Swift J1644+57: An Ultra-Luminous X-ray Event

Abstract

The photon spectral energy distribution of the powerful transient Sw J1644+57 resembles those of the brightest Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources (ULXs). The transient nature of Sw J1644+57 is likely the result of a tidal disruption of a star by a super-massive black hole. The stellar disk generates accretion power at super-Eddington rates and the observational properties of Sw J1644+57 indicate -- in analogy with ULXs -- that the accretion flow maintains a high level of radiative efficiency with a corresponding super-Eddington luminosity. Due to its similarity to ULXs, this powerful transient may be thought of as an Ultra-Luminous X-ray event (ULX-E). Observational tests for this ULX-E model are proposed as well.

ApJL accepted

References in corpus (6)

• A relativistic jetted outburst from a massive black hole fed by a tidally disrupted star
• Discovery of the Onset of Rapid Accretion by a Dormant Massive Black Hole
• An extremely luminous panchromatic outburst from the nucleus of a distant galaxy
• Masses, Beaming and Eddington Ratios in Ultraluminous X-ray Sources
• Radio transients from stellar tidal disruption by massive black holes
• Reconnection in Marginally Collisionless Accretion Disk Coronae

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Swift J1644+57 gone MAD: the case for dynamically-important magnetic flux threading the black hole in a jetted tidal disruption event
• The dynamics, appearance and demographics of relativistic jets triggered by tidal disruption of stars in quiescent supermassive black holes
• Spectra of Black Hole Accretion Models of Ultra-Luminous X-ray Sources
• A broadband look at the old and new ULXs of NGC 6946
• A two-component jet model for the tidal disruption event Swift J164449.3+573451
• Photon Feedback: Screening and the Eddington Limit
• Polarization of Astrophysical Events with Precessing Jets