Breakthrough in Understanding Supermassive Black Holes and Tidal Disruption Events

New simulations reveal previously unknown shockwave type in TDEs, paving the way for future studies on black holes.

Scientists at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have made a significant breakthrough in understanding Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs) involving supermassive black holes.
Their simulations have accurately replicated the entire sequence of a TDE from stellar disruption to the peak luminosity of the resulting flare, a first in the field.
The study has revealed a previously unknown type of shockwave within TDEs, confirming that shock dissipation powers the brightest weeks of a TDE flare.
These findings could allow future studies to utilize TDE observations as a means to measure essential properties of black holes and potentially test Einstein's predictions in extreme gravitational environments.
A new model, the CN22 model, has been proposed and tested, revealing that TDEs’ peak accretion times are mostly influenced by the black hole’s mass, not the star’s properties, contradicting earlier theories.