Luminous [O III] and [N II] from tidally disrupted horizontal branch stars
Abstract
We model the emission lines generated in the photoionized debris of a tidally disrupted horizontal branch (HB) star. We find that at late times, the brightest optical emission lines are [N II] λλ6548, 6583 and [O III] λλ4959, 5007. Models of a red clump HB star undergoing mild disruption by a massive (50-100 M⊙) black hole (BH) yield an emission-line spectrum that is in good agreement with that observed in the NGC 1399 globular cluster hosting the ultraluminous X-ray source CXOJ033831.8-352604. We make predictions for the ultraviolet emission-line spectrum that can verify the tidal disruption scenario and constrain the mass of the BH.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- August 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21305.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1205.3053
- Bibcode:
- 2012MNRAS.424.1268C
- Keywords:
-
- black hole physics;
- globular clusters: general;
- galaxies: individual: NGC 1399;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 8 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS