are very likely to lead to a transient event, i.e., an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT).

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arXiv2017

The imprints of the last jets in core collapse supernovae

We analyze the morphologies of three core collapse supernova remnants (CCSNRs) and the energy of jets in other CCSNRs and in Super Luminous Supernovae (SLSNe) of type Ib/Ic/IIb, and conclude that these properties are well explained by the last jets' episode as expected in the jet feedback explosion mechanism of core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). The presence of two opposite protrusions, termed ears, and our comparison of the CCSNR morphologies with morphologies of planetary nebulae strengthen the claim that jets play a major role in the explosion mechanism of CCSNe. We crudely estimate the energy that was required to inflate the ears in two CCSNRs, and assume that the ears were inflated by jets. We find that the energies of the jets that inflated ears in 11 CCSNRs span a range that is similar to that of jets in some energetic CCSNe (SLSNe), and that this energy, only of the last jets' episode, is much less than the explosion energy. This finding is compatible with the jet feedback explosion mechanism of CCSNe, where only the last jets, that carry a small fraction of the total energy carried by earlier jets, are expected to influence the outer parts of the ejecta. We reiterate our call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven to jet-driven explosion models of CCSNe.

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arXiv2017

Evolution of the Jet-Feedback Mechanism (JFM)

I list eight types of astrophysical objects where jets, and more particularly the jet feedback mechanism (JFM), might operate, and discuss cases where an object evolves from one type to another while the JFM continues to operate. In four of these classes of objects jets are known to play significant, or even crucial, roles: in cooling flows, during galaxy formation, in young stellar objects (YSO), and in planetary nebulae. In core collapse supernovae (CCSNe), in the common envelope evolution (CEE), in the grazing envelope evolution (GEE), and in intermediate-luminosity optical transients (ILOTs) the suggestion that a JFM takes place is still controversial. I call for a refresh thinking and more detail studies of the possibility that jets play a large role in exploding massive stars and in the CEE. I also present a new speculative scenario where the first active galactic nuclei (AGN) were preceded by a JFM that operated during the life time of the supermassive young object (SMYO) progenitor of the AGN. A short and energetic phase of CCSN took place between the SMYO and the AGN phases. I term this scenario of young object to supernova to AGN (YOSA) that includes a JFM along all stages, the YOSA-JFM scenario. I speculate that in the YOSA-JFM scenario, the JFM that might have operated during the phase of the SMYO started to establish the correlations between the mass of the super-massive black hole (SMBH) and some properties of the stellar component of galaxies before the formation of the SMBH.

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arXiv2017

Energizing the last phase of common envelope removal

We propose a scenario where a companion that is about to exit a common envelope evolution (CEE) with a giant star accretes mass from the remaining envelope outside its deep orbit and launches jets that facilitate the removal of the remaining envelope. The jets that the accretion disk launches collide with the envelope and form hot bubbles that energize the envelope. Due to gravitational interaction with the envelope, that might reside in a circumbinary disk, the companion migrates further in, but the inner boundary of the circumbinary disk continues to feed the accretion disk. While near the equatorial plane mass leaves the system at a very low velocity, along the polar directions velocities are very high. When the primary is an asymptotic giant branch star, this type of flow forms a bipolar nebula with very narrow waists. We compare this envelope removal process with four others last-phase common envelope removal processes. We also note that the accreted gas from the envelope outside the orbit in the last-phase of the CEE might carry with it angular momentum that is antialigned to the orbital angular momentum. We discuss the implications to the possibly antialigned spins of the merging black hole event GW170104.

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arXiv2017

The two promising scenarios to explode core collapse supernovae

I compare to each other what I consider to be the two most promising scenarios to explode core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). Both are based on the negative jet feedback mechanism (JFM). In the jittering jets scenario a collapsing core of a single slowly-rotating star can launch jets. The accretion disk or belt (a sub-Keplerian accretion flow concentrated toward the equatorial plane) that launches the jets is intermittent with varying directions of the axis. Instabilities, such as the standing accretion shock instability (SASI), lead to stochastic angular momentum variations that allow the formation of the intermittent accretion disk/belt. According to this scenario no failed CCSNe exist. According to the fixed axis scenario, the core of the progenitor star must be spun up during its late evolutionary phases, and hence all CCSNe are descendants of strongly interacting binary systems, most likely through a common envelope evolution (whether the companion survives or not). Due to the strong binary interaction, the axis of the accretion disk that is formed around the newly born neutron star has a more or less fixed direction. According to the fixed axis scenario, accretion disk/belt are not formed around the newly born neutron star of single stars; they rather end in failed CCSNe. I also raise the possibility that the jittering jets scenario operates for progenitors with initial mass of 8Mo 18Mo. For the first time these two scenarios are compared to each other, as well as to some aspects of neutrino-driven explosion mechanism. These new comparisons further suggest that the JFM plays a major role in exploding massive stars.

