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Title: Discovery of a Mid-infrared Echo from the TDE Candidate in the Nucleus of ULIRG F01004−2237

Abstract

We present the mid-infrared (MIR) light curves (LCs) of a tidal disruption event candidate in the center of a nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxy F01004−2237 using archival WISE and NEOWISE data from 2010 to 2016. At the peak of the optical flare, F01004−2237 was IR quiescent. About three years later, its MIR fluxes have shown a steady increase, rising by 1.34 and 1.04 mag in 3.4 and 4.6 μ m up to the end of 2016. The host-subtracted MIR peak luminosity is 2–3 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}. We interpret the MIR LCs as an infrared echo, i.e., dust reprocessed emission of the optical flare. Fitting the MIR LCs using our dust model, we infer a dust torus of the size of a few parsecs at some inclined angle. The derived dust temperatures range from 590–850 K, and the warm dust mass is ∼7 M {sub ⊙}. Such a large mass implies that the dust cannot be newly formed. We also derive the UV luminosity of 4–11 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}. The inferred total IR energy is 1–2 × 10{sup 52} erg, suggesting a large dust covering factor. Finally, our dust model suggests that the long tail ofmore » the optical flare could be due to dust scattering.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
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  1. Center for Astrophysics, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006 (China)
  2. CAS Key Laboratory for Researches in Galaxies and Cosmology, University of Sciences and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)
  3. Caltech Optical Observatories, Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
  4. IPAC, Mail Code 100-22, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
  5. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22654476
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 841; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BLACK HOLES; COVERINGS; DUSTS; EMISSION; GALAXIES; GALAXY NUCLEI; INTERMEDIATE INFRARED RADIATION; LUMINOSITY; MASS; SCATTERING; VISIBLE RADIATION

Citation Formats

Dou, Liming, Wang, Tinggui, Jiang, Ning, Yang, Chenwei, Peng, Bo, Yan, Lin, Cutri, Roc M., and Mainzer, Amy. Discovery of a Mid-infrared Echo from the TDE Candidate in the Nucleus of ULIRG F01004−2237. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/AA7130.
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Dou, Liming, Wang, Tinggui, Jiang, Ning, Yang, Chenwei, Peng, Bo, Yan, Lin, Cutri, Roc M., & Mainzer, Amy. Discovery of a Mid-infrared Echo from the TDE Candidate in the Nucleus of ULIRG F01004−2237. United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA7130
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Dou, Liming, Wang, Tinggui, Jiang, Ning, Yang, Chenwei, Peng, Bo, Yan, Lin, Cutri, Roc M., and Mainzer, Amy. 2017. "Discovery of a Mid-infrared Echo from the TDE Candidate in the Nucleus of ULIRG F01004−2237". United States. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA7130.
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@article{osti_22654476,
title = {Discovery of a Mid-infrared Echo from the TDE Candidate in the Nucleus of ULIRG F01004−2237},
author = {Dou, Liming and Wang, Tinggui and Jiang, Ning and Yang, Chenwei and Peng, Bo and Yan, Lin and Cutri, Roc M. and Mainzer, Amy},
abstractNote = {We present the mid-infrared (MIR) light curves (LCs) of a tidal disruption event candidate in the center of a nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxy F01004−2237 using archival WISE and NEOWISE data from 2010 to 2016. At the peak of the optical flare, F01004−2237 was IR quiescent. About three years later, its MIR fluxes have shown a steady increase, rising by 1.34 and 1.04 mag in 3.4 and 4.6 μ m up to the end of 2016. The host-subtracted MIR peak luminosity is 2–3 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}. We interpret the MIR LCs as an infrared echo, i.e., dust reprocessed emission of the optical flare. Fitting the MIR LCs using our dust model, we infer a dust torus of the size of a few parsecs at some inclined angle. The derived dust temperatures range from 590–850 K, and the warm dust mass is ∼7 M {sub ⊙}. Such a large mass implies that the dust cannot be newly formed. We also derive the UV luminosity of 4–11 × 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1}. The inferred total IR energy is 1–2 × 10{sup 52} erg, suggesting a large dust covering factor. Finally, our dust model suggests that the long tail of the optical flare could be due to dust scattering.},
doi = {10.3847/2041-8213/AA7130},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22654476}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 841,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Sat May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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Journal Article:
https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/AA7130
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