We propose that the recently observed quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) in galactic nuclei are produced by unstable mass transfer due to Roche lobe overflow of a low-mass main-sequence star in a mildly eccentric (e ~ 0.5) orbit. We argue that the QPE emission is powered by circularization shocks, but not directly by black hole accretion. Our model predicts the presence of a time-steady accretion disk that is bolometrically brighter than the time-averaged QPE luminosity, but primarily emits in the extreme-UV. This is consistent with the quiescent soft X-ray emission detected in between the eruptions in eROSITA QPE1, QPE2, and GSN 069. Such accretion disks have an unusual $νL_ν\propto ν^{12/7}$ optical spectrum. The lifetime of the bright QPE phase, 100-1000 yrs, is set by mass-loss triggered by ram-pressure interaction between the star and the accretion disk fed by the star itself. We show that the stellar orbits needed to explain QPEs can be efficiently created by the Hills breakup of tight stellar binaries provided that (i) the stellar binary orbit is tidally hardened before the breakup due to diffusive growth of the f-mode amplitude, and (ii) the captured star's orbit decays by gravitational wave emission without significant orbital angular momentum diffusion (which is the case for black holes less than about a million Msun). We conclude by discussing the implications of our model for hyper-velocity stars, extreme mass ratio inspirals, repeating partial TDEs, and related stellar phenomena in galactic nuclei.
We discuss the formation and evolution of systems comprised of a low-mass ($M_\star \lesssim 4 \, \rm M_\odot$) main sequence star, orbiting a $10^5-10^7 \, \rm M_\odot$ supermassive black hole with an orbital period of order $\sim$hours, and a mild eccentricity ($e\approx0.1-0.2$), episodically shedding mass at each pericenter passage. We argue that the resulting mass transfer is likely unstable, with Roche lobe overflow initially driven by gravitational wave emission, but then being accelerated by the star's expansion in response to its mass loss, undergoing a runaway process. We show that s…
Extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are important targets for future space-borne gravitational-wave (GW) detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer Sapce Antenna (LISA). Recent works suggest that EMRI may reside in a population of newly discovered X-ray transients called "quasi-periodic eruptions" (QPEs). Here we follow this scenario and investigate the detectability of the five recently discovered QPEs by LISA. We consider two specific models in which the QPEs are made of either stellar-mass objects moving on circular orbits around massive black holes (MBHs) or white dwarfs (WDs) on eccentr…
Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are found in the center of five galaxies, where a tidal disruption event (TDE)-like event is also reported in GSN 069 that happened a couple of years before the QPEs. We explain the connection of these phenomena based on a model of a highly eccentric white-dwarf (WD)-$10^{4-6}M_{\odot}$ massive black hole (MBH) binary formed by the Hill mechanism. In this system, the tidal induced internal oscillation of WD can heat the WD envelope thereby induces the tidal nova and inflates the WD envelope, which can be captured by the MBH and form a TDE. The tidal stripping of…
In hierarchical triple systems, the inner binary is perturbed by a distant companion. For large mutual inclinations, the Lidov-Kozai mechanism secularly excites large eccentricity and inclination oscillations of the inner binary. The maximal eccentricity attained, $e_{\rm max}$ is simply derived and widely used. However, for mildly hierarchical systems (i.e. the companion is relatively close and massive), non-secular perturbations affect the evolution. Here we account for fast non-secular variations and find new analytic formula for $e_{\rm max}$, in terms of the system's hierarchy level, corr…
Even a precessing clock is right twice per orbit -- The super-periods of eRO-QPE2 and challenges for quasi-periodic eruption orbital models
Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院卡弗里天体物理与空间研究所）；Black Hole Initiative at Harvard University（哈佛大学黑洞倡议）；Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA（西班牙国家航空航天技术研究所/西班牙高等科学研究理事会天体生物学中心）；Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano（米兰大学物理系）；Department of Physics and Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University（哥伦比亚大学物理系及哥伦比亚天体物理学实验室）；Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Physics Department, New York University（纽约大学物理系宇宙学与粒子物理中心）；School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study（高等研究院自然科学学院）；Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca（米兰比可卡大学）；INFN, Sezione di Milano-Bicocca（意大利国家核物理研究所米兰比可卡分部）
