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Star formation around supermassive black holes
1Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, UK. iab1@st-andrews.ac.uk
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 23, 2008
Summary
Giant molecular clouds near supermassive black holes can form stars in eccentric rings. Numerical simulations show cloud fragmentation due to tidal forces and heating, explaining young massive stars in galactic centers.
Area of Science:
- * Astrophysics
- * Computational astrophysics
- * Star formation
Background:
- * Young massive stars are observed in eccentric rings near the galactic center's supermassive black hole.
- * Existing star formation theories struggle to explain their presence due to high tidal shear and transport challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the formation mechanism of young massive stars in eccentric rings around supermassive black holes.
- * To reconcile observational evidence with theoretical models of star formation in extreme galactic environments.
Main Methods:
- * Numerical simulations of a giant molecular cloud interacting with a supermassive black hole.
- * Analysis of energy transfer, disk fragmentation, and stellar mass distribution.
Main Results:
- * Infalling molecular clouds can form bound, eccentric disks around supermassive black holes.
- * Disk fragmentation and compressional heating lead to the formation of relatively high-mass stars.
- * Simulated stars inherit the disk's eccentricity, potentially explaining observed stellar rings.
Conclusions:
- * The infall and fragmentation of giant molecular clouds provide a viable mechanism for forming young massive stars in eccentric rings.
- * This process can explain the presence of multiple eccentric stellar rings observed near supermassive black holes.
- * The model suggests a repetitive cycle of star formation driven by cloud interactions with the central black hole.
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