Ejection of Stars with Relativistic Velocities

Abstract

We present the results of numerical simulations performed in terms of modified Hills' scenario involving two supermassive black holes (SMBHs). In contrast to the classic Hills scenario (Hills 1988), here one component of the ordinary stellar binary system is replaced with a SMBH that provides a kinetic resource for ejecting a star (the secondary component of the binary) with relativistic velocity (RVS). We examine the conditions that favor relativistic ejections of stars, depending on the pericentric approach, the mass ratio of two SMBHs, and the orbital configuration of the binary system. Applying the simple criteria helped us to sort out the results of numerical simulations by the outcome: conservation of the orbital configuration of the binary system, dynamic recapture of the star by the central SMBH, emission of hypervelocity stars (HVSs), and RVS ejection. In the framework of N-body simulations we estimate the probability for a star to survive in the cross-field of two SMBHs during the ejection with relativistic velocity, and discuss the probability of the detection of RVSs in our Galaxy in the cases where such stars are generated in distant interacting galaxies undergoing a merger of their central parts occupied by SMBHs.

Keywords

• relativistic velocity stars
• stars: supermassive black holes
• probability assessment
• three body and n-body simulations