Eccentricity evolution of spinning binaries and its dependence on the equation of state of the components
Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI)（格兰萨索科学研究所）；INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso（意大利国家核物理研究所，格兰萨索国家实验室）；Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut)（马克斯·普朗克引力物理学研究所（爱因斯坦研究所））；Leibniz Universität Hannover（汉诺威莱布尼茨大学）
We analyse photometric observations of the supernova (SN) impostor SN 2000ch in NGC 3432 covering the time since its discovery. This source was previously observed to have four outbursts in 2000-2010. Observations now reveal at least three additional outbursts in 2004-2007, and sixteen outbursts in 2010-2022. Outburst light curves are irregular and multipeaked, exhibiting a wide variety of peak magnitude, duration, and shape. The outbursts after 2008 repeat with a period of 200.7$\pm{2}$ d, while the outburst in 2000 seems to match with a shorter period. The next outburst should occur around J…
A suggested model for quasi--periodic eruptions (QPEs) from galaxy nuclei invokes a white dwarf in an eccentric orbit about the central massive black hole. I point out that the extreme mass ratio allows the presence of strong Lindblad resonances in the accretion disc. These are important for the stability of mass transfer, and may trigger the eruptions themselves by rapidly transferring angular momentum from the accretion disc (which is likely to be eccentric itself) to the orbiting WD companion at pericentre. I consider the effects of von Zeipel--Lidov--Kozai (ZLK) cycles caused by a perturbe…
A star that approaches a supermassive black hole (SMBH) on a circular extreme mass ratio inspiral (EMRI) can undergo Roche lobe overflow (RLOF), resulting in a phase of long-lived mass-transfer onto the SMBH. If the interval separating consecutive EMRIs is less than the mass-transfer timescale driven by gravitational wave emission (typically ~1-10 Myr), the semi-major axes of the two stars will approach each another on scales of <~ hundreds to thousands of gravitational radii. Close flybys tidally strip gas from one or both RLOFing stars, briefly enhancing the mass-transfer rate onto the SMBH …
We use the general relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamics code \verb=KORAL= to simulate the early stages of accretion disk formation resulting from the tidal disruption of a solar mass star around a super massive black hole (BH) of mass $10^6\,M_\odot$. We simulate the disruption of artificially more bound stars with orbital eccentricity $e\leq0.99$ (compared to the more realistic case of parabolic orbits with $e=1$) on close orbits with impact parameter $β\geq3$. We use a novel method of injecting the tidal stream into the domain. For two simulations, we choose $e=0.99$ and inject mass a…
Two-body relaxation in the EMRI-TDE disk model for Quasi Periodic Eruptions
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca（米兰比可卡大学）；INFN, Sezione di Milano-Bicocca（意大利国家核物理研究所米兰比可卡分部）；INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera（意大利国家天体物理研究所布雷拉天文台）
Binary supermassive black hole (SMBH) systems result from galaxy mergers, and will eventually coalesce due to gravitational wave (GW) emission if the binary separation can be reduced to $\lesssim 0.1$ pc by other mechanisms. Here, we explore a gravitational self-lensing binary SMBH model for the sharp (duration $\sim 1$ hr), quasi-regular X-ray flares -- dubbed quasi-periodic eruptions -- recently observed from two low mass active galactic nuclei: GSN 069 and RX J1301.9+2747. In our model, the binary is observed $\sim$edge-on, such that each SMBH gravitationally lenses light from the accretion…
X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are discovered recently in active galaxies with unknown driven mechanism. Under the assumption that QPEs are caused by star-disc collisions, we adopt full relativistic method and show that both the orbital parameters of the star and also the mass and spinning of the massive black hole (MBH) can be revealed by using the time of arrival (TOA) of the QPEs. By applying the model to the observed QPEs of GSN069, we find that the star is in a near-circular orbit ( $e_\bullet=0.05^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$) with semimajor axis of $\sim 365^{+54}_{-49}r_{\rm g}$ around a MB…
The energetic electromagnetic eruptions observed during the prompt phase of gamma-ray bursts are attributed to synchrotron emissions. The internal shocks moving through the ultrarelativistic jet, which is ejected by an imploding supermassive star, are the likely source of this radiation. Synchrotron emissions at the observed strength require the simultaneous presence of powerful magnetic fields and highly relativistic electrons. We explore with one and three-dimensional relativistic particle-in-cell simulations the transition layer of a shock, that evolves out of the collision of two plasma cl…
