scholarly journals Tidal Disruption Events

Author(s):  
Suvi Gezari

The concept of stars being tidally ripped apart and consumed by a massive black hole (MBH) lurking in the center of a galaxy first captivated theorists in the late 1970s. The observational evidence for these rare but illuminating phenomena for probing otherwise dormant MBHs first emerged in archival searches of the soft X-ray ROSAT All-Sky Survey in the 1990s, but has recently accelerated with the increasing survey power in the optical time domain, with tidal disruption events (TDEs) now regarded as a class of optical nuclear transients with distinct spectroscopic features. Multiwavelength observations of TDEs have revealed panchromatic emission, probing a wide range of scales, from the innermost regions of the accretion flow to the surrounding circumnuclear medium. I review the current census of 56 TDEs reported in the literature, and their observed properties can be summarized as follows: ▪ The optical light curves follow a power-law decline from peak that scales with the inferred central black hole mass as expected for the fallback rate of the stellar debris, but the rise time does not. ▪ The UV-optical and soft X-ray thermal emission come from different spatial scales, and their intensity ratio has a large dynamic range and is highly variable, providing important clues as to what is powering the two components. ▪ They can be grouped into three spectral classes, and those with Bowen fluorescence line emission show a preference for a hotter and more compact line-emitting region, whereas those with only Heii emission lines are the rarest class. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 59 is August 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S267) ◽  
pp. 319-324
Author(s):  
Suvi Gezari

AbstractA dormant supermassive black hole lurking in the center of a galaxy will be revealed when a star passes within its tidal disruption radius, is disrupted, and a flare of electromagnetic radiation is emitted when the bound stellar debris is accreted. Although the tidal disruption of a star is a rare event in a galaxy, ~ 10−4 yr−1, observational candidates have emerged in all-sky X-ray and deep UV surveys in the form of luminous UV/X-ray flares from otherwise quiescent galaxies. We present the light curves and broadband properties of three tidal disruption candidates discovered in the UV by GALEX, and find that (1) the light curves are well-fitted by the power-law decline expected for the fallback of debris from a tidally disrupted solar-type star, and (2) the UV/optical spectral energy distributions can be attributed to thermal emission from an envelope of debris located at ten times the tidal disruption radius of the central black hole. We use the observed peak absolute optical magnitudes of the flares to predict the detection capabilities of the next generation of wide-field optical synoptic surveys.


Author(s):  
Christopher S. Reynolds

The spin of a black hole is an important quantity to study, providing a window into the processes by which a black hole was born and grew. Furthermore, spin can be a potent energy source for powering relativistic jets and energetic particle acceleration. In this review, I describe the techniques currently used to detect and measure the spins of black holes. It is shown that: ▪ Two well-understood techniques, X-ray reflection spectroscopy and thermal continuum fitting, can be used to measure the spins of black holes that are accreting at moderate rates. There is a rich set of other electromagnetic techniques allowing us to extend spin measurements to lower accretion rates. ▪ Many accreting supermassive black holes are found to be rapidly spinning, although a population of more slowly spinning black holes emerges at masses above M > 3 × 107 M⊙ expected from recent structure formation models. ▪ Many accreting stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binary systems are rapidly spinning and must have been born in this state. ▪ The advent of gravitational wave astronomy has enabled the detection of spin effects in merging binary black holes. Most of the premerger black holes are found to be slowly spinning, a notable exception being an object that may itself be a merger product. ▪ The stark difference in spins between the black hole X-ray binary and the binary black hole populations shows that there is a diversity of formation mechanisms. Given the array of new electromagnetic and gravitational wave capabilities currently being planned, the future of black hole spin studies is bright. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Nutrition, Volume 41 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Marini ◽  
Matthew P. Ayres ◽  
Hervé Jactel

