These findings provide new insights into the environments of TDEs and how reprocessing by extended disks can shape their multi-wavelength properties. Check out the paper to learn more! arxiv.org/abs/2412.12991

By modeling the SED with an additional passive disk and fitting the emission lines with an elliptical disk, we found evidence that AT 2020nov likely occurred in a pre-existing, extended disk-like structure around a dormant SMBH—a rare scenario for observed TDEs.

Adding to the mystery, spectroscopy revealed double-peaked Balmer emission lines, a hallmark of disk-like structures. However, the velocity widths were narrower than expected, raising questions about the disk's configuration and its relation to the event's environment.

Typically, TDE SEDs are well-described by a single black body model. For AT 2020nov, this approach failed—the black body was a poor fit to the UV/optical data, while MIR flaring hinted at reprocessing by dust near the SMBH, belying a more complex structure.

TDEs often show complex multi-wavelength features, but AT 2020nov stands out for how challenging it was to reconcile its observed SED.