The Relationships Between Partial Tidal Disruption Events and Stellar Evolution in Main Sequence Stars
Persistent URL
Author(s)
Bratt-Pfotenhauer, Shannon
Date Issued
April 1, 2025
Abstract
In this project, I study close encounters between a 1M⊙ main sequence star, modeled using MESA, with black holes through smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations. I consider black holes in the stellar mass range, particularly M_bh = 30M⊙, as that is the median mass of black holes involved in collisions with stars, specifically within dense star clusters. I observe and analyze how partial tidal disruption events between these celestial objects affect how the usual process of stellar evolution occurs during the star’s orbital period around the black hole, and whether secondary passages around the black hole are distinctly different from primary passages. Within this paper, I describe the process of creating two dynamic collisions where in each collision, the star has an orbital period around the black hole of 1Myr, and their periapsis distances are the only parameters that differ from one another. I evolve the collision products for a time equal to their orbital periods, put them back into their original collisions, and let them make a second passage around the black hole. I then analyze and compare the chemical compositions of each relevant stellar model, and make conclusions about how partial tidal disruption events influence the compositions of the stars involved in such encounters.
Major
Physics
Honors
Physics, 2025
First Reader(s)
Lombardi, James C., Jr. (Jamie)
Other Reader(s)
Poynor, Adelé N.
Department
Physics
Type of Publication
Senior Project Paper
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Name
Bratt-Pfotenhauer Final Comp.pdf
Size
2.46 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
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