The Eccentric Disc Instability: Dependency on Background Stellar Cluster

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the eccentric disc instability in stellar disks around black holes depends on the density profile of the surrounding stellar cluster, affecting star eccentricities and dynamics.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the mechanism behind the eccentric disc instability and its dependency on the background stellar cluster's density distribution.

Findings

Eccentric disc instability varies with stellar cluster density profile.

Stars can reach very high or low eccentricities depending on the cluster environment.

Implications for the dynamics of the Galactic Centre stellar discs.

Abstract

In this paper we revisit the "eccentric disc instability", an instability which occurs in coherently eccentric discs of stars orbiting massive black holes (MBHs) embedded in stellar clusters, which results in stars achieving either very high or low eccentricities. The preference for stars to attain higher or lower eccentricities depends significantly on the density distribution of the surrounding stellar cluster. Here we discuss its mechanism and the implications for the Galactic Centre, home to at least one circum-MBH stellar disc.