Search Publications

Relativistic jet activity from the tidal disruption of a star by a massive black hole
DOI: 10.1038/nature10374 Bibcode: 2011Natur.476..421B

Troja, E.; Im, M.; Sakamoto, T. +55 more

Supermassive black holes have powerful gravitational fields with strong gradients that can destroy stars that get too close, producing a bright flare in ultraviolet and X-ray spectral regions from stellar debris that forms an accretion disk around the black hole. The aftermath of this process may have been seen several times over the past two deca…

2011 Nature
XMM-Newton 510
The unusual gamma-ray burst GRB 101225A explained as a minor body falling onto a neutron star
DOI: 10.1038/nature10592 Bibcode: 2011Natur.480...69C

Covino, S.; D'Avanzo, P.; Campana, S. +17 more

The tidal disruption of a solar-mass star around a supermassive black hole has been extensively studied analytically and numerically. In these events, the star develops into an elongated banana-shaped structure. After completing an eccentric orbit, the bound debris falls into the black hole, forming an accretion disk and emitting radiation. The sa…

2011 Nature
XMM-Newton eHST 66