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

A.J. Levan..[et al.]; N.R. Tanvir; S.B. Cenko; Antonio de Ugarte Postigo; Georgios Leloudas; Jens Hjorth; Christina Thöne; José María Castro Cerón; Johan Peter Uldall Fynbo

doi:10.1126/science.1207143

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

A.J. Levan..[et al.], N.R. Tanvir, S.B. Cenko, Antonio de Ugarte Postigo, Georgios Leloudas, Jens Hjorth, Christina Thöne, José María Castro Cerón, Johan Peter Uldall Fynbo

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239 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Science
Volume	333
Issue number	6039
Pages (from-to)	199-202
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207143
Publication status	Published - 8 Jul 2011

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title = "An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst from the Nucleus of a Distant Galaxy",

abstract = "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.",

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T1 - An Extremely Luminous Panchromatic Outburst from the Nucleus of a Distant Galaxy

AU - Levan..[et al.], A.J.

AU - Tanvir, N.R.

AU - Cenko, S.B.

AU - Ugarte Postigo, Antonio de

AU - Leloudas, Georgios

AU - Hjorth, Jens

AU - Thöne, Christina

AU - Castro Cerón, José María

AU - Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall

PY - 2011/7/8

Y1 - 2011/7/8

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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DO - 10.1126/science.1207143

M3 - Journal article

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VL - 333

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EP - 202

JO - Science

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

Abstract

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