Radiation Hydrodynamics Research Articles

Sequential formation of supermassive stars and heavy seed BHs through the interplay of cosmological cold accretion and stellar radiative feedback

ABSTRACT Supermassive stars (SMSs) and heavy seed black holes, as their remnants, are promising candidates for supermassive black hole (SMBH) progenitors, especially for ones observed in the early universe $z\simeq 8.5-10$ by recent JWST observations. Expected cradles of SMSs are the atomic cooling haloes ($M_{\rm halo}\simeq 10^7\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$), where ‘cold accretion’ emerges and possibly forms SMSs. We perform a suit of cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulations and investigate star formation after the emergence of cold accretion, solving radiative feedback from stars inside the halo. We follow the mass growth of the protostars for $\sim 3\ \mathrm{Myr}$, resolving the gas inflow down to $\sim 0.1\ \mathrm{pc}$ scales. We discover that, after cold accretion emerges, multiple SMSs of $m_{\star }\gtrsim 10^5\ \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ form at the halo centre with the accretion rates maintained at $\dot{m}_{\star }\simeq 0.04\ \mathrm{M}_\odot \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ for $\lesssim 3\ \mathrm{Myr}$. Cold accretion supplies gas at a rate of $\dot{M}_{\rm gas}\gtrsim 0.01-0.1\ \mathrm{M}_\odot \mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ from outside the halo virial radius to the central gas disc. Gravitational torques from spiral arms transport gas further inwards, which feeds the SMSs. Radiative feedback from stars suppresses $\mathrm{H}_2$ cooling and disc fragmentation, while photoevaporation is prevented by a dense envelope, which attenuates ionizing radiation. Our results suggest that cold accretion can bring efficient BH mass growth after seed formation in the later universe. Moreover, cold accretion and gas migration inside the central disc increase the mass concentration and provide a promising formation site for the extremely compact stellar clusters observed by JWST.

Contrasting effect of high-Z coating on proton acceleration from thin transparent low-Z foil target

Abstract In the present work, we investigate the impact of a thin metallic coating on proton acceleration from transparent dielectric foils. A substantial difference in the experimental results is observed based on the placement of the thin metal coating - either on the front surface (the side facing the laser) or on the rear surface of the foil. In the former case, we observed an enhancement in both the energy and flux of the accelerated protons/ions. However, in the latter case, the thin metal coating was found to have a highly detrimental effect on the acceleration process. Measurements conducted on transmitted laser pulse signals confirm the crucial role of the intensity-dependent target material transparency and the laser pre-pulse playing vital roles in determining the proton/ion acceleration dynamics. Numerical simulations involving radiation hydrodynamics followed by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations confirm the experimental observations.

Simulating Nonlinear Radiation Diffusion Through Quantum Computing

The recent success of the fusion ignition experiment at Lawrence-Livermore National Laboratory has renewed excitement for inertial confinement fusion. Designing such experiments relies on computational modeling using radiation hydrodynamic codes run on massively parallel supercomputers which simulate hydrodynamic flows, radiation diffusion, and thermonuclear burn. Constructing a quantum algorithm for radiation hydrodynamics that provides a quantum speedup is of great interest. A recent quantum algorithm that solves the Navier-Stokes equations of hydrodynamics with a quadratic speedup marks a first step towards this goal. Here we take the next step and present a quantum algorithm for nonlinear radiation diffusion that also has a quadratic speedup. To verify the algorithm we consider radiation striking a cold, optically thick target that generates a Marshak wave in the target. Results of numerical simulation of the quantum algorithm are compared with those of a standard partial differential equation solver and excellent agreement is found.

Spectral behavior and expansion dynamics of Gd plasma generated by dual-pulse laser irradiation

Laser-produced gadolinium plasma (Gd-LPP) emerges as a promising candidate for next-generation nanolithography light sources. In this study, a dual laser pulse scheme was implemented to achieve a narrow spectral peak. By varying the pre-main pulse delay and pre-pulse laser energy, optimal conditions of 40 ns delay and 50 mJ energy were identified to improve spectral purity. Radiation hydrodynamics simulations revealed that the improved spectral purity stems from a flatter density gradient at the ablation front and a lower average electron density in the EUV emission region. Additionally, reheating the pre-formed plasma with a short main pulse mitigated plasma squeezing, resulting in an even lower electron density and thus improved spectral purity. Our findings suggest that spectral narrowing in the dual-pulse scheme, essential for better matching with multilayer reflection bandwidths, can be optimized through precise control of pre-pulse energy, pre-main delay, and main-pulse duration.