One promising approach to mitigate the negative impacts of insect pests in forests is to adapt forestry practices to create ecosystems that are more resistant and resilient to biotic disturbances. At the stand scale, local stand management practices often cause idiosyncratic effects on forest pests depending on the environmental context and the focal pest species. However, increasing tree diversity appears to be a general strategy for reducing pest damage across several forest types. At the landscape scale, increasing forest heterogeneity (e.g., intermixing different forest types and/or age classes) represents a promising frontier for improving forest resistance and resilience and for avoiding large-scale outbreaks. In addition to their greater resilience, heterogeneous forest landscapes frequently support a wide range of ecosystem functions and services. A challenge will be to develop cooperation and coordination among multiple actors at spatial scales that transcend historical practices in forest management. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Entomology, Volume 67 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Misbah Shahzadi ◽  
Martin Kološ ◽  
Zdeněk Stuchlík ◽  
Yousaf Habib

AbstractThe study of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of X-ray flux observed in the stellar-mass black hole (BH) binaries or quasars can provide a powerful tool for testing the phenomena occurring in strong gravity regime. We thus fit the data of QPOs observed in the well known microquasars as well as active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the framework of the model of geodesic oscillations of Keplerian disks modified for the epicyclic oscillations of spinning test particles orbiting Kerr BHs. We show that the modified geodesic models of QPOs can explain the observational fixed data from the microquasars and AGNs but not for all sources. We perform a successful fitting of the high frequency QPOs models of epicyclic resonance and its variants, relativistic precession and its variants, tidal disruption, as well as warped disc models, and discuss the corresponding constraints of parameters of the model, which are the spin of the test particle, mass and rotation of the BH.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody A. Freas ◽  
Ken Cheng

Animals navigate a wide range of distances, from a few millimeters to globe-spanning journeys of thousands of kilometers. Despite this array of navigational challenges, similar principles underlie these behaviors across species. Here, we focus on the navigational strategies and supporting mechanisms in four well-known systems: the large-scale migratory behaviors of sea turtles and lepidopterans as well as navigation on a smaller scale by rats and solitarily foraging ants. In lepidopterans, rats, and ants we also discuss the current understanding of the neural architecture which supports navigation. The orientation and navigational behaviors of these animals are defined in terms of behavioral error-reduction strategies reliant on multiple goal-directed servomechanisms. We conclude by proposing to incorporate an additional component into this system: the observation that servomechanisms operate on oscillatory systems of cycling behavior. These oscillators and servomechanisms comprise the basis for directed orientation and navigational behaviors. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Psychology, Volume 73 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


Author(s):  
John M. Baumann ◽  
Molly S. Adam ◽  
Joel D. Wood

Spray drying is a versatile technology that has been applied widely in the chemical, food, and, most recently, pharmaceutical industries. This review focuses on engineering advances and the most significant applications of spray drying for pharmaceuticals. An in-depth view of the process and its use is provided for amorphous solid dispersions, a major, growing drug-delivery approach. Enhanced understanding of the relationship of spray-drying process parameters to final product quality attributes has made robust product development possible to address a wide range of pharmaceutical problem statements. Formulation and process optimization have leveraged the knowledge gained as the technology has matured, enabling improved process development from early feasibility screening through commercial applications. Spray drying's use for approved small-molecule oral products is highlighted, as are emerging applications specific to delivery of biologics and non-oral delivery of dry powders. Based on the changing landscape of the industry, significant future opportunities exist for pharmaceutical spray drying. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Volume 12 is June 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Laganowsky ◽  
David E. Clemmer ◽  
David H. Russell

The structures and conformational dynamics of proteins, protein complexes, and their noncovalent interactions with other molecules are controlled specifically by the Gibbs free energy (entropy and enthalpy) of the system. For some organisms, temperature is highly regulated, but the majority of biophysical studies are carried out at room, nonphysiological temperature. In this review, we describe variable-temperature electrospray ionization (vT-ESI) mass spectrometry (MS)-based studies with unparalleled sensitivity, dynamic range, and selectivity for studies of both cold- and heat-induced chemical processes. Such studies provide direct determinations of stabilities, reactivities, and thermodynamic measurements for native and non-native structures of proteins and protein complexes and for protein–ligand interactions. Highlighted in this review are vT-ESI-MS studies that reveal 40 different conformers of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2, a classic two-state (native → unfolded) unfolder, and thermochemistry for a model membrane protein system binding lipid and its regulatory protein. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


