On the Papaloizou-Pringle instability in tidal disruption events

Abstract

We demonstrate that the compact, thick disc formed in a tidal disruption event may be unstable to non-axisymmetric perturbations in the form of the Papaloizou-Pringle instability. We show this can lead to rapid redistribution of angular momentum that can be parametrized in terms of an effective Shakura-Sunyaev α parameter. For remnants that have initially weak magnetic fields, this may be responsible for driving mass accretion prior to the onset of the magnetorotational instability. For tidal disruptions around a 106 M⊙ black hole, the measured accretion rate is super-Eddington but is not sustainable over many orbits. We thus identify a method by which the torus formed in tidal disruption event may be significantly accreted before the magnetorotational instability is established.