Quasi-periodic eruptions as Lense–Thirring precession of super-Eddington flows
Middleton M, Gúrpide A, Kwan TM, Dai L, Arcodia R, Chakraborty J, Dauser T, Fragile PC, Ingram A, Miniutti G, Pinto C, Kosec P (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
Book Volume: 537
Pages Range: 1688-1702
Journal Issue: 2
Abstract
Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are a recently identified class of X-ray transient associated with tidal disruption events by supermassive black holes, and for which there are multiple possible explanations. In this paper, we present a simple model which requires the black hole be spinning, be misaligned with the accretion flow (both conditions of which are almost certainly met), and that the accretion rate is a few times the Eddington limit. We speculate that the resulting Lense–Thirring torques force the disc and entrained outflows to precess, leading to increased X-ray flux when the wind-cone is oriented at lower inclinations to the observer. We test the range of parameters for which this model could explain the period and brightness of the QPE events discovered thus far, and make qualitative comparisons between the observed X-ray spectra and light curves to those extracted from general relativistic radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations. Overall, we find some areas of promising concordance, and identify challenges related to the details of current simulations.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC/INTA)
Spain (ES)
National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF)
Italy (IT)
University of Southampton
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Hong Kong (HKU) / 香港大學
Hong Kong (HK)
Smithsonian Institution
United States (USA) (US)
College of Charleston (CofC)
United States (USA) (US)
Newcastle University
United Kingdom (GB)
Spain (ES)
National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF)
Italy (IT)
University of Southampton
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Hong Kong (HKU) / 香港大學
Hong Kong (HK)
Smithsonian Institution
United States (USA) (US)
College of Charleston (CofC)
United States (USA) (US)
Newcastle University
United Kingdom (GB)
How to cite
APA:
Middleton, M., Gúrpide, A., Kwan, T.M., Dai, L., Arcodia, R., Chakraborty, J.,... Kosec, P. (2025). Quasi-periodic eruptions as Lense–Thirring precession of super-Eddington flows. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 537(2), 1688-1702. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf052
MLA:
Middleton, M., et al. "Quasi-periodic eruptions as Lense–Thirring precession of super-Eddington flows." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 537.2 (2025): 1688-1702.
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