Stellar Evolution in the Disks of Active Galactic Nuclei Produces Rapidly Rotating Massive Stars

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 914; no. 2; pp. 105 - 119
• Main Authors: Jermyn, Adam S., Dittmann, Alexander J., Cantiello, Matteo, Perna, Rosalba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia The American Astronomical Society 01.06.2021; IOP Publishing
• Subjects: Accretion disks; Active galactic nuclei; Astrophysics; Black holes; Chemical pollution; Galactic evolution; Galactic rotation; Gamma ray bursts; Gamma rays; Low mass stars; Massive stars; Quasars; Stars; Stellar evolution; Stellar evolutionary models; Stellar physics; Stellar rotation
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abfb67

Stars can either be formed in or captured by the accretion disks in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These AGN stars are irradiated and subject to extreme levels of accretion, which can turn even low-mass stars into very massive ones ( M > 100 M ⊙ ) whose evolution may result in the formation of massive compact objects ( M > 10 M ⊙ ). Here we explore the spins of these AGN stars and the remnants they leave behind. We find that AGN stars rapidly spin up via accretion, eventually reaching near-critical rotation rates. They further maintain near-critical rotation even as they shed their envelopes, become compact, and undergo late stages of burning. This makes them good candidates to produce high-spin massive black holes, such as the ones seen by LIGO-Virgo in GW 190521g, as well as long gamma-ray bursts and the associated chemical pollution of the AGN disk.