The look of high-velocity red-giant star collisions

TL;DR

This study models high-velocity red-giant star collisions near supermassive black holes, predicting their observable luminosity and spectral evolution, and suggests they could be detected by UV surveys like ULTRASAT.

Contribution

First detailed radiative transfer modeling of red-giant star collision observables, linking hydrodynamic simulations to potential UV detections.

Findings

Luminosities reach ~1e43 erg/s at 1 day post-collision.

Bright plateau at ~1e41 erg/s lasts about a week.

Spectral evolution resembles blue-supergiant explosions, with faster nebular transition.

Abstract

High-velocity stellar collisions driven by a supermassive black hole (BH) or BH-driven disruptive collisions, in dense, nuclear clusters can rival the energetics of supergiant star explosions following gravitational collapse of their iron core. Here, starting from a sample of red-giant star collisions simulated with the hydrodynamics code AREPO, we generate photometric and spectroscopic observables using the nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium time-dependent radiative transfer code CMFGEN. Collisions from more extended giants or stronger collisions (higher velocity or smaller impact parameter) yield bolometric luminosities on the order of 1e43 erg/s at 1d, evolving on a timescale of a week to a bright plateau at ~1e41 erg/s, before plunging precipitously after 20-40d at the end of the optically-thick phase. This luminosity falls primarily in the UV in the first days, thus when it is at its maximum, and shifts to the optical thereafter. Collisions at lower velocity or from less extended stars produce ejecta that are fainter but may remain optically thick for up to 40d if they have a small expansion rate. These collision debris show a similar spectral evolution as that observed or modeled for blue-supergiant star explosions of massive stars, differing only in the more rapid transition to the nebular phase. Such BH-driven disruptive collisions should be detectable by high-cadence surveys in the UV like ULTRASAT.