A dust-enshrouded tidal disruption event with a resolved radio jet in a galaxy merger
Journal article, 2018
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 × 1052erg 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.
Author
S. Mattila
University of Turku
Tuorla Observatory
M.A. Pérez-Torres
Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA)
University of Zaragoza
A. Efstathiou
European University Cyprus
P. Mimica
Universitat de Valencia
M Fraser
University of Cambridge
University College Dublin
E. Kankare
Queen's University Belfast
Antxon Alberdi
Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA)
M. Aloy
Universitat de Valencia
T. Heikkilä
Tuorla Observatory
P. G. Jonker
Radboud University
Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)
P. Lundqvist
AlbaNova University Center
Ivan Marti-Vidal
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
W. P.S. Meikle
Imperial College London
C. Romero-Cañizales
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Diego Portales University
S. J. Smartt
Queen's University Belfast
S. Tsygankov
Tuorla Observatory
Eskil Varenius
University of Manchester
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
A. Alonso-Herrero
Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB)
M. Bondi
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
C. Fransson
AlbaNova University Center
R. Herrero-Illana
European Southern Observatory Santiago
T. Kangas
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Tuorla Observatory
R Kotak
Tuorla Observatory
Queen's University Belfast
Naim Ramirez-Olivencia
Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA)
P. Väisänen
Southern African Large Telescope
South African Astronomical Observatory
R. J. Beswick
University of Manchester
D. L. Clements
Imperial College London
R. Greimel
University of Graz
J. Harmanen
Tuorla Observatory
J. Kotilainen
Tuorla Observatory
University of Turku
K. Nandra
Max Planck Society
T. Reynolds
Tuorla Observatory
S. D. Ryder
Australian Astronomical Observatory
N. A. Walton
University of Cambridge
K. Wiik
Tuorla Observatory
G. Östlin
AlbaNova University Center
Science
0036-8075 (ISSN) 1095-9203 (eISSN)
Vol. 361 6401 482-485Subject Categories
Subatomic Physics
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics
DOI
10.1126/science.aao4669