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arXiv2017

Gentle heating by mixing in cooling flow clusters

We analyze three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of the interaction of jets and the bubbles they inflate with the intra-cluster medium (ICM), and show that the heating of the ICM by mixing hot bubble gas with the ICM operates over tens of millions of years, and hence can smooth the sporadic activity of the jets. The inflation process of hot bubbles by propagating jets forms many vortices, and these vortices mix the hot bubble gas with the ICM. The mixing, hence the heating of the ICM, starts immediately after the jets are launched, but continues for tens of millions of years. We suggest that the smoothing of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) sporadic activity by the long-lived vortices accounts for the recent finding of a gentle energy coupling between AGN heating and the ICM.

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arXiv2017

Grazing envelope evolution toward Type IIb supernovae

I propose a scenario where the majority of the progenitors of type IIb supernovae (SNe IIb) lose most of their hydrogen-rich envelope during a grazing envelope evolution (GEE). In the GEE the orbital radius of the binary system is about equal to the radius of the giant star, and the more compact companion accretes mass through an accretion disk. The accretion disk is assumed to launch two opposite jets that efficiently remove gas from the envelope along the orbit of the companion. The efficient envelope removal by jets prevents the binary system from entering a common envelope evolution, at least for part of the time. The GEE might be continuous or intermittent. I crudely estimate the total GEE time period to be in the range of about hundreds of years, for a continuous GEE, and up to few tens of thousands of years for intermittent GEE. The key new point is that the removal of envelope gas by jets during the GEE prevents the system from entering a common envelope evolution, and by that substantially increases the volume of the stellar binary parameter space that leads to SNe IIb, both to lower secondary masses and to closer orbital separations.

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arXiv2017

Early UV emission from disk-originated matter (DOM) in type Ia supernovae in the double degenerate scenario

We show that the blue and UV excess emission at the first few days of some type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) can be accounted for in the double degenerate (DD) scenario by the collision of the SN ejecta with circumstellar matter that was blown by the accretion disk formed during the merger process of the two white dwarfs (WDs). We assume that in cases of excess early light the disk blows the circumstellar matter, that we term disk-originated matter (DOM), hours to days before explosion. To perform our analysis we first provide a model-based definition for early excess light, replacing the definition of excess light relative to a power-law fit to the rising luminosity. We then examine the light curves of the SNe Ia iPTF14atg and SN 2012cg, and find that the collision of the ejecta with a DOM in the frame of the DD scenario can account for their early excess emission. Thus, early excess light does not necessarily imply the presence of a stellar companion in the frame of the single-degenerate scenario. Our findings further increase the variety of phenomena that the DD scenario can account for, and emphasize the need to consider all different SN Ia scenarios when interpreting observations.

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arXiv2017

Shaping planetary nebulae with jets in inclined triple stellar systems

We conduct three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of two opposite jets launched obliquely to the orbital plane around an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star and within its dense wind, and demonstrate the formation of a `messy' planetary nebula (PN), namely, a PN lacking any type of symmetry (highly irregular). In building the initial conditions we assume that a tight binary system orbits the AGB star, and that the orbital plane of the tight binary system is inclined to the orbital plane of the binary system and the AGB star (the triple system plane). We further assume that the accreted mass on to the tight binary system forms an accretion disk around one of the stars, and that the plane of the disk is tilted to the orbital plane of the triple system. The highly asymmetrical and filamentary structure that we obtain support the notion that messy PNe might be shaped by triple stellar systems.

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arXiv2017

The magnetar model of the superluminous supernova GAIA16apd and the explosion jet feedback mechanism (JFM)

Under the assumption that jets explode core collapse supernovae in a negative jet feedback mechanism (JFM), I show that rapidly rotating neutron stars are likely to be formed when the explosion is very energetic. Under the assumption that an accretion disk or an accretion belt around the just-formed neutron star launch jets and that the accreted gas spins-up the just-formed neutron star, I derive a crude relation between the energy that is stored in the spinning neutron star and the explosion energy. This relation reads Espin/Eexp~(Eexp/1e52erg). It shows that within the frame of the JFM explosion model of core collapse supernovae, spinning neutron stars, such as magnetars, might have significant energy in super-energetic explosions. The existence of magnetars, if confirmed, such as in the recent super-energetic supernova GAIA16apd, further supports the call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven to jet-driven core-collapse supernova mechanisms.

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arXiv2017

An intermediate-luminosity-optical-transient (ILOT) model for the young stellar object ASASSN-15qi

We construct a scenario where the outburst of the young-stellar-object ASASSN-15qi is an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT). In this scenario a sub-Jupiter young planet was tidally destructed on to a young main-sequence star. The system is young, therefore the radius of the planet is larger than its final value, and consequently its density is smaller. The lower density allows the tidal destruction of the young Saturn-like planet on to the main-sequence star of mass $\approx 2.4~\rm{M_\odot}$, resulting in a formation of a disc and a gravitationally-powered ILOT. Unlike the case of the more energetic ILOT V838~Mon, the mass of the destructed planet is too low to inflate a giant envelope, and hence the merger remnant stays hot. If our suggested model holds, this ILOT possesses two interesting properties: (1) its luminosity and total energy are below those of novae, and (2) it is not as red as other ILOTs. The unusual outburst of ASASSN-15qi, if indeed is an ILOT, further increases the diversity of the already heterogeneous group of ILOTs. We mark the region on the energy-time diagram occupied by such young ILOTs.

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arXiv2017

Planetary nebulae that cannot be explained by binary systems

We examine the images of hundreds of planetary nebulae (PNe) and find that for about one in six PNe the morphology is too `messy' to be accounted for by models of stellar binary interaction. We speculate that interacting triple stellar systems shaped these PNe. In this preliminary study we qualitatively classify PNe by one of four categories. (1) PNe that show no need for a tertiary star to account for their morphology. (2) PNe whose structure possesses a pronounced departure from axial-symmetry and/or mirror-symmetry. We classify these, according to our speculation, as `having a triple stellar progenitor'. (3) PNe whose morphology possesses departure from axial-symmetry and/or mirror-symmetry, but not as pronounced as in the previous class, and are classified as `likely shaped by triple stellar system'. (4) PNe with minor departure from axial-symmetry and/or mirror symmetry that could have been as well caused by an eccentric binary system or the inter-stellar medium. These are classified as `maybe shaped by a triple stellar system'. Given a weight eta_t=1, eta_l=0.67, eta_m=0.33 to classes 2, 3 and 4, respectively, we find that according to our assumption about 13 - 21% of PNe have been shaped by triple stellar systems. Although in some evolutionary scenarios not all three stars survive the evolution, we encourage the search for a triple stellar systems at the center of some PNe.

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arXiv2017

A minority view on the majority: A personal meeting summary on the explosion mechanism of supernovae

In the meeting SN 1987A 30 years later, I presented my minority view that the majority (or even all) of core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are driven by jets rather than by neutrinos, and that the majority of type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) reach their explosion via the core degenerate scenario. New simulations presented at the meeting did not achieve an explosion of CCSNe. I critically examine other arguments that where presented in support of the neutrino-driven model, and present counter arguments that support the jet-driven explosion mechanism. The jets operate via a negative jet feedback mechanism (JFM). The negative feedback mechanism explains the explosion energy being several times the binding energy of the core in most CCSNe. At the present time when we do not know yet what mechanism explodes massive stars and we do not know yet what evolutionary route leads white dwarfs to explode as SN Ia, we must be open to different ideas and critically examine old notions.

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arXiv2017

Core collapse supernova remnants with ears

We study the morphologies of core collapse supernova remnants (CCSNRs) and find that about third of CCSNRs in our sample have two opposite `ears' protruding from their main shell. We assume that the ears are formed by jets, and argue that these properties are compatible with the expectation from the explosion jet feedback mechanism (JFM). Based on previous studies of ears in CCSNRs and the similarity of some ears to those found in planetary nebulae, we assume that the ears are inflated by jets that are launched during the explosion, or a short time after it. Under simple geometrical assumptions we find that the extra kinetic energy of the ears is in the range of 1 to 10 percents of the explosion energy. As not all of the kinetic energy of the jets ends in the ears, we estimate that the typical kinetic energy in the jets that inflated the ears, under our assumptions, is about 5 to 15 percents of the explosion energy. This study supports a serious consideration of jet-driven core-collapse supernova mechanisms.

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