SWIFT J1644+57: A WHITE DWARF TIDALLY DISRUPTED BY A 10{sup 4} M{sub Sun} BLACK HOLE?
- Physics and Astronomy Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)
- Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel)
We propose that the remarkable object Swift J1644+57, in which multiple recurring hard X-ray flares were seen over a span of several days, is a system in which a white dwarf was tidally disrupted by an intermediate-mass black hole. Disruption of a white dwarf rather than a main-sequence star offers a number of advantages in understanding the multiple, and short, timescales seen in the light curve of this system. In particular, the short internal dynamical timescale of a white dwarf offers a more natural way of understanding the short rise times ({approx}100 s) observed. The relatively long intervals between flares ({approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 4} s) may also be readily understood as the period between successive pericenter passages of the remnant white dwarf. In addition, the expected jet power is larger when a white dwarf is disrupted. If this model is correct, the black hole responsible must have a mass {approx}< 10{sup 5} M{sub Sun }.
- OSTI ID:
- 22004446
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 743, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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