The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies that at Least Some “Standard” Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions

Makrygianni, L; Arcavi, I; Newsome, M; Bandopadhyay, A; Coughlin, ER; Linial, I; Mockler, B; Quataert, E; Nixon, C; Godson, B; Pursiainen, M; Leloudas, G; French, KD; Zitrin, A; Faris, S; Lam, MC; Horesh, A; Sfaradi, I; Fausnaugh, M; Nakar, E; Ackley, K; Andrews, M; Charalampopoulos, P; Davies, BDR; Fender, R; Rhodes, L

Journal article

The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies that at Least Some “Standard” Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions

Abstract:: Flares produced following the tidal disruption of stars by supermassive black holes can reveal the properties of the otherwise dormant majority of black holes and the physics of accretion. In the past decade, a class of optical-ultraviolet tidal disruption flares has been discovered whose emission properties do not match theoretical predictions. This has led to extensive efforts to model the dynamics and emission mechanisms of optical-ultraviolet tidal disruptions in order to establish them as probes of supermassive black holes. Here we present the optical-ultraviolet tidal disruption event AT 2022dbl, which showed a nearly identical repetition 700 days after the first flare. Ruling out gravitational lensing and two chance unrelated disruptions, we conclude that at least the first flare represents the partial disruption of a star, possibly captured through the Hills mechanism. Since both flares are typical of the optical-ultraviolet class of tidal disruptions in terms of their radiated energy, temperature, luminosity, and spectral features, it follows that either the entire class are partial rather than full stellar disruptions, contrary to the prevalent assumption, or some members of the class are partial disruptions, having nearly the same observational characteristics as full disruptions. Whichever option is true, these findings could require revised models for the emission mechanisms of optical-ultraviolet tidal disruption flares and a reassessment of their expected rates.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

Actions

Email

Email this record

Send the bibliographic details of this record to your email address.

Your Email
Please enter the email address that the record information will be sent to.

-
Your message (optional)
Please add any additional information to be included within the email.
Cite

Cite this record

APA Style

Makrygianni, L., Arcavi, I., Newsome, M., Bandopadhyay, A., Coughlin, E. R., Linial, I., Mockler, B., Quataert, E., Nixon, C., Godson, B., Pursiainen, M., Leloudas, G., French, K. D., Zitrin, A., Faris, S., Lam, M. C., Horesh, A., Sfaradi, I., Fausnaugh, M., … Rhodes, L. (2025). The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies that at Least Some “Standard” Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 987(1).

MLA Style

Makrygianni, L., et al. “The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies That at Least Some ‘Standard’ Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions.” The Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 987, no. 1, American Astronomical Society, 2025.

Chicago Style

Makrygianni, L, I Arcavi, M Newsome, A Bandopadhyay, ER Coughlin, I Linial, B Mockler, et al. 2025. “The Double Tidal Disruption Event AT 2022dbl Implies That at Least Some ‘Standard’ Optical Tidal Disruption Events Are Partial Disruptions.” The Astrophysical Journal Letters 987 (1).
Share
Print