NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, alongside other telescopes, has identified a supermassive black hole that has torn apart a star, subsequently using the stellar wreckage to create X-ray eruptions detected in its vicinity. This research connects two cosmic phenomena: tidal disruption events (TDEs) and quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs), shedding light on the environments surrounding massive black holes.
The study began in 2019 when an optical telescope in California observed a burst of light categorized as a TDE, named AT2019qiz. This event occurs when a black hole's tidal forces disintegrate a nearby star. Concurrently, astronomers tracked brief and regular X-ray bursts near supermassive black holes, termed QPEs.
Recent findings suggest that QPEs may result from objects colliding with the disk formed by TDEs. Observations from Chandra and Hubble in 2023 revealed a pattern of X-ray eruptions from AT2019qiz, occurring approximately every 48 hours, confirming the connection between TDEs and QPEs.
The implications of this research are significant for future astronomical studies, as identifying more QPEs could aid in measuring the prevalence and distances of objects orbiting supermassive black holes. Such findings may also enhance targets for upcoming gravitational wave observatories.
The results of this study are detailed in the October 9, 2024 issue of the journal Nature, led by Matt Nicholl from Queen's University Belfast.