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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 November 2004
We have modeled the time-variable profiles of the Hα emission line from the non-axisymmetric disk and debris tail created in the tidal disruption of a solar-type star by a $10^{6} M_{\odot}$ black hole. We find that the line profiles at these very early stages of the evolution of the post-disruption debris do not resemble the double peaked profiles expected from a rotating disk since the debris has not yet settled into such a stable structure. The predicted line profiles vary on fairly short time scales (of order hours to days). As a result of the uneven distribution of the debris and the existence of a ‘tidal tail’ (the stream of returning debris), the line profiles depend sensitively on the orientation of the tail relative to the line of sight. Given the illuminating UV/X-ray light curve, we also model the Hα light curve from the debris.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html