The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole

G. Leloudas; M. Fraser; N. C. Stone; S. Van Velzen; P. G. Jonker; I. Arcavi; C. Fremling; J. R. Maund; S. J. Smartt; T. Krühler; J. C.A. Miller-Jones; P. M. Vreeswijk; A. Gal-Yam; P. A. Mazzali; A. De Cia; D. A. Howell; C. Inserra; F. Patat; A. De Ugarte Postigo; O. Yaron; C. Ashall; I. Bar; H. Campbell; T. W. Chen; M. Childress; N. Elias-Rosa; J. Harmanen; G. Hosseinzadeh; J. Johansson; T. Kangas; E. Kankare; S. Kim; H. Kuncarayakti; J. Lyman; M. R. Magee; K. Maguire; D. Malesani; S. Mattila; C. V. McCully; M. Nicholl; S. Prentice; C. Romero-Cañizales; S. Schulze; K. W. Smith; J. Sollerman; M. Sullivan; B. E. Tucker; S. Valenti; J. C. Wheeler; D. R. Young

doi:10.1038/s41550-016-0002

The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole

G. Leloudas^*, M. Fraser, N. C. Stone, S. Van Velzen, P. G. Jonker, I. Arcavi, C. Fremling, J. R. Maund, S. J. Smartt, T. Krühler, J. C.A. Miller-Jones, P. M. Vreeswijk, A. Gal-Yam, P. A. Mazzali, A. De Cia, D. A. Howell, C. Inserra, F. Patat, A. De Ugarte Postigo, O. YaronC. Ashall, I. Bar, H. Campbell, T. W. Chen, M. Childress, N. Elias-Rosa, J. Harmanen, G. Hosseinzadeh, J. Johansson, T. Kangas, E. Kankare, S. Kim, H. Kuncarayakti, J. Lyman, M. R. Magee, K. Maguire, D. Malesani, S. Mattila, C. V. McCully, M. Nicholl, S. Prentice, C. Romero-Cañizales, S. Schulze, K. W. Smith, J. Sollerman, M. Sullivan, B. E. Tucker, S. Valenti, J. C. Wheeler, D. R. Young

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

142 Scopus citations

Abstract

When a star passes within the tidal radius of a supermassive black hole, it will be torn apart¹. For a star with the mass of the Sun (M) and a non-spinning black hole with a mass <10⁸M, the tidal radius lies outside the black hole event horizon² and the disruption results in a luminous flare^3–6. Here we report observations over a period of ten months of a transient, hitherto interpreted⁷ as a superluminous supernova⁸. Our data show that the transient rebrightened substantially in the ultraviolet and that the spectrum went through three different spectroscopic phases without ever becoming nebular. Our observations are more consistent with a tidal disruption event than a superluminous supernova because of the temperature evolution⁶, the presence of highly ionized CNO gas in the line of sight⁹ and our improved localization of the transient in the nucleus of a passive galaxy, where the presence of massive stars is highly unlikely^10,11. While the supermassive black hole has a mass >10⁸M^12,13, a star with the same mass as the Sun could be disrupted outside the event horizon if the black hole were spinning rapidly¹⁴. The rapid spin and high black hole mass can explain the high luminosity of this event.

Original language	English
Article number	0002
Journal	Nature Astronomy
Volume	1
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-016-0002
State	Published - 1 Jan 2017
Externally published	Yes

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© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved.

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Leloudas, G., Fraser, M., Stone, N. C., Van Velzen, S., Jonker, P. G., Arcavi, I., Fremling, C., Maund, J. R., Smartt, S. J., Krühler, T., Miller-Jones, J. C. A., Vreeswijk, P. M., Gal-Yam, A., Mazzali, P. A., De Cia, A., Howell, D. A., Inserra, C., Patat, F., De Ugarte Postigo, A., ... Young, D. R. (2017). The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole. Nature Astronomy, 1(1), Article 0002. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-016-0002

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title = "The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole",

abstract = "When a star passes within the tidal radius of a supermassive black hole, it will be torn apart1. For a star with the mass of the Sun (M) and a non-spinning black hole with a mass <108M, the tidal radius lies outside the black hole event horizon2 and the disruption results in a luminous flare3–6. Here we report observations over a period of ten months of a transient, hitherto interpreted7 as a superluminous supernova8. Our data show that the transient rebrightened substantially in the ultraviolet and that the spectrum went through three different spectroscopic phases without ever becoming nebular. Our observations are more consistent with a tidal disruption event than a superluminous supernova because of the temperature evolution6, the presence of highly ionized CNO gas in the line of sight9 and our improved localization of the transient in the nucleus of a passive galaxy, where the presence of massive stars is highly unlikely10,11. While the supermassive black hole has a mass >108M12,13, a star with the same mass as the Sun could be disrupted outside the event horizon if the black hole were spinning rapidly14. The rapid spin and high black hole mass can explain the high luminosity of this event.",

author = "G. Leloudas and M. Fraser and Stone, {N. C.} and {Van Velzen}, S. and Jonker, {P. G.} and I. Arcavi and C. Fremling and Maund, {J. R.} and Smartt, {S. J.} and T. Kr{\"u}hler and Miller-Jones, {J. C.A.} and Vreeswijk, {P. M.} and A. Gal-Yam and Mazzali, {P. A.} and {De Cia}, A. and Howell, {D. A.} and C. Inserra and F. Patat and {De Ugarte Postigo}, A. and O. Yaron and C. Ashall and I. Bar and H. Campbell and Chen, {T. W.} and M. Childress and N. Elias-Rosa and J. Harmanen and G. Hosseinzadeh and J. Johansson and T. Kangas and E. Kankare and S. Kim and H. Kuncarayakti and J. Lyman and Magee, {M. R.} and K. Maguire and D. Malesani and S. Mattila and McCully, {C. V.} and M. Nicholl and S. Prentice and C. Romero-Ca{\~n}izales and S. Schulze and Smith, {K. W.} and J. Sollerman and M. Sullivan and Tucker, {B. E.} and S. Valenti and Wheeler, {J. C.} and Young, {D. R.}",

