Star-disc interaction in galactic nuclei: formation of a central stellar disc

Understand

We perform high resolution direct $N$-body simulations to study the effect of an accretion disc on stellar dynamics in an active galactic nucleus (AGN).

• We show that the interaction of the nuclear stellar cluster (NSC) with the gaseous disc (AD) leads to formation of a stellar disc in the central part of the NSC.
• The accretion of stars from the stellar disc onto the super-massive black hole is balanced by the capture of stars from the NSC into the stellar disc, yielding a stationary density profile.
• We derive the migration time through the AD to be 3\% of the half-mass relaxation time of the NSC.