Eccentric Disks from Gaseous Rings around Equal-Mass, Circular Binaries
Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Physics Department, New York University（纽约大学物理系宇宙学与粒子物理中心）；Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology（加州理工学院天文学系）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University（克莱姆森大学物理与天文系）
The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey. IX. Timing Three Binary Pulsars with Wide Orbits and Low Orbital Eccentricities
National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院国家天文台）；School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学天文与空间科学学院）；State Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy and Technology（射电天文技术国家重点实验室）；Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院新疆天文台）
Gravitational Wave Signatures of Quasi-Periodic Eruptions: LISA Detection Prospects for RX J1301.9+2747
The University of Hong Kong（香港大学）；Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications（北京数学科学研究所）；Tata Institute of Fundamental Research（塔塔基础研究所）
Type I Be/X-ray binary outbursts are driven by mass transfer from a Be star decretion disc to a neutron star companion during each orbital period. Treiber et al. (2021) recently observed non-periodic type I outbursts in RX J0529.8-6556 that has unknown binary orbital properties. We show that non-periodic type I outbursts may be temporarily driven in a low eccentricity binary with a disc that is inclined sufficiently to be mildly unstable to Kozai-Lidov oscillations. The inclined disc becomes eccentric and material is transferred to the neutron star at up to three locations in each orbit: when …
Modelling the Future of Gaia Neutron Star-Main Sequence Binaries: From Eccentric Orbits to Millisecond Pulsar-White Dwarfs
Northwestern University（西北大学）；NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI)（NSF-Simons 天空人工智能研究所）；University of California, San Diego（加州大学圣地亚哥分校）；California Institute of Technology（加州理工学院）
This paper discusses a model where a violent periastron collision of stars in an eccentric binary system induces an eruption or explosion seen as a brief transient source, attributed to LBVs, SN impostors, or other transients. The key ingredient is that an evolved primary increases its photospheric radius on relatively short timescales, to a point where the radius is comparable to or larger than the periastron separation in an eccentric binary. In such a configuration, a violent and sudden collision would ensue, possibly leading to substantial mass ejection instead of a binary merger. Repeated…
We study the warping and tearing of a geometrically thin, non-self-gravitating disk surrounding binary supermassive black holes on an eccentric orbit. The circumbinary disk is significantly misaligned with the binary orbital plane, and is subject to the time-dependent tidal torques. In principle, such a disk is warped and precesses, and is torn into mutually misaligned rings in the region, where the tidal precession torques are stronger than the local viscous torques. We derive the tidal-warp and tearing radii of the misaligned circumbinary disks around eccentric SMBH binaries. We find that in…
PSR J1829+2456 is a radio pulsar in a relativistic binary system with another neutron star. It has a rotational period of 41 ms and a mildly eccentric ($e = 0.14$) 28-hr orbit. We have continued its observations with the Arecibo radio telescope and have now measured the individual neutron star masses of this system. The pulsar and companion masses are $1.306\,\pm\,0.007\,M_{\odot}$ and $1.299\,\pm\,0.007\,M_{\odot}$ (2$σ$ - 95% confidence, unless stated otherwise), respectively. We have also measured the proper motion for this system and used it to estimate a space velocity of 49$^{+77}_{-30}$…
No evidence for a supermassive black hole binary in GSN 069
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University（上海交大李政道研究所）；School of Physics & Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University（上海交通大学物理与天文学院）；Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, Zhejiang University（浙江大学物理学院天体物理研究所）；Center for Cosmology and Computational Astrophysics, Institute for Advanced Study in Physics, Zhejiang University（浙江大学物理学高等研究院宇宙学与计算天体物理中心）；Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China（中国科学技术大学天文系）
In this work, we report the discovery and characterization of PSR J1411+2551, a new binary pulsar discovered in the Arecibo 327 MHz Drift Pulsar Survey. Our timing observations of the radio pulsar in the system span a period of about 2.5 years. This timing campaign allowed a precise measurement of its spin period (62.4 ms) and its derivative (9.6 $\pm$ 0.7) $\times 10^{-20}\, \rm s\, s^{-1}$; from these, we derive a characteristic age of $\sim 10\,$Gyr and a surface magnetic field strength of 2.5 $\times 10^{9}$ G. These numbers indicate that this pulsar was mildly recycled by accretion of mat…
