Some galaxies possess 'mufflers' that can completely swallow the energy of an exploding star.
April 1, 2026
Original Paper
AGN Disks as Supernova Mufflers I: 3D Local Hydrodynamic Models
arXiv · 2603.29049
The Takeaway
Supernovae are usually the brightest events in the universe, but this study shows that the dense gas disks around supermassive black holes are so heavy they can stifle the shockwaves. This 'muffling' effect makes even the most violent explosions completely invisible to telescopes.
From the abstract
Supernova (SN) shocks that originate from stars on orbits embedded in dense active galactic nuclei (AGN) accretion disks evolve differently from those that occur in the interstellar medium. We aim to assess how shocks evolve in this dense stratified medium and understand where SNe are muffled and have their kinetic energy absorbed by an AGN disk versus escaping. We use Sirko \& Goodman (SG) and Thompson, Quataert \& Murray (TQM) AGN disk models for midplane radial profiles, generated with the pA