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. Kruehler; 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-Canizales; S. Schulze; K. W. Smith; J. Sollerman; M. Sullivan; B. E. Tucker; S. Valenti; J. C. Wheeler; D. R. Young; T. Krühler

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. Kruehler, 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-Canizales, S. Schulze, K. W. Smith, J. Sollerman, M. Sullivan, B. E. Tucker, S. Valenti, J. C. Wheeler, D. R. Young, T. Krühler

Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics

Weizmann Institute of Science

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

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
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Astronomy
Volume	1
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-016-0002
State	Published - 12 Dec 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics

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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., Kruehler, 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., ... Krühler, T. (2016). 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

@article{30cf609f82524647a736d5f2fe52136e,

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. Kruehler 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-Canizales 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.} and T. Kr{\"u}hler",

year = "2016",

month = dec,

day = "12",

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

language = "الإنجليزيّة",

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, Kruehler, 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, T-W, 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-Canizales, C, Schulze, S, Smith, KW, Sollerman, J, Sullivan, M, Tucker, BE, Valenti, S, Wheeler, JC, Young, DR & Krühler, T 2016, '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 - Kruehler, 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-Canizales, 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.

AU - Krühler, T.

PY - 2016/12/12

Y1 - 2016/12/12

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.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046019290&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41550-016-0002

DO - 10.1038/s41550-016-0002

M3 - مقالة

SN - 2397-3366

VL - 1

JO - Nature Astronomy

JF - Nature Astronomy

IS - 1

M1 - 0002

ER -

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

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