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Quasi-periodic X-ray eruptions years after a nearby tidal disruption event

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  • M Nicholl
  • D R Pasham
  • A Mummery
  • M Guolo
  • K Gendreau
  • G C Dewangan
  • E C Ferrara
  • R Remillard
  • C Bonnerot
  • J Chakraborty
  • A Hajela
  • V S Dhillon
  • A F Gillan
  • J Greenwood
  • M E Huber
  • A Janiuk
  • G Salvesen
  • S van Velzen
  • A Aamer
  • K D Alexander
  • C R Angus
  • Z Arzoumanian
  • K Auchettl
  • E Berger
  • T de Boer
  • Y Cendes
  • K C Chambers
  • T-W Chen
  • R Chornock
  • M D Fulton
  • H Gao
  • J H Gillanders
  • S Gomez
  • B P Gompertz
  • A C Fabian
  • J Herman
  • A Ingram
  • E Kara
  • T Laskar
  • A Lawrence
  • C-C Lin
  • T B Lowe
  • E A Magnier
  • R Margutti
  • S L McGee
  • P Minguez
  • T Moore
  • E Nathan
  • K C Patra
  • P Ramsden
  • V Ravi
  • E J Ridley
  • X Sheng
  • S J Smartt
  • K W Smith
  • S Srivastav
  • R Stein
  • H F Stevance
  • S G D Turner
  • R J Wainscoat
  • J Weston
  • T Wevers
  • D R Young
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>24/10/2024
<mark>Journal</mark>Nature
Issue number8035
Volume634
Number of pages5
Pages (from-to)804-808
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date9/10/24
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are luminous bursts of soft X-rays from the nuclei of galaxies, repeating on timescales of hours to weeks . The mechanism behind these rare systems is uncertain, but most theories involve accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) undergoing instabilities or interacting with a stellar object in a close orbit . It has been suggested that this disk could be created when the SMBH disrupts a passing star , implying that many QPEs should be preceded by observable tidal disruption events (TDEs). Two known QPE sources show long-term decays in quiescent luminosity consistent with TDEs and two observed TDEs have exhibited X-ray flares consistent with individual eruptions . TDEs and QPEs also occur preferentially in similar galaxies . However, no confirmed repeating QPEs have been associated with a spectroscopically confirmed TDE or an optical TDE observed at peak brightness. 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 TDE . 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. [Abstract copyright: © 2024. The Author(s).]