FLASH Simulations of Laser-driven Laboratory Astrophysics Experiments to Study Jets in Common-envelope Evolution of Binary Stars

Massive stars are commonly found in binary systems or multi-star systems. When the evolved primary star in a close binary system expands and engulfs its companion, the two stars share a temporary common envelope (CE). CE evolution is a transient yet critical process in binary star evolution and leads to either a merger of the primary core and the companion or the ejection of the shared envelope. Jet feedback from accretion onto the companion during a CE evolution is speculated to affect the orbital evolution and envelope unbinding process. Previous simulations demonstrated that jets are choked quickly after the plunge-in phase and efficiently transfer their energy to the envelope thereafter, which leads to an increased percentage of envelope unbinding [1]. In this study, we investigate the dynamic interaction between jets and stellar envelopes and propose a laboratory-scale, laser-driven plasma experiment to mimic the interaction in a controlled environment. The experiment is designed using FLASH, the radiation-magneto-hydrodynamics code developed at the Flash Center for Computational Science. These simulations can inform and reveal in detail the energy transformations and instability development during jet-envelope interactions, guiding future laboratory astrophysics experiments.