We present two general relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamics (GRRMHD) simulations of magnetically arrested disks (MADs) around non-spinning ($a_*=0$) and spinning ($a_*=0.9$) supermassive black holes (BHs). In each simulation, the mass accretion rate is decreased with time such that we sample Eddington-scaled rates over the range $3 \gtrsim \dot{M}/\dot{M}_{\rm{Edd}}\gtrsim 0.3$. For the non-spinning BH model, the total and radiative efficiencies increase as the accretion rate decreases, varying over the range $η_{\rm{tot}}\sim9-16\%$ and $η_{\rm{rad}}\sim6-12\%$, respectively. This mode…
Quasi-Periodic Erupters (QPEs) are a remarkable class of objects exhibiting very large amplitude quasi-periodic X-ray flares. Although numerous dynamical models have been proposed to explain them, relatively little attention has been given to using the properties of their radiation to constrain their dynamics. Here we show that the observed luminosity, spectrum, repetition period, duty cycle, and fluctuations in the latter two quantities point toward a model in which: a main sequence star on a moderately eccentric orbit around a supermassive black hole periodically transfers mass to the Roche …
I suggest that the quasiperiodic ultrasoft X-ray eruptions recently observed from the galaxy GSN 069 may result from accretion from a low-mass white dwarf in a highly eccentric orbit about its central black hole. At 0.21M_sun, this star was probably the core of a captured red giant. Such events should occur in significant numbers as less extreme outcomes of whatever process leads to tidal disruption events. I show that gravitational radiation losses can drive the observed mass transfer rate, and that the precession of the white dwarf orbit may be detectable in X-rays as a superorbital quasiper…
Dynamically driven collapse of a thermally stable accretion disk in a nova-like system
University of Science and Technology of China（中国科学技术大学）；Guizhou University（贵州大学）；National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院国家天文台）；University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学）
研究通过TESS观测发现VY Scl型类新星MASTER OT J072703.91-631952.8的热稳定吸积盘发生动力学坍缩，提出该系统存在此前未被识别的动力学驱动循环，无法用质量转移变化范式解释。
Tidal disruption of stellar binaries as a pathway to exotic transients
Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México（墨西哥国立自治大学射电天文学与天体物理研究所）；SECIHTI–Instituto de Física y Matemáticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo（米却肯州圣尼古拉斯伊达尔戈大学SECIHTI物理与数学研究所）；Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo（米却肯州圣尼古拉斯伊达尔戈大学物理数学科学学院）
To understand the nature of supernovae and neutron star (NS) formation, as well as binary stellar evolution and their interactions, it is important to probe the distribution of NS masses. Until now, all double NS (DNS) systems have been measured to have a mass ratio close to unity (q $\geq$ 0.91). Here we report the measurement of the individual masses of the 4.07-day binary pulsar J0453+1559 from measurements of the rate of advance of periastron and Shapiro delay: The mass of the pulsar is 1.559(5) $M_{\odot}$ and that of its companion is 1.174(4) $M_{\odot}$; q = 0.75. If this companion is a…
Over the summer of 2007, we obtained 1191 hours of `drift-scan' pulsar search observations with the Green Bank Telescope at a radio frequency of 350 MHz. Here we describe the survey setup, search procedure, and the discovery and follow-up timing of thirteen pulsars. Among the new discoveries, one (PSR J1623-0841) was discovered only through its single pulses, two (PSRs J1327-0755 and J1737-0814) are millisecond pulsars, and another (PSR J2222-0137) is a mildly recycled pulsar. PSR J1327-0755 is a 2.7 ms pulsar at a DM of 27.9 pc cm^{-3} in a 8.7 day orbit with a minimum companion mass of 0.22 …
Orbital evolution of asymmetric binaries within accreting environments
École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées (ENSTA), Institut Polytechnique de Paris（巴黎理工学院高级国立学院）；Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI)（格兰萨索科学研究所）；INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso（意大利国家核物理研究所，格兰萨索国家实验室）；Grupo de Relatividad y Gravitación, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba（科尔多瓦大学数学、天文学、物理与计算学院相对论与引力研究组）；William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学威廉·H·米勒三世物理与天文学系）
Relativistic effects of PSR~J1856--0039 double neutron star system in a 2.36-hour compact orbit
National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院国家天文台）；School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学天文学与空间科学学院）
