Science News Today
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Astronomy
  • Health and Medicine
  • Psychology
  • Earth Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Technology
Science News Today
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Astronomy
  • Health and Medicine
  • Psychology
  • Earth Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Technology
No Result
View All Result
Science News Today
No Result
View All Result
Home Astronomy

Jetted Tidal Disruption Event or Something New? The Case of EP240408A

by Muhammad Tuhin
January 30, 2025
Artist's conception of shredded stellar material from a tidal disruption event. Credit: C. Carreau/ESA

Artist's conception of shredded stellar material from a tidal disruption event. Credit: C. Carreau/ESA

1
SHARES

Explosions in the cosmos, often appearing as brilliant flashes of gamma rays, have long been a subject of fascination for astronomers. These highly energetic events, known as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), are believed to result from the merger of two neutron stars or the collapse of a massive star. Both scenarios lead to the formation of a newborn black hole, which emits a relativistic jet traveling close to the speed of light. When these jets are aimed toward Earth, we are able to observe them across vast cosmic distances—sometimes billions of light-years away—thanks to a relativistic phenomenon called Doppler boosting. Over the past decade, thousands of gamma-ray bursts have been detected, each offering a glimpse into the violent processes occurring in the far reaches of the universe.

You might also like

The Universe May Meet Its End in a Cosmic “Big Crunch,” New Study Predicts

The Star That Defies Physics Pulses with Mysterious Cosmic Rhythm

A Spacecraft Just Took a Celestial Selfie That Proved a 200-Year-Old Theory

One of the most recent and intriguing findings comes from the Einstein Probe, an X-ray space telescope launched in 2024 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. This innovative telescope has been scanning the skies for energetic explosions, capturing data that may hold the key to understanding the most extreme and energetic phenomena in the universe.

In April 2024, the Einstein Probe detected an unusual cosmic event, labeled EP240408A. The characteristics of this explosion differed markedly from typical gamma-ray bursts, prompting an international team of astronomers to investigate further. The team included Dheeraj Pasham from MIT, Igor Andreoni from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Brendan O’Connor from Carnegie Mellon University, among others. They deployed a wide array of ground-based and space-based telescopes, including NuSTAR, Swift, Gemini, Keck, DECam, VLA, ATCA, and NICER, a space telescope developed with MIT’s collaboration.

The findings of this research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on January 27, 2025, suggest that EP240408A is not a typical gamma-ray burst, but rather a jetted tidal disruption event (TDE). This class of event occurs when a supermassive black hole tears apart a star that comes too close to it. The event is marked by the ejection of a jet of material traveling at relativistic speeds, similar to the jets produced by black holes formed in the collapse of massive stars or the merger of neutron stars. However, the peculiar characteristics of EP240408A distinguish it from both gamma-ray bursts and traditional tidal disruption events.

Understanding Jetted Tidal Disruption Events

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) occur when a star ventures too close to a supermassive black hole, causing the immense gravitational forces of the black hole to rip the star apart. The debris from the star gets stretched out in a long stream, and in some cases, it forms an accretion disk around the black hole. The energy released during this process can lead to powerful emissions of X-rays and ultraviolet radiation. In a typical TDE, this energy is radiated in a more isotropic manner—meaning the radiation spreads out evenly in all directions.

A jetted TDE, however, occurs when the debris from the destroyed star is channeled into a narrow, highly energetic jet. This jet, traveling at relativistic speeds, emits intense radiation, sometimes observable as a gamma-ray burst if the jet happens to be oriented toward Earth. In these cases, astronomers can observe the explosion across vast cosmic distances, sometimes billions of light-years away.

While TDEs have been observed in the past, the case of EP240408A is particularly intriguing because it does not match the characteristics of typical gamma-ray bursts or tidal disruption events. This discrepancy suggests that the explosion could represent a new, previously unrecognized class of cosmic event.

Anomalies in EP240408A

The characteristics of EP240408A prompted the astronomers to consider several possible explanations, none of which completely accounted for all its peculiarities. The event’s short duration and high luminosity were particularly difficult to explain using existing models of gamma-ray bursts or TDEs.

Unlike typical gamma-ray bursts, which tend to have a longer duration and produce substantial radio emissions, EP240408A showed minimal radio emissions. This is especially puzzling because jetted TDEs, when they occur, usually generate strong radio signals. The lack of detectable radio emissions from EP240408A led the team to question whether this event was indeed a jetted TDE or something entirely new.

As Brendan O’Connor puts it, “EP240408A ticks some of the boxes for several different kinds of phenomena, but it doesn’t tick all the boxes for anything. In particular, the short duration and high luminosity are hard to explain in other scenarios. The alternative is that we are seeing something entirely new.”

The Role of NICER in the Discovery

The NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) telescope played a crucial role in the discovery and investigation of EP240408A. NICER, developed in collaboration with MIT, is designed to observe X-rays emitted by neutron stars and black holes, allowing it to probe extreme environments in space. NICER’s ability to monitor the sky for extended periods and point to virtually any part of the sky was instrumental in collecting data on the unusual explosion. As Dheeraj Pasham, a research scientist at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, noted, “NICER’s ability to steer to pretty much any part of the sky and monitor for weeks has been instrumental in our understanding of these unusual cosmic explosions.”

The data gathered by NICER and other telescopes allowed the team to analyze the characteristics of the explosion in unprecedented detail, revealing anomalies that could not be explained by existing models.

