A milli-Tidal Disruption Event Model for GRB$\;$250702B: Main Sequence Star Disrupted by an IMBH

TL;DR

This paper models GRB 250702B as a milli-tidal disruption event caused by an intermediate mass black hole disrupting a main-sequence star, explaining its long duration, energetics, and afterglow features.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed mTDE model for GRB 250702B, linking the event's properties to an IMBH disrupting a main-sequence star and deriving black hole parameters from observational data.

Findings

Density profile consistent with Bondi accretion

IMBH mass estimated around 6,550 solar masses

Event duration and energetics explained by mTDE scenario

Abstract

GRB$\;$250702B is the longest GRB recorded so far, with multiple gamma-ray emission episodes spread over a duration exceeding $25\;$ks and a weaker soft X-ray pre-peak $\sim1\;$day gradually rising emission. It is offset from its host galaxy center by $\sim5.7\;$kpc, and displays a long-lived afterglow emission in radio to X-ray. Its true nature is unclear, with the two leading candidate classes of objects being a peculiar type of ultra-long GRB and a tidal disruption event (TDE) by an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). Here, we consider the latter, mTDE origin. We model the afterglow data, finding a stratified external density profile $\propto r^{-k}$ with $k=1.60\pm0.17$, consistent with Bondi accretion of the interstellar medium (of initial number density $n_{\rm ISM}=n_0\;{\rm cm^{-3}}$ and sound speed $c_s=c_{s,6}10^6\;{\rm cm\,s^{-1}}$) for which $n(r)\approx n_{\rm ISM}(r/R_{\rm B})^{-3/2}$ within the Bondi radius $R_{\rm B}$. Moreover, we use the implied density normalization to infer the IMBH mass within this model, finding $M_\bullet\approx\left(6.55^{+3.51}_{-2.29}\right)\times10^3\,n_0^{-2/3}\,c_{s,6}^{2}(1+\mathcal{M}^2)\;M_\odot$ where $\mathcal{M}\equiv v_{\rm BH}/c_s$ is the IMBH's Mach number relative to the ISM. Together with an upper limit on $M_\bullet<\frac{c^3}{G}\frac{t_{\rm MV}}{1+z} \lesssim5\times10^4\,M_\odot$ from the source-frame minimum variability time $t_{\rm MV,src}\!=\!\frac{t_{\rm MV}}{1+z}\!\approx\!0.5\;$s this implies $v_{\rm BH}\lesssim 28\,n_0^{1/3}\;{\rm km\;s^{-1}}$. We show that a mTDE of a main-sequence star (but not of a white dwarf) can explain the duration and energetics of GRB$\;$250702B. The gradual rise to the peak may be caused by gradual circularization and accretion disk buildup, leading to an increase in the jet's power and Lorentz factor.