A dust-enshrouded tidal disruption event with a resolved radio jet in a galaxy merger

Journal
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Mattila, S.
•
Pérez-Torres, M.
•
Efstathiou, A.
•
Mimica, P.
•
Fraser, M.
•
Kankare, E.
•
Alberdi, A.
•
Aloy, M. Á.
•
Heikkilä, T.
•
Jonker, P. G.
•
Lundqvist, P.
•
Martí-Vidal, I.
•
Meikle, W. P. S.
•
Romero-Cañizales, C.
•
Smartt, S. J.
•
Tsygankov, S.
•
Varenius, E.
•
Alonso-Herrero, A.
•
•
Fransson, C.
•
Herrero-Illana, R.
•
Kangas, T.
•
Kotak, R.
•
Ramírez-Olivencia, N.
•
Väisänen, P.
•
Beswick, R. J.
•
Clements, D. L.
•
Greimel, R.
•
Harmanen, J.
•
Kotilainen, J.
•
Nandra, K.
•
Reynolds, T.
•
Ryder, S.
•
Walton, N. A.
•
Wiik, K.
•
Östlin, G.
DOI
Abstract
Tidal disruption events (TDEs) are transient flares produced when a star is ripped apart by the gravitational field of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). We have observed a transient source in the western nucleus of the merging galaxy pair Arp 299 that radiated >1.5 × 1052 erg at infrared and radio wavelengths but was not luminous at optical or x-ray wavelengths. We interpret this as a TDE with much of its emission reradiated at infrared wavelengths by dust. Efficient reprocessing by dense gas and dust may explain the difference between theoretical predictions and observed luminosities of TDEs. The radio observations resolve an expanding and decelerating jet, probing the jet formation and evolution around a SMBH.
Volume
361
Issue
6401
Start page
482
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
0036-8075
Ads BibCode
2018Sci...361..482M
Rights
open.access
File(s)
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

Science1806.05717.pdf

Description
preprint
Size

6.87 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

3b1c4587efdd4cf5c76269c21600be0a

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

mattila2017.pdf

Description
[Administrators only]
Size

677.07 KB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

210f370eeaf7740d360741fcc3ec46c8