Spiral excitation in protoplanetary disks through gap-edge illumination

The advent of high-resolution, near-infrared (NIR) instruments such as VLT/SPHERE and Gemini/GPI has helped uncover a wealth of substructure in planet-forming disks, including large, prominent spiral arms in MWC 75 8, SAO 206462, and V1247 Ori. In the classical theory of disk-planet interaction, these arms are consistent with Lindblad-resonance driving by companions of multiple Jupiter masses. Despite improved detection limits, evidence for massive bodies like this in connection with spiral substructure has been inconclusive. In search of an alternative explanation, we used the PLUTO code to run 3D hydrodynamical simulations with two comparatively low planet masses (Saturn mass and Jupiter mass) and two thermodynamic prescriptions (three-temperature radiation hydrodynamics, and the more traditional β-cooling) in a low-mass disk. In the radiative cases, an m = 2 mode, potentially attributable to the interaction of stellar radiation with gap-edge asymmetries, creates an azimuthal pressure gradient, which in turn gives rise to prominent spiral arms in the upper layers of the disk. Monte Carlo radiative transfer post-processing with RADMC3D revealed that in NIR scattered light, these gap-edge spirals are significantly more prominent than the traditional Lindblad spirals for planets in the mass range we tested. Our results demonstrate that even intermediate-mass protoplanets, which are less detectable, but more ubiquitous than super-Jupiters, are capable of indirectly inducing large-scale spiral disk features, and underscore the importance of including radiation physics in any efforts to reproduce observations.

Broadening the Canonical Picture of EUV-driven Photoevaporation of Accretion Disks

Photoevaporation driven by hydrogen-ionizing extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) radiation profoundly shapes the lives of diverse astrophysical objects. We construct an analytical model accounting for the finite timescales of photoheating and photoionization and apply it to the dispersal of protoplanetary disks. The model yields improved estimates for the ionization, temperature, and velocity versus distance from the central source when compared to the classical picture of fully ionized and isothermal winds with temperatures ≈104 K and speeds ≈10 km s−1. In contrast to the classical picture, the photoevaporative winds take on several distinct hydrodynamical and thermochemical states depending on the central star’s EUV emission rate and spectral hardness: T Tauri stars with EUV luminosities around 1030 erg s−1 drive nonisothermal ionized disk winds at lower temperatures than the classical value if the spectrum is soft, with an average deposited energy per photoionization less than about 3.7 eV. If, however, the spectrum is hard, the winds tend to be atomic and isothermal at most disk radii. For lower EUV intensities, even with soft spectra, atomic winds can emerge beyond ∼10 au through advection. We show that these predictions are in general agreement with detailed radiation hydrodynamics calculations. The model furthermore illustrates how the energy efficiency of photoevaporation varies with the intensity and spectral hardness of the EUV illumination, as well as addressing discrepancies in the literature around the effectiveness of X-ray photoevaporation. The findings highlight the importance of the photoheating and photoionization timescales both for modeling and for understanding winds’ observed behavior.

A Thermodynamic Criterion for the Formation of Circumplanetary Disks

The formation of circumplanetary disks is central to our understanding of giant planet formation, influencing their growth rate during the post-runaway phase and observability while embedded in protoplanetary disks. We use three-dimensional global multifluid radiation hydrodynamics simulations with the FARGO3D code to define the thermodynamic conditions that enable circumplanetary disk formation around Jovian planets on wide orbits. Our simulations include stellar irradiation, viscous heating, static mesh refinement, and active calculation of opacity based on multifluid dust dynamics. We find a necessary condition for the formation of circumplanetary disks in terms of a mean cooling time: When the cooling time is at least 1 order of magnitude shorter than the orbital timescale, the specific angular momentum of the gas is nearly Keplerian at scales of one-third of the Hill radius. We show that the inclusion of multifluid dust dynamics favors rotational support because dust settling produces an anisotropic opacity distribution that favors rapid cooling. In all our models with radiation hydrodynamics, specific angular momentum decreases as time evolves, in agreement with the formation of an inner isentropic envelope due to compressional heating. The isentropic envelope can extend up to one-third of the Hill radius and shows negligible rotational support. Thus, our results imply that young gas giant planets may host spherical isentropic envelopes, rather than circumplanetary disks.

