The Birth of a Relativistic Outflow in the Unusual {\gamma}-ray Transient Swift J164449.3+573451

TL;DR

This paper reports the first direct observation of a newly-formed relativistic jet from a supermassive black hole following a tidal disruption event, providing insights into jet formation at the birth of such phenomena.

Contribution

It presents the discovery of a transient radio source linked to a tidal disruption event, evidencing the birth of a relativistic outflow in an otherwise inactive galaxy.

Findings

Detected a luminous radio transient coinciding with the galaxy nucleus.

Provided evidence for a newly-formed relativistic outflow from a supermassive black hole.

Suggested radio searches can find similar events up to redshift z ~ 6.

Abstract

Active galactic nuclei (AGN), powered by long-term accretion onto central supermassive black holes, produce relativistic jets with lifetimes of greater than one million yr that preclude observations at birth. Transient accretion onto a supermassive black hole, for example through the tidal disruption of a stray star, may therefore offer a unique opportunity to observe and study the birth of a relativistic jet. On 2011 March 25, the Swift {\gamma}-ray satellite discovered an unusual transient source (Swift J164449.3+573451) potentially representing such an event. Here we present the discovery of a luminous radio transient associated with Swift J164449.3+573451, and an extensive set of observations spanning centimeter to millimeter wavelengths and covering the first month of evolution. These observations lead to a positional coincidence with the nucleus of an inactive galaxy, and provide direct evidence for a newly-formed relativistic outflow, launched by transient accretion onto a million solar mass black hole. While a relativistic outflow was not predicted in this scenario, we show that the tidal disruption of a star naturally explains the high-energy properties, radio luminosity, and the inferred rate of such events. The weaker beaming in the radio compared to {\gamma}-rays/X-rays, suggests that radio searches may uncover similar events out to redshifts of z ~ 6.