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

ABSTRACT: Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are luminous bursts of soft X-rays from the nuclei of galaxies, repeating on timescales of hours to weeks^1-5. The mechanism behind these rare systems is uncertain, but most theories involve accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) undergoing instabilities^6-8 or interacting with a stellar object in a close orbit^9-11. It has been suggested that this disk could be created when the SMBH disrupts a passing star^8,11, 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^4,12 and two observed TDEs have exhibited X-ray flares consistent with individual eruptions^13,14

SUBMITTER: Nicholl M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11499261 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature