Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2603.29049

AGN Disks as Supernova Mufflers I: 3D Local Hydrodynamic Models

Harrison E. Cook·Wladimir Lyra·Mordecai-Mark Mac Low·K. E. Saavik Ford·Barry McKernan
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Supernova (SN) shocks that originate from stars on orbits embedded in dense active galactic nuclei (AGN) accretion disks evolve differently from those that occur in the interstellar medium. We aim to assess how shocks evolve in this dense stratified medium and understand where SNe are muffled and have their kinetic energy absorbed by an AGN disk versus escaping. We use Sirko \& Goodman (SG) and Thompson, Quataert \& Murray (TQM) AGN disk models for midplane radial profiles, generated with the pAGN code; we compare the disk pressure to the energy of a standard core-collapse SN ($10^{51}\,{\rm erg}$) to find radii where shock breakout can occur. For verification, we evolve three-dimensional hydrodynamic shearing box simulations of stratified Gaussian disks constructed from the midplane values that are injected with energy and mass from SNe placed at multiple radii and vertical locations, using the Athena code. We find SN shocks in SG disks around black holes with mass $\Mbh=10^6\,\Msun$ become muffled beyond $R\sim10^6\,\Rs$, and that this muffling radius is inversely proportional to supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass with muffling occurring at $R\sim10^2\,\Rs$ for $\Mbh=10^9\,\Msun$. Around TQM disks, the muffling radius occurs at $R\sim10^6\,\Rs$, independent of $\Mbh$. The largest determining factor for muffling a SN shock is the local scale height of the AGN disk. In conclusion, we developed a predictive analytic criterion to identify where AGN disks can muffle SNe shocks depending on their density and vertical scale.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph.HEastro-ph.GA

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Harrison E. Cook, Wladimir Lyra, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, K. E. Saavik Ford, Barry McKernan. 2026-03-30. AGN Disks as Supernova Mufflers I: 3D Local Hydrodynamic Models. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.29049

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Stereoscopic gravitational-wave probe: Gravitational lensing of a binary merger in active galactic nuclei

Recent work has shown that, if a large fraction of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA compact binary coalescences (CBCs) occur in accretion disks around active galactic nuclei (AGNs), many such AGN-CBC systems will likely experience lensing and produce multiple gravitational-wave (GW) "images" of the CBCs that will become detectable with current or future GW detectors. However, the waveforms produced by such lensed "images" will differ from those produced by other lensing systems because the binary source is orbiting the AGN's central supermassive black hole at a close distance. Here, we show that these systems produce 2 snapshots of the same binary source from 2 different viewing angles. These differences in the effective viewing angle between the images are encoded in the GWs they emit, such that GW detectors can effectively analyse the waveforms from 2 viewpoints. Beyond such "multi-view lensing", the GW images may also differ by their Doppler shift due to the expected relativistic orbital motion of the source around the AGN, an effect which is further amplified by the proximity to the lens. If the AGN's own angular momentum can be related to the binary's orbital angular momentum, we can describe the entire AGN-CBC system using only one additional free parameter compared with a typical point-mass lens system, or with 3 additional parameters when we do not make such an assumption. In this work, we establish a framework of transformation rules that describe both the angles in the 2 points of view, and the Doppler effect that comes from the source's motion around the lens. We also provide the framework to produce consistent AGN-lensed waveforms from any currently available GW waveform. These AGN-CBC systems give 2 unique points of view on a binary merger thus opening up a new window into the merger's properties unlike any other lens system.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

Identifying Kilonovae in the Presence of Optical Afterglow for the Wide Field Survey Telescope

Identifying kilonovae associated with binary neutron star mergers is often complicated by the presence of a dominant synchrotron afterglow. In this work, we evaluate the performance of the Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST) in identifying kilonova signals in composite afterglow-kilonova transients. Using a numerical framework based on the Fisher information matrix, we simulate $10,000$ realizations for each of two scenarios: an AT2017gfo-based template model and a physically sampled population that accounts for kilonova diversity. Our results indicate that kilonova identification is primarily limited by source distance. In both scenarios, the identification efficiency is largely insensitive to variations in afterglow microphysical parameters and exceeds $80\%$ at distances within approximately $600~\rm Mpc$ for AT2017gfo-like events. Under our adopted assumptions and a short gamma-ray burst (sGRB)-triggered target-of-opportunity (ToO) observational strategy, we estimate that the WFST could identify $0.1-1.2$ kilonovae per year in the optimistic scenario. Furthermore, we find that the discriminating power of color-based filters rapidly saturates, reaching a stable plateau by the second night after the merger. We therefore propose a staged observing strategy that prioritizes high-cadence $g$ and $r$-band monitoring during the first night and incorporates the $z$ band from the second night onward. This strategy improves the identification precision by exploiting the increasingly prominent red excess produced by the kilonova. Our results provide a physical basis for optimizing WFST observing resources to efficiently detect and characterize kilonovae in the multimessenger era.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

Quasi-periodic Eruptions from Recurrent Satellite Black Hole Transits through Magnetized Galactic Nucleus Accretion Disks

Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are recurrent soft X-ray flares from galactic nuclei, but their origin remains uncertain. The delayed ultraviolet (UV) counterpart detected in ZTF19acnskyy provides a new constraint on viable models. We present a two-channel model in which a satellite black hole (sBH) repeatedly crosses a nuclear accretion disk threaded by a large-scale magnetic field. Gravitational focusing and dynamical drag generate hot, optically thick ejecta whose expansion and photon diffusion power the soft X-ray QPE. For fiducial Bondi-scale parameters, the model yields a characteristic X-ray duration of $\sim10^3\ \mathrm{s}$ and luminosity of $\sim10^{42}\ \mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$. For ZTF19acnskyy, the model reproduces the observed day-scale X-ray duration and energetics. Simultaneously, the sBH motion compresses and bends the background magnetic field, triggering in-disk reconnection. The reconnection channel provides the energy budget and photon-diffusion delay required for the variable UV component. Unfavorable magnetic fields or diffusion times longer than the QPE recurrence period can weaken or smear out the UV signal, potentially explaining the lack of clear UV counterparts in other QPE sources.

astro-ph.HE↗