Spectroscopic monitoring of the candidate tidal disruption event in F01004-2237

Abstract

We present results of spectroscopic monitoring observations of the Ultra-Luminous Infra Red Galaxy F01004-2237. This galaxy was observed to undergo changes in its optical spectrum, detected by comparing a spectrum from 2015 with one from 2000. These changes were coincident with photometric brightening. The main changes detected in the optical spectrum are enhanced He II $\lambda$4686 emission and the appearance of He I $\lambda$3898,$\lambda$5876 emission lines. The favoured interpretation of these changes was that of a tidal disruption event (TDE) happening in 2010. However, subsequent work suggested that these changes are caused by another hitherto unknown reason related to variations in the accretion rate in the active galactic nucleus (AGN). Our optical spectroscopic monitoring observations show that the evolution of the He lines is in line with the evolution seen in TDEs and opposite of what observed from reverberation mapping studies of AGNs, renewing the discussion on the interpretation of the flare as a TDE.

9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication on ApJ on January 22, 2021

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Energetic nuclear transients in luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies
• Recurring tidal disruption events a decade apart in IRAS F01004-2237
• The fast transient AT 2023clx in the nearby LINER galaxy NGC 3799 as a tidal disruption of a very low-mass star
• The fall of CSS100217: a tidal disruption-induced low state in an apparently hostless active galactic nucleus
• A light echo from the warm outflow in the ULIRG F01004-2237 following a major flare in its optical continuum emission