Hyper-velocity and tidal stars from binaries disrupted by a massive Galactic black hole
Abstract
A close but newtonian encounter between a tightly bound binary and a 106 Msolar black hole causes one binary component to become bound to the black hole and the other to be ejected at up to 4,000 km-1. The discovery of even one such hyper-velocity star coming from the Galactic centre would be nearly definitive evidence for a massive black hole. The new companion of the black hole has a high orbital velocity which increases further as its orbit shrinks by tidal dissipation. The gravitational energy released by the orbit shrinkage of a such a tidal star can be comparable to its total nuclear energy release.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- February 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1038/331687a0
- Bibcode:
- 1988Natur.331..687H
- Keywords:
-
- Binary Stars;
- Black Holes (Astronomy);
- Gravitational Effects;
- Milky Way Galaxy;
- Stellar Orbits;
- Companion Stars;
- Ejection;
- Stellar Evolution;
- Astrophysics