Late-time X-ray Observations of the Jetted Tidal Disruption Event AT2022cmc: The Relativistic Jet Shuts Off
T. Eftekhari, A. Tchekhovskoy, K. D. Alexander, E. Berger, R. Chornock, T. Laskar, R. Margutti, Y. Yao, Y. Cendes, S. Gomez, A. Hajela, D. R. Pasham
arXiv:2404.10036v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: The tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2022cmc represents the fourth known example of a relativistic jet produced by the tidal disruption of a stray star providing a unique probe of the formation and evolution of relativistic jets in otherwise dormant supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Here we present deep, late-time Chandra observations of AT2022cmc extending to $t_{rm obs} approx 400$ days after disruption. Our observations reveal a sudden decrease in the X-ray brightness by a factor of $gtrsim 14$ over a factor of $approx 2.3$ in time, and a deviation from the earlier power-law decline with a steepening $alpha gtrsim 3.2$ ($F_X propto t^{-alpha}$), steeper than expected for a jet break, and pointing to the cessation of jet activity at $t_{rm obs} approx 215$ days. Such a transition has been observed in two previous TDEs (Swift J1644+57 and Swift J2058+05). From the X-ray luminosity and the timescale of jet shutoff, we parameterize the mass of the SMBH in terms of unknown jet efficiency and accreted mass fraction parameters. Motivated by the disk-jet connection in AGN, we favor black hole masses $lesssim 10^5 rm M_{odot}$ (where the jet and disk luminosities are comparable), and disfavor larger black holes (in which extremely powerful jets are required to outshine their accretion disks). We additionally estimate a total accreted mass of $approx 0.1 rm M_{odot}$. Applying the same formalism to Swift J1644+57 and Swift J2058+05, we favor comparable black hole masses for these TDEs of $lesssim$ a few $times 10^5 rm M_{odot}$, and suggest that jetted TDEs may preferentially form from lower mass black holes when compared to non-relativistic events, owing to generally lower jet and higher disk efficiencies at higher black hole masses.arXiv:2404.10036v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: The tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2022cmc represents the fourth known example of a relativistic jet produced by the tidal disruption of a stray star providing a unique probe of the formation and evolution of relativistic jets in otherwise dormant supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Here we present deep, late-time Chandra observations of AT2022cmc extending to $t_{rm obs} approx 400$ days after disruption. Our observations reveal a sudden decrease in the X-ray brightness by a factor of $gtrsim 14$ over a factor of $approx 2.3$ in time, and a deviation from the earlier power-law decline with a steepening $alpha gtrsim 3.2$ ($F_X propto t^{-alpha}$), steeper than expected for a jet break, and pointing to the cessation of jet activity at $t_{rm obs} approx 215$ days. Such a transition has been observed in two previous TDEs (Swift J1644+57 and Swift J2058+05). From the X-ray luminosity and the timescale of jet shutoff, we parameterize the mass of the SMBH in terms of unknown jet efficiency and accreted mass fraction parameters. Motivated by the disk-jet connection in AGN, we favor black hole masses $lesssim 10^5 rm M_{odot}$ (where the jet and disk luminosities are comparable), and disfavor larger black holes (in which extremely powerful jets are required to outshine their accretion disks). We additionally estimate a total accreted mass of $approx 0.1 rm M_{odot}$. Applying the same formalism to Swift J1644+57 and Swift J2058+05, we favor comparable black hole masses for these TDEs of $lesssim$ a few $times 10^5 rm M_{odot}$, and suggest that jetted TDEs may preferentially form from lower mass black holes when compared to non-relativistic events, owing to generally lower jet and higher disk efficiencies at higher black hole masses.

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