Mid-infrared flare of TDE candidate PS16dtm: dust echo and implications for the spectral evolution

TL;DR

This paper reports a mid-infrared flare in the TDE candidate PS16dtm, interpreted as a dust echo, revealing dust sublimation, spectral changes, and outflows, providing insights into the dust environment and evolution during the event.

Contribution

The study presents the first detection of a mid-infrared dust echo in PS16dtm, linking it to the optical flare and spectral features, offering new understanding of dust response in TDEs.

Findings

Mid-infrared flare started 11 days before optical detection.

Dust sublimation and torus expansion observed during the event.

Enhanced FeII emission and outflows linked to dust evaporation and radiation pressure.

Abstract

PS16dtm was classified as a candidate tidal disruption event (TDE) in a dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy with low-mass black hole ($\sim10^6M\odot$) and has presented various intriguing photometric and spectra characteristics. Using the archival WISE and the newly released NEOWISE data, we found PS16dtm is experiencing a mid-infrared (MIR) flare which started $\sim11$ days before the first optical detection. Interpreting the MIR flare as a dust echo requires close pre-existing dust with a high covering factor, and suggests the optical flare may have brightened slowly for some time before it became bright detectable from the ground. More evidence is given at the later epochs. At the peak of the optical light curve, the new inner radius of the dust torus has grown to much larger size, a factor of 7 of the initial radius due to strong radiation field. At $\sim150$ days after the first optical detection, the dust temperature has dropped well below the sublimation temperature. Other peculiar spectral features shown by PS16dtm are the transient, prominent FeII emission lines and outflows indicated by broad absorption lines detected during the optical flare. Our model explains the enhanced FeII emission from iron newly released from the evaporated dust. The observed broad absorption line outflow could be explained by accelerated gas in the dust torus due to the radiation pressure.