The unluckiest star: A spectroscopically confirmed repeated partial tidal disruption event AT 2022dbl

The unluckiest star: A spectroscopically confirmed repeated partial tidal disruption event AT 2022dbl

July 30, 2024 | Zheyu Lin, Ning Jiang, Tinggui Wang, Xu Kong, Dongyue Li, Han He, Yibo Wang, Jiazhen Zhu, Wentao Li, Ji-an Jiang, Chichuan Jin, Keiichi Maeda, and Shifeng Huang
The paper presents the discovery of a repeated partial tidal disruption event (pTDE), AT 2022dbl, in a quiescent galaxy at redshift z = 0.0284. This event involves a star orbiting a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in an elliptical orbit, with the star experiencing partial tidal disruption each time it reaches the pericenter, producing a series of flares. The two flares observed in 2022 and 2024 show similar blackbody temperatures, peak luminosities, and light curve shapes, with the second flare having a slightly lower peak luminosity and slower rise and fall phases. Spectroscopic analysis of the second flare reveals a steeper continuum than the late-time spectra of the first flare, consistent with a newly risen flare. The optical spectra of both flares show highly similar broad Balmer, N III, and possible He II emission lines, especially the extreme 4100 Å emission lines, which strongly indicate a connection between the two flares. This represents the first robust spectroscopic evidence for a repeated pTDE. The event rate for pTDEs is predicted to be comparable or even higher than that of full TDEs, providing a boost to the total TDE rate. However, distinguishing pTDEs from full TDEs is difficult, as the luminosity is not only determined by the penetration factor but also depends on other parameters such as the radiation efficiency, the BH mass, and stellar properties. The discovery of AT 2022dbl provides valuable insights into the nature of pTDEs and their potential to test optical/UV emission models. The event is expected to be followed by a third flare, which could confirm the repeated pTDE classification. The study also highlights the importance of high-cadence optical/UV/X-ray photometric and spectroscopic data in understanding the mechanisms of optical/UV emission of TDEs and the associated "missing energy" problem. The work is supported by several funding agencies and institutions, and the authors acknowledge the support of various observatories and research teams.The paper presents the discovery of a repeated partial tidal disruption event (pTDE), AT 2022dbl, in a quiescent galaxy at redshift z = 0.0284. This event involves a star orbiting a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in an elliptical orbit, with the star experiencing partial tidal disruption each time it reaches the pericenter, producing a series of flares. The two flares observed in 2022 and 2024 show similar blackbody temperatures, peak luminosities, and light curve shapes, with the second flare having a slightly lower peak luminosity and slower rise and fall phases. Spectroscopic analysis of the second flare reveals a steeper continuum than the late-time spectra of the first flare, consistent with a newly risen flare. The optical spectra of both flares show highly similar broad Balmer, N III, and possible He II emission lines, especially the extreme 4100 Å emission lines, which strongly indicate a connection between the two flares. This represents the first robust spectroscopic evidence for a repeated pTDE. The event rate for pTDEs is predicted to be comparable or even higher than that of full TDEs, providing a boost to the total TDE rate. However, distinguishing pTDEs from full TDEs is difficult, as the luminosity is not only determined by the penetration factor but also depends on other parameters such as the radiation efficiency, the BH mass, and stellar properties. The discovery of AT 2022dbl provides valuable insights into the nature of pTDEs and their potential to test optical/UV emission models. The event is expected to be followed by a third flare, which could confirm the repeated pTDE classification. The study also highlights the importance of high-cadence optical/UV/X-ray photometric and spectroscopic data in understanding the mechanisms of optical/UV emission of TDEs and the associated "missing energy" problem. The work is supported by several funding agencies and institutions, and the authors acknowledge the support of various observatories and research teams.
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