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/S41550-016-0034

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

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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 >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/S41550-016-0034
State	Published - 2017
Externally published	Yes

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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., Postigo, A. D. U., ... 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/S41550-016-0034

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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 >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.",

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 Postigo, {A. De Ugarte} 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.}",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1038/S41550-016-0034",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "1",

journal = "Nature Astronomy",

issn = "2397-3366",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

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, Postigo, ADU, 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/S41550-016-0034

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 - Postigo, A. De Ugarte

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

Y1 - 2017

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 >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.

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 >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.

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JO - Nature Astronomy

JF - 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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