Sw 1644+57/GRB 110328A: the physical origin and the composition of the relativistic outflow

Abstract

Sw 1644+57/GRB 110328A is a remarkable cosmological X-ray outburst detected by the {\it Swift} satellite. Its early-time ($t\lesssim 0.1$ days since the trigger) X-ray emission resembles some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), e.g., GRB 090417B. But the late-time flaring X-ray plateau lasting $>40$ days renders it unique. We examine the possibilities that the outburst is a super-long GRB powered either by the fallback accretion onto a nascent black hole or by a millisecond pulsar, and find out that these two scenarios can address some but not all of the main observational features. We then focus on the model of tidal disruption of a (giant) star by a massive black hole. The mass of the tidal-disrupted star is estimated to be $\gtrsim$ a few solar masses. A simple/straightforward argument for a magnetic origin of the relativistic outflow is presented.

Updated to match the version published in ApJ Letters. 5 pages, 1 figure, 1 table

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Cited by in corpus (14)

• The dynamics, appearance and demographics of relativistic jets triggered by tidal disruption of stars in quiescent supermassive black holes
• Black hole Spin in Sw J1644+57 and Sw J2058+05
• GRB 110328A/Swift J164449.3+573451: The Tidal Obliteration of a Deeply Plunging Star?
• Frame-dragging, disk warping, jet precessing, and dipped X-ray lightcurve of Sw J1644+57
• Universal scaling of the 3:2 twin-peak quasi-periodic oscillation frequencies with black hole mass and spin revisited
• Quasi-Periodic Variations in X-ray Emission and Long-Term Radio Observations: Evidence for a Two-Component Jet in Sw J1644+57
• Unbeamed tidal disruption events at hard X-rays
• Spectral Softening in X-ray Afterglow of GRB 130925A as Predicted by Dust Scattering Model
• The magnetization degree of the outflow powering the highly-polarized reverse shock emission of GRB 120308A
• Host Galaxy Properties and Black Hole Mass of Swift J164449.3+573451 from Multi-Wavelength Long-Term Monitoring and HST Data
• Long-term X-ray emission from Swift J1644+57
• SWIFT J164449.3+573451: a plunging event with the Poynting-flux dominated outflow
• Internal shock model for the X-ray flares of Swift J1644+57
• Tidal disruption events as the origin of the eROSITA and Fermi bubbles