Star Formation, Stellar Feedback, and the Ecology of Galaxies

Star Formation, Stellar Feedback, and the Ecology of Galaxies

Mass flows in the Galactic Centre by supernovae of the circumnuclear disk

Despite decade-long efforts, the way supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in Galactic Centres (GCs) accumulate their mass is still not determined. One possible contribution is supernova-driven expanding shells, which may deliver several solar masses of swept-up interstellar matter to the close vicinity of the SMBH. This process is presumably the most effective in the circumnuclear disk (CND), where the supernovae explode in a dense environment at a few parsecs distance from Sgr A*.
We follow the impact of stellar explosions nestled in or near the CND with 3D magneto-hydrodynamic simulations. Our model includes gravitational potential, rotation, magnetic field, central wind source, and the warm gas of the CND, all mimicking the observed physical properties of the Milky Way's GC, while the supernova explosions are added by mass and energy injections at various locations. We detect a temporary increase in the accretion rate from the disk, transferring an additional 2-60 M⊙ of gas to the immediate vicinity of the SMBH, depending on the explosion site. At the same time, the kinetic energy of the SN also blows away mass from the CND; the additional gas leaving the disk within ~100000 years after the explosion is on the order of ∼ 100 M⊙.