Realistic Simulations of White Dwarf Tidal Disruption Events

Authors

  • Sinead Humphrey University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Keywords:

White Dwarfs, Black Holes, Numerical Simulations, Moving-Mesh Hydrodynamics, Tidal Disruption Events, Nuclear burning

Abstract

White dwarfs that pass within the tidal radius of low and intermediate mass black holes can be torn apart by intense tidal forces. This event could ignite thermonuclear burning in the white dwarf which might lead to a distinct obser- vational signal. We present the preliminary findings from 13 numerical simulations of white dwarf tidal disruption events performed using the 3D moving-mesh hydrodynamic code, MANGA, with a new nuclear burning module.

References

P. Chang and Z. B. Etienne. General relativistic hydrodynamics on a moving-mesh i: static space–times. MNRAS, 496 (1):206–214, jun 2020. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa1532.

P. Chang, J. Wadsley, and T. R. Quinn. A moving-mesh hydrodynamic solver for ChaNGa. MNRAS, 471:3577–3589, Nov. 2017. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stx1809.

P. Chang, S. W. Davis, and Y.-F. Jiang. Time-dependent radiation hydrodynamics on a moving mesh. MNRAS, 493 (4):5397–5407, Apr. 2020. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa573.

J. Guillochon and E. Ramirez-Ruiz. Hydrodynamical Simulations to Determine the Feeding Rate of Black Holes by the Tidal Disruption of Stars: The Importance of the Impact Parameter and Stellar Structure. ApJ, 767(1):25, Apr. 2013. doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/767/1/25.

D. Kushnir, B. Katz, S. Dong, E. Livne, and R. Ferna ́ndez. Head-on Collisions of White Dwarfs in Triple Systems Could Explain Type Ia Supernovae. ApJL, 778(2):L37, Dec. 2013. doi: 10.1088/2041-8205/778/2/L37.

K. Maguire, M. Eracleous, P. G. Jonker, M. MacLeod, and S. Rosswog. Tidal Disruptions of White Dwarfs: Theoret- ical Models and Observational Prospects. SSR, 216(3):39, Mar. 2020. doi: 10.1007/s11214-020-00661-2.

B. Paxton. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA). Zenodo, Sept. 2019.

B. Paxton, L. Bildsten, A. Dotter, F. Herwig, P. Lesaffre, and F. Timmes. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astro-

physics (MESA). ApJS, 192:3, Jan. 2011. doi: 10.1088/0067-0049/192/1/3.

B. Paxton, M. Cantiello, P. Arras, L. Bildsten, E. F. Brown, A. Dotter, C. Mankovich, M. H. Montgomery, D. Stello, F. X. Timmes, and R. Townsend. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Planets, Oscillations, Rotation, and Massive Stars. ApJS, 208:4, Sept. 2013. doi: 10.1088/0067-0049/208/1/4.

B. Paxton, P. Marchant, J. Schwab, E. B. Bauer, L. Bildsten, M. Cantiello, L. Dessart, R. Farmer, H. Hu, N. Langer, R. H. D. Townsend, D. M. Townsley, and F. X. Timmes. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Binaries, Pulsations, and Explosions. ApJS, 220:15, Sept. 2015. doi: 10.1088/0067-0049/220/1/15.

B. Paxton, J. Schwab, E. B. Bauer, L. Bildsten, S. Blinnikov, P. Duffell, R. Farmer, J. A. Goldberg, P. Marchant, E. Sorokina, A. Thoul, R. H. D. Townsend, and F. X. Timmes. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Convective Boundaries, Element Diffusion, and Massive Star Explosions. ApJS, 234(2):34, Feb. 2018. doi: 10.3847/1538-4365/aaa5a8.

L. J. Prust and P. Chang. Common envelope evolution on a moving mesh. MNRAS, 486(4):5809–5818, July 2019. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stz1219.

S. Rosswog, E. Ramirez-Ruiz, and W. R. Hix. Tidal Disruption and Ignition of White Dwarfs by Moderately Massive Black Holes. ApJ, 695(1):404–419, Apr. 2009. doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/695/1/404.

A. Spaulding and P. Chang. The effect of impact parameter on tidal disruption events. mnras, 501(2):1748–1754, Feb. 2021. doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa3627.

A. Tanikawa, Y. Sato, K. Nomoto, K. Maeda, N. Nakasato, and I. Hachisu. Does Explosive Nuclear Burning Occur in Tidal Disruption Events of White Dwarfs by Intermediate-mass Black Holes? apj, 839(2):81, Apr. 2017. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/aa697d.

F. X. Timmes, R. D. Hoffman, and S. E. Woosley. An Inexpensive Nuclear Energy Generation Network for Stellar Hydrodynamics. ApJS, 129(1):377–398, July 2000. doi: 10.1086/313407.

M. J. Turk, B. D. Smith, J. S. Oishi, S. Skory, S. W. Skillman, T. Abel, and M. L. Norman. yt: A Multi-code Analysis Toolkit for Astrophysical Simulation Data. ApJS, 192(1):9, Jan. 2011. doi: 10.1088/0067-0049/192/1/9.

Downloads

Published

2026-02-03

How to Cite

Humphrey, S. (2026). Realistic Simulations of White Dwarf Tidal Disruption Events. Proceedings of the Wisconsin Space Conference, 1(1). Retrieved from https://dione.carthage.edu/ojs/index.php/wsc/article/view/405

Issue

Section

Astronomy and Cosmology