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Tidal disruption events occur when stars are ripped apart by massive blackholes, and result in highly luminous, multi-wavelength flares. Optical/UVobservations of tidal disruption events (TDEs) contradict simple models of TDEemission, but the debate between alternative models (e.g. shock power orreprocessed accretion power remains unsettled, as the dynamic range of theproblem has so far prevented ab initio hydrodynamical simulations.Consequently, past simulations have resorted to unrealistic parameter choices,artificial mass injection schemes or very short run-times. Here we present a 3Dradiation-hydrodynamic simulation of a TDE flare from disruption to peakemission, with typical astrophysical parameters. At early times, shocks nearpericenter power the light curve and a novel source of X-ray emission, butcircularization and outflows are inefficient. Near peak light, stream-diskshocks efficiently circularize returning debris, power stronger outflows, andreproduce observed peak optical/UV luminosities. Peak emission in thissimulation is shock-powered, but upper limits on accretion power becomecompetitive near peak light as circularization runs away. This simulation showshow deterministic predictions of TDE light curves and spectra can be calculatedusing moving-mesh hydrodynamics algorithms.

Stream-Disk Shocks as the Origins of Peak Light in Tidal Disruption Events