A GPU based 3D raytracing algorithm for DUED laser fusion code

Abstract These days, graphical processing units (GPUs) deliver performance
comparable to that of hundreds of CPU cores. This level of performance allows
certain classes of simulations to be run in-house on a standard consumer workstation,
eliminating the need for a cluster. In this paper, it is shown that medium-resolution,
2D radiation hydrodynamics simulations for laser-driven inertial confinement fusion
with realistic 3D laser raytracing can now be conducted on a single consumer device.
A novel raytracing module has indeed been developed for the 2D Lagrangian radiation-
hydro-nuclear code DUED to leverage the computational power of GPUs. By
employing 3D raytracing, more realistic investigations of laser-driven plasmas become
feasible, with a particular focus on perturbations resulting from non-uniform laser
irradiation.

Impacts of stellar wind and supernovae on star cluster formation: Origins of extremely high N/O ratios and multiple stellar populations

Abstract We study metal enrichment originating from stellar wind and supernovae in low-metallicity clouds by performing three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations. We find that metals ejected from stellar wind are accumulated, leading to subsequent star formation in the nitrogen-enriched gas. During this early phase, the ${\rm N/O}$ ratios are similar to observed nitrogen-enriched galaxies (${\rm [N/O]}\gtrsim 0.5$). Then, once supernovae occur, the ${\rm N/O}$ ratios decrease significantly. If the duration of star formation is comparable to the time-scale of supernovae, the mass fraction of nitrogen-enriched stars reaches half the mass of star clusters. We suggest that the mass of the star cluster needs to exceed $\sim \!10^6$ M$_{\odot }$ to have multiple populations due to stellar wind, considering the condition for massive star cluster formation and the timescales of stellar evolution.

Asymptotic stability of rarefaction wave with non-slip boundary condition for radiative Euler flows

This paper is devoted to studying the initial-boundary value problem for the radiative full Euler equations, which are a fundamental system in the radiative hydrodynamics with many practical applications in astrophysical and nuclear phenomena, with the non-slip boundary condition on an impermeable wall. Due to the difficulty from the disappearance of the velocity on the impermeable boundary, quite few results for compressible Navier-Stokes equations and no result for the radiative Euler equations are available at this moment. So the asymptotic stability of the rarefaction wave proven in this paper is the first rigorous result on the global stability of solutions of the radiative Euler equations with the non-slip boundary condition. It also contributes to our systematical study on the asymptotic behaviors of the rarefaction wave with the radiative effect and different boundary conditions such as the inflow/outflow problem and the impermeable boundary problem in our series papers including [5,6].

Global classical solutions to a multidimensional radiation hydrodynamics model with symmetry and large initial data

AbstractAs a first stage to study the global large solutions of the radiation hydrodynamics model with viscosity and thermal conductivity in the high‐dimensional space, we study the problems in high dimensions with some symmetry, such as the spherically or cylindrically symmetric solutions. Specifically, we will study the global classical large solutions to the radiation hydrodynamics model with spherically or cylindrically symmetric initial data. The key point is to obtain the strict positive lower and upper bounds of the density and the lower bound of the temperature . Compared with the Navier–Stokes equations, these estimates in the present paper are more complicated due to the influence of the radiation. To overcome the difficulties caused by the radiation, we construct a pointwise estimate between the radiative heat flux and the temperature by studying the boundary value problem of the corresponding ordinary differential equation. And we consider a general heat conductivity: if ; if . This can be viewed as the first result about the global classical large solutions of the radiation hydrodynamics model with some symmetry in the high‐dimensional space.

Implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta for radiation hydrodynamics I: Gray diffusion

Radiation hydrodynamics are a challenging multiscale and multiphysics set of equations. To capture the relevant physics of interest, one typically must time step on the hydrodynamics timescale, making explicit integration the obvious choice. On the other hand, the coupled radiation equations have a scaling such that implicit integration is effectively necessary in non-relativistic regimes. A first-order Lie-Trotter-like operator split is the most common time integration scheme used in practice, alternating between an explicit hydrodynamics step and an implicit radiation solve and energy deposition step. However, such a scheme is limited to first-order accuracy, and nonlinear coupling between the radiation and hydrodynamics equations makes a more general additive partitioning of the equations non-trivial. Here, we develop a new formulation and partitioning of radiation hydrodynamics with gray diffusion that allows us to apply (linearly) implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta time integration schemes. We prove conservation of total energy in the new framework, and demonstrate 2nd-order convergence in time on multiple radiative shock problems, achieving error 3–5 orders of magnitude smaller than the first-order Lie-Trotter operator split at the hydrodynamic CFL, even when Lie-Trotter applies a 3rd-order TVD Runge-Kutta scheme to the hydrodynamics equations.

Morphology of Copper Nanofoams for Radiation Hydrodynamics and Fusion Applications Investigated by 3D Ptychotomography.

