Journal Article

An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst from the Nucleus of a Distant Galaxy

Bloom, J. S., Tello, J. C., Fruchter, A. S., Rol, E., Strom, R. G., Misra, K., Guziy, S., Bower, G. C., Kasliwal, M. M., Nugent, P. E., Tunnicliffe, R. L., Winters, J. M., Schulze, S., Kamble, A., Singh, N., Modjaz, M., Jakobsson, P., Silverman, J. M., Arnold, J. A., Levan, A. J., Hjorth, J., Tanvir, N. R., Kerr, T., Castro-Tirado, A. J., Romanowsky, A. J., Wiersema, K., Ehle, J., Law, N. M., Butler, N., Bremer, M., de Ugarte Postigo, A., Kouveliotou, C., Cerón, J. M. Castro, Ofek, E. O., Forbes, D., van Spaandonk, L., Vaduvescu, O., Starling, R. L. C., Xu, D., Cucchiara, A., van der Horst, A. J., Wijers, R. A. M. J., Hoffman, D. I., Kocevski, D., Thöne, C., Curran, P. A., Cooper, M. C., Brodie, J. P., Farihi, J., Morgan, A. N., Perley, D. A., O'Brien, P. T., Carroll, T., Quimby, R. M., Gorosabel, J., Sánchez-Ramírez, R., Cenko, S. B., Wheatley, P. J., Graham, J., Poznanski, D., Fynbo, J., Cutri, R. M., Leloudas, G.

2011

Overview

Variable x-ray and γ-ray emission is characteristic of the most extreme physical processes in the universe. We present multiwavelength observations of a unique γ-ray—selected transient detected by the Swift satellite, accompanied by bright emission across the electromagnetic spectrum, and whose properties are unlike any previously observed source. We pinpoint the event to the center of a small, star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.3534. Its high-energy emission has lasted much longer than any γ-ray burst, whereas its peak luminosity was ∼100 times higher than bright active galactic nuclei. The association of the outburst with the center of its host galaxy suggests that this phenomenon has its origin in a rare mechanism involving the massive black hole in the nucleus of that galaxy.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science,American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Subject: Astronomical cosmology / Astronomical magnitude / Astronomical research / Astronomy / Astrophysics / Black holes / Bursting / Characteristics and properties of external galaxies and extragalactic objects / Earth, ocean, space / Emission / Emissions / Exact sciences and technology / Galactic nuclei (including black holes), circumnuclear matter, and bulges / Galaxies / gamma radiation / Gamma ray astronomy / Gamma rays / Gamma-ray sources ; gamma-ray bursts / Grants / Infrared radiation / Luminosity / Nuclei / Observational research / Optical bursts / Outbursts / Physics / satellites / Space telescopes / Stars & galaxies / Stellar systems. Galactic and extragalactic objects and systems. The universe / Unidentified sources and radiation outside the solar system / Universe / X-radiation / X-rays