A dust-enshrouded tidal disruption event with a resolved radio jet in a galaxy merger

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a dust-enshrouded tidal disruption event in a galaxy merger, characterized by a resolved radio jet and infrared emission, providing insights into jet formation and dust reprocessing in TDEs.

Contribution

It presents the first resolved radio jet in a dust-obscured TDE within a galaxy merger, highlighting dust reprocessing effects and jet evolution.

Findings

Detected >1.5x10^52 erg in infrared and radio emissions.

Resolved an expanding, decelerating radio jet.

Observed a TDE with suppressed optical/X-ray luminosity.

Abstract

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) are transient flares produced when a star is ripped apart by the gravitational field of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). We have observed a transient source in the western nucleus of the merging galaxy pair Arp 299 that radiated >1.5x10^52 erg in the infrared and radio, but was not luminous at optical or X-ray wavelengths. We interpret this as a TDE with much of its emission re-radiated at infrared wavelengths by dust. Efficient reprocessing by dense gas and dust may explain the difference between theoretical predictions and observed luminosities of TDEs. The radio observations resolve an expanding and decelerating jet, probing the jet formation and evolution around a SMBH.