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doi = "10.1038/s41550-016-0002",

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Leloudas, G, Fraser, M, Stone, NC, Van Velzen, S, Jonker, PG, Arcavi, I, Fremling, C, Maund, JR, Smartt, SJ, Krühler, T, Miller-Jones, JCA, Vreeswijk, PM, Gal-Yam, A, Mazzali, PA, De Cia, A, Howell, DA, Inserra, C, Patat, F, De Ugarte Postigo, A, Yaron, O, Ashall, C, Bar, I, Campbell, H, Chen, TW, Childress, M, Elias-Rosa, N, Harmanen, J, Hosseinzadeh, G, Johansson, J, Kangas, T, Kankare, E, Kim, S, Kuncarayakti, H, Lyman, J, Magee, MR, Maguire, K, Malesani, D, Mattila, S, McCully, CV, Nicholl, M, Prentice, S, Romero-Cañizales, C, Schulze, S, Smith, KW, Sollerman, J, Sullivan, M, Tucker, BE, Valenti, S, Wheeler, JC & Young, DR 2017, 'The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole', Nature Astronomy, vol. 1, no. 1, 0002. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-016-0002

TY - JOUR

T1 - The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole

AU - Leloudas, G.

AU - Fraser, M.

AU - Stone, N. C.

AU - Van Velzen, S.

AU - Jonker, P. G.

AU - Arcavi, I.

AU - Fremling, C.

AU - Maund, J. R.

AU - Smartt, S. J.

AU - Krühler, T.

AU - Miller-Jones, J. C.A.

AU - Vreeswijk, P. M.

AU - Gal-Yam, A.

AU - Mazzali, P. A.

AU - De Cia, A.

AU - Howell, D. A.

AU - Inserra, C.

AU - Patat, F.

AU - De Ugarte Postigo, A.

AU - Yaron, O.

AU - Ashall, C.

AU - Bar, I.

AU - Campbell, H.

AU - Chen, T. W.

AU - Childress, M.

AU - Elias-Rosa, N.

AU - Harmanen, J.

AU - Hosseinzadeh, G.

AU - Johansson, J.

AU - Kangas, T.

AU - Kankare, E.

AU - Kim, S.

AU - Kuncarayakti, H.

AU - Lyman, J.

AU - Magee, M. R.

AU - Maguire, K.

AU - Malesani, D.

AU - Mattila, S.

AU - McCully, C. V.

AU - Nicholl, M.

AU - Prentice, S.

AU - Romero-Cañizales, C.

AU - Schulze, S.

AU - Smith, K. W.

AU - Sollerman, J.

AU - Sullivan, M.

AU - Tucker, B. E.

AU - Valenti, S.

AU - Wheeler, J. C.

AU - Young, D. R.

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - When a star passes within the tidal radius of a supermassive black hole, it will be torn apart1. For a star with the mass of the Sun (M) and a non-spinning black hole with a mass <108M, the tidal radius lies outside the black hole event horizon2 and the disruption results in a luminous flare3–6. Here we report observations over a period of ten months of a transient, hitherto interpreted7 as a superluminous supernova8. Our data show that the transient rebrightened substantially in the ultraviolet and that the spectrum went through three different spectroscopic phases without ever becoming nebular. Our observations are more consistent with a tidal disruption event than a superluminous supernova because of the temperature evolution6, the presence of highly ionized CNO gas in the line of sight9 and our improved localization of the transient in the nucleus of a passive galaxy, where the presence of massive stars is highly unlikely10,11. While the supermassive black hole has a mass >108M12,13, a star with the same mass as the Sun could be disrupted outside the event horizon if the black hole were spinning rapidly14. The rapid spin and high black hole mass can explain the high luminosity of this event.

AB - When a star passes within the tidal radius of a supermassive black hole, it will be torn apart1. For a star with the mass of the Sun (M) and a non-spinning black hole with a mass <108M, the tidal radius lies outside the black hole event horizon2 and the disruption results in a luminous flare3–6. Here we report observations over a period of ten months of a transient, hitherto interpreted7 as a superluminous supernova8. Our data show that the transient rebrightened substantially in the ultraviolet and that the spectrum went through three different spectroscopic phases without ever becoming nebular. Our observations are more consistent with a tidal disruption event than a superluminous supernova because of the temperature evolution6, the presence of highly ionized CNO gas in the line of sight9 and our improved localization of the transient in the nucleus of a passive galaxy, where the presence of massive stars is highly unlikely10,11. While the supermassive black hole has a mass >108M12,13, a star with the same mass as the Sun could be disrupted outside the event horizon if the black hole were spinning rapidly14. The rapid spin and high black hole mass can explain the high luminosity of this event.

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JO - Nature Astronomy

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ER -

The superluminous transient aSaSSn-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole

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