Author(s):  
Mahesha M. Poojary ◽  
Marianne N. Lund

Protein is a major nutrient present in foods along with carbohydrates and lipids. Food proteins undergo a wide range of modifications during food production, processing, and storage. In this review, we discuss two major reactions, oxidation and the Maillard reaction, involved in chemical modifications of food proteins. Protein oxidation in foods is initiated by metal-, enzyme-, or light-induced processes. Food protein oxidation results in the loss of thiol groups and the formation of protein carbonyls and specific oxidation products of cysteine, tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, and methionine residues, such as disulfides, dityrosine, kynurenine, m-tyrosine, and methionine sulfoxide. The Maillard reaction involves the reaction of nucleophilic amino acid residues with reducing sugars, which yields numerous heterogeneous compounds such as α-dicarbonyls, furans, Strecker aldehydes, advanced glycation end-products, and melanoidins. Both protein oxidation and the Maillard reaction result in the loss of essential amino acids but may positively or negatively impact food structure and flavor. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 13 is March 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (1) ◽  
pp. 1115-1126
Author(s):  
M Pereyra ◽  
D Altamirano ◽  
J M C Court ◽  
N Degenaar ◽  
R Wijnands ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT IGR J17091–3624 is a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB), which received wide attention from the community thanks to its similarities with the bright black hole system GRS 1915+105. Both systems exhibit a wide range of highly structured X-ray variability during outburst, with time-scales from few seconds to tens of minutes, which make them unique in the study of mass accretion in LMXBs. In this work, we present a general overview into the long-term evolution of IGR J17091–3624, using Swift/XRT observations from the onset of the 2011–2013 outburst in 2011 February till the end of the last bright outburst in 2016 November. We found four re-flares during the decay of the 2011 outburst, but no similar re-flares appear to be present in the latter one. We studied, in detail, the period with the lowest flux observed in the last 10 yr, just at the tail end of the 2011–2013 outburst, using Chandra and XMM-Newton observations. We observed changes in flux as high as a factor of 10 during this period of relative quiescence, without strong evidence of softening in the spectra. This result suggests that the source has not been observed at its true quiescence so far. By comparing the spectral properties at low luminosities of IGR J17091–3624 and those observed for a well-studied population of LMXBs, we concluded that IGR J17091–3624 is most likely to host a black hole as a compact companion rather than a neutron star.


2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1165-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuya Hasegawa ◽  
Kunio Hirata ◽  
Tetsuya Shimizu ◽  
Nobutaka Shimizu ◽  
Takaaki Hikima ◽  
...  

A new shutterless continuous rotation method using an X-ray complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector has been developed for high-speed, precise data collection in protein crystallography. The principle of operation and the basic performance of the X-ray CMOS detector (Hamamatsu Photonics KK C10158DK) have been shown to be appropriate to the shutterless continuous rotation method. The data quality of the continuous rotation method is comparable to that of the conventional oscillation method using a CCD detector and, furthermore, the combination with fine φ slicing improves the data accuracy without increasing the data-collection time. The new method is more sensitive to diffraction intensity because of the narrow dynamic range of the CMOS detector. However, the strong diffraction spots were found to be precisely measured by recording them on successive multiple images by selecting an adequate rotation step. The new method has been used to successfully determine three protein structures by multi- and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phasing and has thereby been proved applicable in protein crystallography. The apparatus and method may become a powerful tool at synchrotron protein crystallography beamlines with important potential across a wide range of X-ray wavelengths.


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