Lense-Thirring precession after a supermassive black hole disrupts a star.

ABSTRACT: An accretion disk formed around a supermassive black hole after it disrupts a star is expected to be initially misaligned with respect to the equatorial plane of the black hole. This misalignment induces relativistic torques (the Lense-Thirring effect) on the disk, causing the disk to precess at early times, whereas at late times the disk aligns with the black hole and precession terminates^1,2. Here we report, using high-cadence X-ray monitoring observations of a tidal disruption event (TDE), the discovery of strong, quasi-periodic X-ray flux and temperature modulations. These X-ray modulations are separated by roughly 15 days and persist for about 130 days during the early phase of the TDE. Lense-Thirring precession of the accretion flow can produce this X-ray variability, but

SUBMITTER: Pasham DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11168925 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature