AT2021lwx

AT2021lwx (also known as ZTF20abrbeie or "Scary Barbie"[1]) is the most energetic non-quasar transient astronomical event known, with a total radiated energy of more than 1.5 × 1053 ergs. It was first identified in imagery obtained on 13 April 2021, by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) astronomical survey and is believed to be due to the accretion of matter into a super massive black hole (SMBH) heavier than one hundred million solar masses (M☉).[1][2][3] It has a redshift of z = 0.9945,[1][2] which would place it at a distance of about eight billion light-years from earth.[3] No host galaxy has been detected.[1][2]

Forced photometry of earlier ZTF imagery showed AT2021lwx had already begun brightening by 16 June 2020, as ZTF20abrbeie. It was also detected independently in data from the Asteroid Terrestial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) as ATLAS20bkdj, and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) as PS22iin. At the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, X-ray observations were made with the X-ray Telescope and ultraviolet, with the Ultraviolet-Optical Telescope (UVOT).[1][2]

The observed luminosity at it's peak was 7 × 1045 erg s-1 with the total radiated energy of 1.5 × 1053 ergs.[1][2] The inferred mass of the SMBH, based on the light to mass ratio, is about 1 hundred million - 1 billion solar masses, given the observed brightness. However, the theoretical limit for an accreting super massive black hole is 1 hundred million solar masses. Given the best understood model of accreting SMBH's, this even may be the most massive SMBH to possibly accrete matter.

Subrayan et al. originally interpreted it to be a tidal disruption event between a SMBH and a massive star.[1] Wiseman et al. disfavor this interpretation, and instead believe the most likely scenario is "the sudden accretion of a large amount of gas, potentially a giant molecular cloud."[2][4][5]

References
  1. Subrayan, Bhagya M.; Milisavljevic, Dan; Chornock, Ryan; Margutti, Raffaella; Alexander, Kate D.; Ramakrishnan, Vandana; Duffell, Paul C.; Dickinson, Danielle A.; Lee, Kyoung-Soo; Giannios, Dimitrios; Lentner, Geoffery; Linvill, Mark; Garretson, Braden; Graham, Matthew J.; Stern, Daniel (1 May 2023). "Scary Barbie: An Extremely Energetic, Long-duration Tidal Disruption Event Candidate without a Detected Host Galaxy at z = 0.995". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 948 (2): L19. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/accf1a. ISSN 2041-8205.
  2. Wiseman, p.; Wang, Y.; Hönig, S.; Castero-Segura, N.; Clark, P.; Frohmaier, C.; Fulton, M. D.; Leloudas, G.; Middleton, M.; Müller-Bravo, T. E.; Mummery, A.; Pursiainen, M; Smartt, S. J.; Smith, K.; Sullivan, M. (July 2023). "Multiwavelength observations of the extraordinary accretion event AT2021lwx". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 522 (3): 3992–4002 – via Oxford Academic.
  3. Overbye, Dennis (12 May 2023). "The Biggest Explosion in the Cosmos Just Keeps Going - For three years, telescopes have monitored "one of the most luminous" events ever: a supermassive black hole consuming a gigantic cloud of interstellar gas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  4. "This Is The Largest Cosmic Explosion In The Universe Ever Seen". IFLScience. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  5. "'Terrifying': Why the universe's largest cosmic explosion is called 'Scary Barbie'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.