Speaker
Erica Hammerstein
(University of California, Berkeley)
Description
AT2020afhd was first discovered in the optical by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and reported as an X-ray-detected tidal disruption event (TDE) candidate with broad Balmer and He II emission in February 2024. Subsequent observations with Swift/UVOT and XRT revealed striking behavior, with UV characteristics comparable to optically-selected TDEs but with prominent X-ray variability. In this talk, I present the long-term optical, UV, and X-ray light curve of AT2020afhd in addition to follow-up optical spectroscopy. Using this rich suite of follow-up observations, I discuss the nature and classification of this transient and how it may help further our understanding of SMBH disk formation and accretion.
Primary author
Erica Hammerstein
(University of California, Berkeley)
