Accretion and Recovery in Giant Eruptions of Massive Stars

2025/04/28 by Bhawna Mukhija, Mukhija, Bhawna, Amit Kashi +1 · 4 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Accretion (finance) #Accretion disc #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Binary star #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) #Intermediate polar #Luminosity #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) #Stars #Stellar evolution

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2504.19884

published in arXiv (Cornell University) (Cornell University)

openalex publication_date 2025/04/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Giant Eruptions (GEs) are episodic high-rate mass loss events that massive stars experience in the late stage of evolutions before exploding as a core-collapse supernova. If it occurs in a binary system, the companion star can accrete part of the mass. We use numerical simulations to analyze how the companion responds to accretion and how its structure and evolution are altered. We run a grid of massive stars with masses from 20~\rm M_\odot to 60~\rm M_\odot, and accretion rates from \rm 10^-4 to \rm 0.1~M_\odot~\rm yr^-1, over a duration of 20 yrs. For accretion rates \rm \lesssim 0.01~M_\odot~\rm yr^-1 the star remains on the hotter side of the HR diagram with a minor increase in luminosity without expanding, as the accretion timescale exceeds the thermal time scale by a larger factor. Mass loss through stellar winds leads to a minor drop in luminosity shortly after the accretion phase as the star enters the recovery phase. For \rm \gtrsim 0.01~M_\odot~\rm yr^-1 the companion star experiences a sudden increase in luminosity by about one order of magnitude, inflates, and cools. Under the accreted gas layer the star retains its structure and continues to eject radiation-driven wind during the recovery phase, namely the time it takes to regain equilibrium. Eventually, the accreted material mixes with the inner layers of the star, and the star continues to evolve as a more massive star.

Citations

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Cited by

• High mass accretion rates onto evolved stripped-envelope massive stars by jet-induced mass removal
• Pre-Supernova Multiple Giant Eruptions in Massive Stars
• Wind Accretion in Massive Binaries Experiencing High Mass Loss Rates: I. Dependency on Mass Ratio and Orbital Period
• High Power Accretion in Massive Binary Systems and the Impact of Metallicity

Related

• Giant Eruptions in Massive Stars and their Effect on the Stellar Structure
• Pre-Supernova Multiple Giant Eruptions in Massive Stars
• On the response of massive main sequence stars to mass accretion and outflow at high rates
• High Power Accretion in Massive Binary Systems and the Impact of Metallicity
• Wind Accretion in Massive Binaries Experiencing High Mass Loss Rates: I. Dependency on Mass Ratio and Orbital Period