What’s Next for the Einstein Probe?

The discovery of EP240408A marks a significant milestone in the search for the most extreme events in the universe. According to Pasham, “The Einstein Probe is just beginning to scratch the surface of what seems possible. I’m excited to chase the next weird explosion from the Einstein Probe.” The astronomer’s enthusiasm reflects the growing anticipation among scientists about the wealth of data that the Einstein Probe and other space telescopes will provide in the years to come.

Astronomers around the world are eager to continue investigating unusual cosmic explosions like EP240408A. With the advancements in telescope technology and international collaborations, new discoveries are expected to reveal previously unknown classes of cosmic phenomena. These findings will not only deepen our understanding of the most extreme environments in the universe but also help astronomers refine existing models of stellar and black hole physics.

Conclusion

The discovery of EP240408A represents a pivotal moment in astrophysics. The identification of a potential new class of cosmic explosion—a jetted tidal disruption event—opens up exciting new possibilities for understanding the most powerful and energetic phenomena in the universe. As astronomers continue to probe the farthest reaches of space using the latest in telescope technology, events like EP240408A may soon become more common, unveiling secrets about the cosmos that were once unimaginable.

The collaboration between ground-based and space-based telescopes, coupled with cutting-edge instruments like NICER, is likely to continue yielding surprising results. For now, scientists are left to wonder whether EP240408A represents a unique, one-off event or the first of many discoveries to come from the Einstein Probe’s ongoing search for cosmic explosions. Whatever the case, the next chapter in our understanding of the universe’s most mysterious phenomena is already being written.

Reference: Brendan O’Connor et al, Characterization of a Peculiar Einstein Probe Transient EP240408a: An Exotic Gamma-Ray Burst or an Abnormal Jetted Tidal Disruption Event?, The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ada7f5

Love this? Share it and help us spark curiosity about science!

TweetShareSharePin1Share

Recommended For You

Astronomy

The Universe May Meet Its End in a Cosmic “Big Crunch,” New Study Predicts

July 6, 2025
Unfolded energy spectra of SXP31.0. Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2506.19601
Astronomy

The Star That Defies Physics Pulses with Mysterious Cosmic Rhythm

July 4, 2025
Just 15 minutes after its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft looked back toward the sun and captured this near-sunset view of the rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains extending to Pluto's horizon. The smooth expanse of the informally named icy plain Sputnik Planum (right) is flanked to the west (left) by rugged mountains up to 11,000 feet (3,500 meters) high, including the informally named Norgay Montes in the foreground and Hillary Montes on the skyline. To the right, east of Sputnik, rougher terrain is cut by apparent glaciers. The backlighting highlights more than a dozen layers of haze in Pluto's tenuous but distended atmosphere. The image was taken from a distance of 11,000 miles (18,000 kilometers) to Pluto; the scene is 780 miles (1,250 kilometers) wide. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute
Astronomy

A Spacecraft Just Took a Celestial Selfie That Proved a 200-Year-Old Theory

July 4, 2025
Credit: NASA
Astronomy

This Forgotten Star Cluster Could Hold Secrets of the Milky Way’s Past

July 4, 2025
Astronomy

Two Hidden Planets Discovered Dancing in a Cosmic Merry-Go-Round

July 4, 2025
The MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile captured this colorful view of the bright star cluster NGC 3532. Some of the stars still shine with a hot bluish color, but many of the more massive ones have become red giants and glow with a rich orange hue. Credit: ESO/G. Beccari
Astronomy

AI Unlocks the Secret Clocks Hidden in Stars

July 3, 2025
Being bombarded with so much high-energy radiation does not bode well for HIP 67522 b. The planet is similar in size to Jupiter but has the density of candy floss, making it one of the wispiest exoplanets ever found. Over time, the radiation carried by the flares is eroding away the planet's wispy atmosphere, meaning it is losing mass much faster than we thought. In the next 100 million years, HIP 67522 b could go from an almost Jupiter-sized planet to a much smaller Neptune-sized planet. Credit: Janine Fohlmeister (Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam)
Astronomy

This Planet Is Triggering Its Own Star’s Deadly Flares

July 2, 2025
Artist’s illustration of CRISTAL-13. Dust-rich regions obscure newborn stars, whose energy is re-emitted at ALMA’s millimeter wavelengths. Right: young star clusters clear the dust and shine visibly in JWST and HST images. Credit: NSF/AUI/NRAO/B. Saxton
Astronomy

Galaxies Caught in the Act of Forming Just One Billion Years After the Big Bang

July 2, 2025
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an X5.8 solar flare peaking at 9:23 p.m. EDT on May 10, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares. Credit: NASA SDO
Astronomy

The Scientist Racing the Sun to Protect Our Satellites

July 2, 2025
Next Post
Step-by-step workflow of our proposed pipeline. Each step is described in detail in the text of §III-B. Credit: arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2412.09832

AI Unlocks Gravitational Wave Mysteries

From interstellar lightsails to laboratory-based lightsail platforms. Credit: Nature Photonics (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01605-w

Caltech Develops Test Platform to Characterize Ultrathin Membranes for Interstellar Lightsails

Credit: iStock

Asteroid 2024 YR4: Slight Chance of Earth Impact in 2032

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Legal

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

© 2025 Science News Today. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Biology
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Astronomy
  • Health and Medicine
  • Psychology
  • Earth Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Technology

© 2025 Science News Today. All rights reserved.

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.