Conceitos essenciais
The detection of quasi-periodic X-ray eruptions from a known tidal disruption event suggests that these eruptions could be caused by an orbiting body colliding with the accretion disk formed after a star is disrupted by a supermassive black hole.
Resumo
This research paper presents the first confirmed observation of repeating quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) associated with a spectroscopically confirmed tidal disruption event (TDE).
Background
- QPEs are luminous bursts of soft X-rays from galactic nuclei, repeating on timescales of hours to weeks.
- TDEs occur when a star passes too close to a supermassive black hole (SMBH) and is ripped apart by tidal forces.
- While both QPEs and TDEs are thought to involve accretion disks around SMBHs, a definitive link between the two phenomena has been elusive.
Findings
- The researchers detected nine X-ray QPEs with a mean recurrence time of approximately 48 hours from AT2019qiz, a nearby TDE.
- They modeled the X-ray, ultraviolet (UV), and optical emissions from the accretion disk of AT2019qiz.
- Their findings suggest that the QPEs could be explained by an orbiting body, possibly a fragment of the disrupted star, colliding with the accretion disk.
Significance
- This study provides the first direct observational evidence linking repeating QPEs to a TDE.
- The proposed model of an orbiting body impacting the accretion disk offers a plausible explanation for the observed QPEs.
- This discovery has significant implications for understanding the dynamics of accretion disks around SMBHs and the aftermath of TDEs.
Limitations and Future Research
- Further observations and modeling are needed to confirm the nature of the orbiting body and the precise mechanism driving the QPEs.
- Investigating other TDEs for similar QPE signatures will be crucial to determine the prevalence of this phenomenon.
Estatísticas
Nine X-ray QPEs were detected.
The QPEs have a mean recurrence time of approximately 48 hours.
Citações
"Here we report the detection of nine X-ray QPEs with a mean recurrence time of approximately 48 h from AT2019qiz, a nearby and extensively studied optically selected TDE16."
"We detect and model the X-ray, ultraviolet (UV) and optical emission from the accretion disk and show that an orbiting body colliding with this disk provides a plausible explanation for the QPEs."