The performance of metal and polymer foams used in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), inertial fusion energy (IFE), and high-energy-density (HED) experiments is currently limited by our understanding of their nanostructure and its variation in bulk material. We utilized an X-ray-free electron laser (XFEL) together with lensless X-ray imaging techniques to probe the 3D morphology of copper foams at nanoscale resolution (28 nm). The observed morphology of the thin shells is more varied than expected from previous characterizations, with a large number of them distorted, merged, or open, and a targeted mass density 14% less than calculated. This nanoscale information can be used to directly inform and improve foam modeling and fabrication methods to create a tailored material response for HED experiments.

Final Moments. II. Observational Properties and Physical Modeling of Circumstellar-material-interacting Type II Supernovae

We present ultraviolet/optical/near-infrared observations and modeling of Type II supernovae (SNe II) whose early time (δ t < 2 days) spectra show transient, narrow emission lines from shock ionization of confined (r < 1015 cm) circumstellar material (CSM). The observed electron-scattering broadened line profiles (i.e., IIn-like) of H i, He i/ii, C iv, and N iii/iv/v from the CSM persist on a characteristic timescale (t IIn) that marks a transition to a lower-density CSM and the emergence of Doppler-broadened features from the fast-moving SN ejecta. Our sample, the largest to date, consists of 39 SNe with early time IIn-like features in addition to 35 “comparison” SNe with no evidence of early time IIn-like features, all with ultraviolet observations. The total sample includes 50 unpublished objects with a total of 474 previously unpublished spectra and 50 multiband light curves, collected primarily through the Young Supernova Experiment and Global Supernova Project collaborations. For all sample objects, we find a significant correlation between peak ultraviolet brightness and both t IIn and the rise time, as well as evidence for enhanced peak luminosities in SNe II with IIn-like features. We quantify mass-loss rates and CSM density for the sample through the matching of peak multiband absolute magnitudes, rise times, t IIn, and optical SN spectra with a grid of radiation hydrodynamics and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative-transfer simulations. For our grid of models, all with the same underlying explosion, there is a trend between the duration of the electron-scattering broadened line profiles and inferred mass-loss rate: tIIn≈3.8[Ṁ/ (0.01 M ⊙ yr−1)] days.

High order conservative finite difference WENO scheme for three-temperature radiation hydrodynamics

The three-temperature (3-T) radiation hydrodynamics (RH) equations play an important role in the high-energy-density-physics fields, such as astrophysics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). It describes the interaction between radiation and high-energy-density plasmas including electron and ion in the assumption that radiation, electron and ion are in their own equilibrium state, which means they can be characterized by their own temperatures. The 3-T RH system consists of the density, momentum and three internal energy (electron, ion and radiation) equations. In this paper, we propose a high order conservative finite difference weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme solving one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) 3-T RH equations respectively. Following our previous paper [7], we introduce the three new energy variables, and then design a finite difference scheme with both the conservative property and arbitrary high order accuracy. Based on the WENO interpolation and the strong stability preserving (SSP) high order time discretizations, taken as an example, we design a class of fifth order conservative finite difference schemes in space and third order in time. Compared with the Lagrangian method we proposed in [7], which can only reach second order accuracy for 2D 3-T RH equations if straight-line edged meshes are used, the finite difference scheme can be easily designed to arbitrary high order accuracy for multi-dimensional 3-T RH equations. The finite difference formulation is also much less expensive in multi-dimensions than finite volume schemes used in [7]. Furthermore, our method can handle fluids with large deformation easily. Numerous 1D and 2D numerical examples are presented to verify the desired properties of the high order finite difference WENO schemes such as high order accuracy, non-oscillation, conservation and adaptation to severely distorted single-material radiation hydrodynamics problems.

Adapting arepo-rt for exascale computing: GPU acceleration and efficient communication

ABSTRACT Radiative transfer (RT) is a crucial ingredient for self-consistent modelling of numerous astrophysical phenomena across cosmic history. However, on-the-fly integration into radiation hydrodynamics (RHD) simulations is computationally demanding, particularly due to the stringent time-stepping conditions and increased dimensionality inherent in multifrequency collisionless Boltzmann physics. The emergence of exascale supercomputers, equipped with extensive CPU cores and GPU accelerators, offers new opportunities for enhancing RHD simulations. We present the first steps towards optimizing arepo-rt for such high-performance computing environments. We implement a novel node-to-node (n-to-n) communication strategy that utilizes shared memory to substitute intranode communication with direct memory access. Furthermore, combining multiple internode messages into a single message substantially enhances network bandwidth utilization and performance for large-scale simulations on modern supercomputers. The single-message n-to-n approach also improves performance on smaller scale machines with less optimized networks. Furthermore, by transitioning all RT-related calculations to GPUs, we achieve a significant computational speedup of around 15 for standard benchmarks compared to the original CPU implementation. As a case study, we perform cosmological RHD simulations of the Epoch of Reionization, employing a similar setup as the THESAN project. In this context, RT becomes sub-dominant such that even without modifying the core arepo codebase, there is an overall threefold improvement in efficiency. The advancements presented here have broad implications, potentially transforming the complexity and scalability of future simulations for a wide variety of astrophysical studies. Our work serves as a blueprint for porting similar simulation codes based on unstructured resolution elements to GPU-centric architectures.

An arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian positivity-preserving finite volume scheme for radiation hydrodynamics equations in the equilibrium-diffusion limit

In this paper, an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) positivity-preserving finite volume scheme is constructed for radiation hydrodynamics equations (RHE) in the equilibrium-diffusion limit. Firstly, the integral form equations of RHE in the ALE framework are presented. Then, the operator-splitting method is applied to divide the equations into hyperbolic part and parabolic part. In addition, a second-order positivity-preserving finite volume scheme is constructed for the hyperbolic part based on MUSCL reconstruction. The vertex velocity is obtained by the predictor–corrector strategy. The Winslow method is applied to improve the quality of the Lagrangian mesh. Furthermore, a nonlinear positivity-preserving finite volume scheme suitable for distorted mesh is proposed for the parabolic part. Finally, some numerical examples are given to show the accuracy and reliability of the numerical scheme.

Why does the Milky Way have a metallicity floor?

ABSTRACT The prevalence of light element enhancement in the most metal-poor stars is potentially an indication that the Milky Way has a metallicity floor for star formation around $\sim 10^{-3.5}$ Z$_{\odot }$. We propose that this metallicity floor has its origins in metal-enriched star formation in the minihaloes present during the Galaxy’s initial formation. To arrive at this conclusion, we analyse a cosmological radiation hydrodynamics simulation that follows the concurrent evolution of multiple Population III star-forming minihaloes. The main driver for the central gas within minihaloes is the steady increase in hydrostatic pressure as the haloes grow. We incorporate this insight into a hybrid one-zone model that switches between pressure-confined and modified free-fall modes to evolve the gas density with time according to the ratio of the free-fall and sound-crossing time-scales. This model is able to accurately reproduce the density and chemo-thermal evolution of the gas in each of the simulated minihaloes up to the point of runaway collapse. We then use this model to investigate how the gas responds to the absence of H$_{2}$. Without metals, the central gas becomes increasingly stable against collapse as it grows to the atomic cooling limit. When metals are present in the halo at a level of $\sim 10^{-3.7}$ Z$_{\odot }$, however, the gas is able to achieve gravitational instability while still in the minihalo regime. Thus, we conclude that the Galaxy’s metallicity floor is set by the balance within minihaloes of gas-phase metal cooling and the radiation background associated with its early formation environment.

Global Classical Large Solutions for the Radiation Hydrodynamics Model in Unbounded Domains

Global Classical Large Solutions for the Radiation Hydrodynamics Model in Unbounded Domains

Three-temperature radiation hydrodynamics with PLUTO: Thermal and kinematic signatures of accreting protoplanets

In circumstellar disks around young stars, the gravitational influence of nascent planets produces telltale patterns in density, temperature, and kinematics. To better understand these signatures, we first performed 3D hydrodynamical simulations of a 0.012 M⊙ disk with a Saturn-mass planet orbiting circularly in-plane at 40 au. We tested four different disk thermodynamic prescriptions (in increasing order of complexity: local isothermality, β cooling, two-temperature radiation hydrodynamics, and three-temperature radiation hydrodynamics), finding that β cooling offers a reasonable approximation for the three-temperature approach when the planet is not massive or luminous enough to substantially alter the background temperature and density structure. Thereafter, using the three-temperature scheme, we relaxed this assumption, simulating a range of different planet masses (Neptune-mass, Saturn-mass, and Jupiter-mass) and accretion luminosities (0 and 10−3 L⊙) in the same disk. Our investigation revealed that signatures of disk–planet interaction strengthen with increasing planet mass, with circumplanetary flows becoming prominent in the high-planet-mass regime. Accretion luminosity, which adds pressure support around the planet, was found to weaken the midplane Doppler flip, which is potentially visible in optically thin tracers such as C18O, while strengthening the spiral signature, particularly in upper disk layers sensitive to thicker lines, such as those of 12CO.