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arXiv · 2512.16568

A Tidal Disruption Event from an Intermediate-mass Black Hole Revealed by Comprehensive Multi-wavelength Observations

Jialai Wang·Mengqiu Huang·Yongquan Xue·Ning Jiang·Shifeng Huang·Yibo Wang·Jiazheng Zhu·Shifu Zhu·Lixin Dai·Chichuan Jin·Bin Luo·Xinwen Shu·Mouyuan Sun·Tinggui Wang·Fan Zou
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Abstract

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) occur when a star crosses the tidal radius of a black hole (BH) and is ripped apart, providing a powerful way to probe dormant BHs over a wide mass range. In this study, we present our late-time observations and comprehensive multi-wavelength analyses of AT2018cqh, a TDE at the center of a dwarf galaxy that exhibited successive flares in the optical, X-ray, and radio bands. We discovered an unexpected high-state X-ray plateau phase following the peak until the present time. Along with its reported prolonged rise lasting at least 550 days, these unique characteristics are consistent with the scenario of a TDE caused by an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) with a mass of approximately $(1-6) \times 10^5$ solar masses. Furthermore, scaling relations derived from the host-galaxy properties indicated a similar BH mass in concert. This discovery highlights the invaluable role of TDEs in the search for elusive IMBHs.

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Jialai Wang, Mengqiu Huang, Yongquan Xue, Ning Jiang, Shifeng Huang, Yibo Wang, Jiazheng Zhu, Shifu Zhu, Lixin Dai, Chichuan Jin, Bin Luo, Xinwen Shu, Mouyuan Sun, Tinggui Wang, Fan Zou. 2025-12-18. A Tidal Disruption Event from an Intermediate-mass Black Hole Revealed by Comprehensive Multi-wavelength Observations. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68670-3

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