A new X-ray tidal disruption event candidate with fast variability

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a fast, soft X-ray transient in a non-active galaxy, likely a tidal disruption event caused by a star being disrupted by a supermassive black hole, with rapid variability and no persistent activity.

Contribution

It presents a new candidate TDE with unusually fast X-ray variability and detailed multi-epoch observations, expanding understanding of TDE temporal behavior.

Findings

X-ray luminosity increased by a factor of 8 within 8 days

The X-ray spectrum was very soft with a black-body temperature of 0.1 keV

No persistent X-ray emission was detected before or after the event

Abstract

During a close encounter between a star and a supermassive black hole, the star can get disrupted by the black hole's tidal forces, resulting in a tidal disruption event (TDE). The accretion of the star's material onto the black hole produces strong emission in different wavelength regimes. Here we report the discovery with ROSAT of an X-ray-selected transient source in an optically non-active galaxy. At the location RA: 13h31m57.66s and Dec: -32deg3arcmin19.7arsec a sudden rise in X-ray luminosity by a factor of 8 within 8 days has been observed. Additionally, a very soft X-ray spectrum with a black-body temperature kT=0.1 keV and a peak luminosity of at least 10^43 erg/s suggest a TDE interpretation, and the observed properties are very similar to previously identified soft X-ray (ROSAT) TDEs. An optical spectrum taken of the galaxy at the position of RXJ133157.6-324319.7 six years after the X-ray outburst does not show any emission lines as would be expected from a persistent active galactic nucleus (AGN). The redshift of the galaxy is determined to be 0.051 based on absorption lines. It is therefore likely a member of the galaxy cluster Abell 3560. The rise in X-ray luminosity happens within 8 days and thus appears to be fast for such an event. No X-ray emission was detected 170 days before and 165 days after the event, and none was detected 25 years later with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. The change in X-ray luminosity is at least a factor of 40.