New Insights into Coronal Line Emitters as Tidal Disruption Events

Recent research by Jason T. Hinkle, Benjamin J. Shappee, and Thomas W.-S. Holoien has revealed significant insights into the phenomenon of coronal line emitters (CLEs) in galaxies. Their paper, titled "Coronal Line Emitters are Tidal Disruption Events in Gas-Rich Environments," suggests that CLEs may actually be tidal disruption events (TDEs) occurring in gas-rich environments.

The study highlights that some galaxies display strong coronal emission lines (CLs) despite showing little to no signs of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity. These emission lines require high-energy processes, typically associated with extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray flux. The authors argue that the characteristics of CLEs, such as their mid-infrared colors and host properties, align closely with those of TDEs.

Notably, the research indicates that many CLEs exhibit signs of significant dust reprocessing, which is a critical factor in understanding the environments in which these events occur. The findings also propose a stricter threshold for identifying CLEs, aiming to better differentiate them from AGNs.

This research contributes to the broader understanding of galactic phenomena and the conditions under which TDEs occur, potentially influencing future studies in high-energy astrophysics. The implications of these findings could reshape how astronomers classify and study similar cosmic events in the universe.

For further details, the paper can be accessed at arXiv:2303.05525.