Prompt Emission from Tidal Disruptions of White Dwarfs by Intermediate Mass Black Holes

TL;DR

This paper proposes that tidal disruptions of white dwarfs by intermediate mass black holes produce fast, luminous events with relativistic jets emitting soft X-ray thermal radiation, potentially explaining certain low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts and associated supernovae.

Contribution

It introduces a new model linking white dwarf disruptions by IMBHs to observable gamma-ray bursts and supernovae, highlighting the unique emission features and event frequency.

Findings

Disruptions produce high peak luminosity and relativistic jets.

The events resemble long low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts.

Associated supernovae result from nuclear ignition during disruption.

Abstract

We present a qualitative picture of prompt emission from tidal disruptions of white dwarfs (WD) by intermediate mass black holes (IMBH). The smaller size of an IMBH compared to a supermassive black hole and a smaller tidal radius of a WD disruption lead to a very fast event with high peak luminosity. Magnetic field is generated in situ following the tidal disruption, which leads to effective accretion. Since large-scale magnetic field is also produced, geometrically thick super-Eddington inflow leads to a relativistic jet. The dense jet possesses a photosphere, which emits quasi-thermal radiation in soft X-rays. The source can be classified as a long low-luminosity gamma-ray burst (ll-GRB). Tidal compression of a WD causes nuclear ignition, which is observable as an accompanying supernova. We suggest that GRB060218 and SN2006aj is such a pair of ll-GRB and supernova. We argue that in a flux-limited sample the disruptions of WDs by IMBHs are more frequent then the disruptions of other stars by IMBHs.