Enhanced activity of massive black holes by stellar capture assisted by a self-gravitating accretion disc

2007/04/20 by V. Karas, L. Subr, Ladislav Šubr · 4 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066068

published as Astronomy and Astrophysics 470 (2007) 11-19 · 10 pages, 5 figures; Astronomy & Astrophysics accepted

arxiv created 2007/04/20 · openalex publication_date 2007/05/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

Aims.We study the probability of close encounters between stars from a nuclear cluster and a massive black hole (104; ). The gravitational field of the system is dominated by the black hole in its sphere of influence. It is further modified by the cluster mean field (a spherical term) and a gaseous disc/torus (an axially symmetric term) causing a secular evolution of stellar orbits via Kozai oscillations. Intermittent phases of high eccentricity increase the chance that stars become damaged inside the tidal radius of the central hole. Such events can produce debris and lead to recurring episodes of enhanced accretion activity.

Citations

• Star-disc interactions in a galactic centre and oblateness of the inner stellar cluster
• On highly eccentric stellar trajectories interacting with a self-gravitating disc in Sgr A^⋆
• The evolution of orbits of artificial satellites of planets under the action of gravitational perturbations of external bodies

Cited by

• Eccentric disc instability in stellar discs formed from inspiralling gas clouds in the Galactic Centre
• EVIDENCE FOR WARPED DISKS OF YOUNG STARS IN THE GALACTIC CENTER
• A Tidal Disruption Event Candidate Discovered in the Active Galactic Nucleus SDSS J022700.77-042020.6
• The Effect of Star–Disk Interactions on Highly Eccentric Stellar Orbits in Active Galactic Nuclei: A Disk Loss Cone and Implications for Stellar Tidal Disruption Events

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• Co-evolution of Nuclear Star Clusters and Massive Black Holes: Extreme Mass-Ratio Inspirals