100 citations · 597 across the 24 of their papers we have counts for
19 papers · 1 filter
On the origin of anomalous dissipation in simulations of tidal disruption events
Chris Nixon, Eric R. Coughlin, Zachary L. Andalman
In a tidal disruption event (TDE), a star is destroyed by the tidal field of a supermassive black hole. The stellar debris is initially placed on highly elliptical orbits, and a lo…
On the isotropy of viscosity in accretion discs
Chris Nixon, Jim Pringle
Accretion discs are fundamental to many astrophysical systems, providing the conversion of gravitational potential energy into radiation that we can observe. In many systems there…
The Peak of the Fallback Rate from Tidal Disruption Events: Dependence on Stellar Type
Ananya Bandopadhyay, Julia Fancher, Aluel Athian +7
A star completely destroyed in a tidal disruption event (TDE) ignites a luminous flare that is powered by the fallback of tidally stripped debris to a supermassive black hole (SMBH…
On the impact of relativistic gravity on the rate of tidal disruption events
Eric R. Coughlin, Chris Nixon
The tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) probes relativistic gravity. In the coming decade, the number of observed tidal disruption events (TDEs) will grow…
Stellar Revival and Repeated Flares in Deeply Plunging Tidal Disruption Events
Chris Nixon, Eric R. Coughlin
Tidal disruption events with tidal radius and pericenter distance are characterized by the quantity , and "deep encounters" have $β\…
Stars Crushed by Black Holes. II. A Physical Model of Adiabatic Compression and Shock Formation in Tidal Disruption Events
Eric R. Coughlin, Chris Nixon
We develop a Newtonian model of a deep tidal disruption event (TDE), for which the pericenter distance of the star, , is well within the tidal radius of the black hole,…
Stars Crushed by Black Holes. I. On the Energy Distribution of Stellar Debris in Tidal Disruption Events
Sarah Norman, Chris Nixon, Eric R. Coughlin
The distribution of orbital energies imparted into stellar debris following the close encounter of a star with a supermassive black hole is the principal factor in determining the…
Partial, zombie, and full tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes
Chris Nixon, Eric Coughlin, Patrick Miles
We present long-duration numerical simulations of the tidal disruption of stars modelled with accurate stellar structures and spanning a range of pericentre distances, correspondin…
Disc tearing: implications for black hole accretion and AGN variability
Anagha Raj, Chris Nixon
Accretion discs around black holes power some of the most luminous objects in the Universe. Discs that are misaligned to the black hole spin can become warped over time by Lense-Th…
Be star discs: powered by a non-zero central torque
Chris Nixon, Jim Pringle
Be stars are rapidly rotating B stars with Balmer emission lines that indicate the presence of a Keplerian, rotationally supported, circumstellar gas disc. Current disc models, ref…
The persistence of pancakes and the revival of self-gravity in tidal disruption events
Eric R. Coughlin, C. J. Nixon, Patrick R. Miles
The destruction of a star by the tides of a supermassive black hole (SMBH) powers a bright accretion flare, and the theoretical modeling of such tidal disruption events (TDEs) can…
Accretion discs with non-zero central torque
C. J. Nixon, J. E. Pringle
We present analytical and numerical solutions for accretion discs subject to a non-zero central torque. We express this in terms of a single parameter, , which is the ratio of o…
Instability of non-Keplerian warped discs
Suzan Dogan, Chris Nixon
Many accretion discs are thought to be warped. Recent hydrodynamical simulations show that (i) discs can break into distinct planes when the amplitude of an imposed warp is suffici…
On the Diversity of Fallback Rates from Tidal Disruption Events with Accurate Stellar Structure
Elen C. A. Golightly, C. J. Nixon, Eric R. Coughlin
The tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) can be used to probe the SMBH mass function, the properties of individual stars, and stellar dynamics in galactic…
What is wrong with steady accretion discs?
C. J. Nixon, J. E. Pringle
In a standard, steady, thin accretion disc, the radial distribution of the dissipation of the accretion energy is determined simply by energy considerations. Here we draw attention…
Tidal disruption events: the role of stellar spin
Elen Golightly, Eric Coughlin, Chris Nixon
The tidal force from a supermassive black hole can rip apart a star that passes close enough in what is known as a Tidal Disruption Event. Typically half of the destroyed star rema…
On the physical nature of accretion disc viscosity
R. G. Martin, C. J. Nixon, J. E. Pringle +1
We use well-established observational evidence to draw conclusions about the fundamental nature of the viscosity in accretion discs. To do this, we first summarise the observationa…
An ultra-fast inflow in the luminous Seyfert PG1211+143
Ken Pounds, Chris Nixon, Andrew Lobban +1
Blueshifted absorption lines in the X-ray spectra of AGN show that ultra-fast outflows with typical velocities are a common feature of these luminous objects. Such po…
Instability of warped discs
S. Doğan, C. J. Nixon, A. R. King +1
Accretion discs are generally warped. If a warp in a disc is too large, the disc can `break' apart into two or more distinct planes, with only tenuous connections between them. Fur…