The superluminous transient ASASSN-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole
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2017Metadata
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Leloudas, G.
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The superluminous transient ASASSN-15lh as a tidal disruption event from a Kerr black hole
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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-circle dot) and a non-spinning black hole with a mass <10(8)M(circle dot), 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 interpreted(7) as a superluminous supernova(8). 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 evolution(6), the presence of highly ionized CNO gas in the line of sight(9) 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 >10(8)M(circle dot)(12,13), a star with the same mass as the Sun could be disrupted outside the event horizon if the black hole were spinning rapidly(14). The rapid spin and high black hole mass can explain the high luminosity of this event.
Patrocinador
European Union
320360
647208
291222
615929
Einstein Postdoctoral Fellowship
PF5-160145
Hubble Postdoctoral Fellowship
HST-HF2-51350
HST-HF2-51350 (S.v.V.), STFC
ST/I001123/1
ST/L000709/1
ST/L000679/1
Australian Research Council Future Fellowship
FT140101082
Royal Society University Research Fellowship
Sofja Kovalevskaja Award
Ramon y Cajal fellowship
Spanish research project
AYA 2014-58381
CONICYT-Chile FONDECYT
3130488
3140534
3140563
3150238
PRIN-INAF
IDA
Ernest Rutherford Fellowship
CAASTRO
CE110001020
National Science Foundation
AST 11-09881
1313484
NASA
HST-AR-13726.02
Australian Government
European Southern Observatory (ESO)
88. D-3003
191. D-0935
ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory
ID 095. D-0633
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Artículo de publicación ISI
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Nature Astronomy Vol. 1 (1): 0002
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