Hyperaccreting neutron stars inside massive envelopes: The implausibility of Thorne-Żytkow objects
在厚包层中超吸积的中子星:Thorne-Żytkow 天体的不可行性
The evolution of neutron stars (NSs) embedded within massive stellar envelopes is a critical phase in binary stellar evolution, potentially leading to the formation of Thorne-Żytkow Objects (TŻOs) or catastrophic collapse. We present the first fully coupled general relativistic hydrodynamics simulations of hypercritical accretion onto NSs that simultaneously incorporate gray two-moment (M1) neutrino transport and an <inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mi>α</mml:mi></mml:math></inline-formula>-chain nuclear reaction network. By investigating four distinct progenitor evolutionary stages, we resolve the complex interplay between intense neutrino cooling, multidimensional fluid dynamics, and nuclear feedback. Our results show that, while vigorous convection is triggered in the postshock region, the global energy budget is primarily governed by neutrino cooling, which effectively balances the accretion power. Crucially, even though our M1 transport scheme captures neutrino absorption and localized heating, the efficient cooling sink and high ram pressure of the infalling envelope prevent the formation of any core-collapse supernovalike explosion. We find that all nucleosynthetically processed material (<inline-formula><mml:math><mml:mi>T</mml:mi><mml:mo>></mml:mo><mml:mn>5</mml:mn><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>GK</mml:mi></mml:math></inline-formula>) remains strictly gravitationally bound, challenging the assumption that these systems contribute significantly to galactic nucleosynthetic yields via convective dredge-up. The lack of sustained outflows and the persistent hypercritical accretion rates suggest that embedded NSs will rapidly exceed the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff mass limit on timescales of minutes to hours. We conclude that these systems are not stable TŻOs but are rather transient precursors to catastrophic black hole formation and potential central engines for high-energy transients.
展开 ▾首次将灰体 M1 中微子输运与 α 链核网络耦合于 GRHD 模拟,系统研究四种演化阶段下超吸积中子星的内禀物理。揭示出中微子冷却主导能量收支,核合成物质被引力束缚,有力排除了 TŻO 的长期稳定性。
早期一维模型曾预测 TŻO 可长期稳定 Thorne+ 1977,但后续动力学模拟和解析研究 Fryer+ 1996 指出超临界吸积很可能导致快速坍缩。本文通过更高保真度的微物理处理,证实中子星包层吸积是瞬变过程,核合成物质无法通过对流抛射。未来需借助三维全局模拟,考虑磁场和角动量 Soker+ 2019,以探索喷流驱动的包层抛射及相关高能暂现源的形成。
预印本 2026-04-26 · 刊出 2026-07-13 · 收录 2026-07-22