Dust destruction in bubbles driven by multiple supernovae explosions

TL;DR

This study uses 3-D simulations to show that dust destruction in bubbles created by multiple supernovae is less efficient than in isolated supernovae, significantly extending dust lifetime in the interstellar medium.

Contribution

It provides a novel analysis of dust destruction efficiency in clustered supernovae environments, contrasting with previous isolated SN models.

Findings

Dust destruction in supernova bubbles saturates over time.

Destruction efficiency decreases with higher supernova rates in clusters.

Interstellar dust survives much longer in clustered supernova environments.

Abstract

Dust lifetime derived from an isolated supernova (SN) evolution in the interstellar medium is known to be an order of magnitude shorter than the time needed to replenish dust mass by its production in various Galactic sources. We show, using 3-D numerical hydrodynamical simulations, that destruction of dust in the case of multiple SNe in a star cluster is markedly different from that in an isolated SN. We find that the mass of dust destroyed in the bubble does not grow for a considerable time, while SNe continue to explode. This regime is attained at saturation timescale, which is proportional to SNe rate in cluster. We show that the mass of dust destroyed in bubble per SN decreases for higher SN rate. Thus, the destruction efficiency -- defined as the ratio of the the total mass of dust destroyed by clustered SNe to that destroyed by the same number of isolated SNe -- in bubbles evolved in a homogeneous medium drops for massive clusters, e.g. around clusters with $M_\ast > 4\times 10^4 M_\odot$ it is less $0.4$\%. For lower mass clusters, the efficiency is proportional to the average time delay between SNe. We found that each cluster with $M_\ast < 4\times 10^4 M_\odot$ destroys the same mass of dust as a single isolated SN. In a clumpy medium in bubbles formed around clusters with $M_\ast \sim 4\times 10^4 M_\odot$ and up to 4 times around $M_\ast \sim 8\times 10^5 M_\odot$. We argue that the interstellar dust swept up by multiple SNe almost completely survives in the shells of bubbles around such massive clusters. Therefore, the destruction of the interstellar dust is controlled by SNe in low-mass clusters. We point out that the interstellar dust lifetime for a given SN rate is at least a factor $\sim 10$ longer as compared to the estimates derived from an isolated SN. (abridged)