NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0111
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0111 |
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PI: Stephen Cenko, UC Berkeley (Astronomy), cenko@astro.berkeley.edu
Address: Department of Astronomy, 601 Campbell Hall #3411, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3411, USA
CoI: Joshua Bloom, UC Berkeley (Astronomy)
CoI: Linda Strubbe, University of Toronto
CoI: Eliot Quataert, UC Berkeley (Astronomy)
CoI: Nat Butler, Arizona State University
CoI: Adam Miller, UC Berkeley (Astronomy)
CoI: Adam Morgan, UC Berkeley (Astronomy)
CoI: Andrew Levan, University of Warwick
CoI: Nial Tanvir, University of Leicester
Title: Probing the Central Black Holes of Distant, Quiescent Galaxies via Tidal Disruption Flares
Abstract:
A star passing within the sphere of disruption of a massive black hole will
be torn apart by tidal forces. For sufficiently low-mass black holes, the
disruption will occur outside the event horizon and lead to a bright,
short-lived transient known as a tidal disruption flare (TDF). The recent
discovery of two unusual panchromatic transients (Sw J1644+57 and Sw
J2058+05), together with results from modern wide-field optical surveys such
as the Palomar Transient Factory, hint at an unexpected diversity in the
emission properties of these sources. Here we request a ToO program with
Gemini to help identify and study newly discovered TDF candidates. With so
much diversity in the observed and expected emission properties of TDFs, each
new candidate presents a real opportunity to fundamentally advance our
understanding of the basic physics of these objects. Ultimately, our
long-term aim is to use these sources as probes of the properties of central
black holes in distant, quiescent galaxies beyond the reach of current
kinematic studies.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2013A-0111 |
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